Thread: Its about time they took action on the cowboy trucking companies.

Kicking heavy vehicle drivers does come into vogue every now and then - typically after a fatal. However, 'we' as a community (in NSW at least) think little of killing 400 odd of us each year, the vast majority of which are in light or passenger vehicles.

I speak with heavy vehicle drivers every working day and very rarely are they incompetent, careless or arrogant - can't say the same for most other motorists.

The bulk of these blokes work their tails off in pretty ordinary circumstances - family life, pay and conditions. Yes, there are 'cowboys' and shonky outfits but if we look back at the B-double / ute / house fatality at Urunga recently, the donkey was the trucking industry. It was only much later that the ute driver was shown to have been intoxicated - but no recognition of the double's driver skill or how he's coping with the incident.

So, if you see a heavy vehicle speeding or driving dangerously 'we' have to report it - and ask to be contacted with a result. This puts pressure on Police and RMS (RTA) to act, and gets a problem recognised.

I know this is getting into rant territory but I've had a gutful of media morons pumping up the minority of drivers and operators, being 'typical' in the industry.

The F3 and Sesame Street are a joke at times but if there was a useful Police / RMS presence they might have an incentive to behave.


Matt.

Road trains are Newmans lifeblood,without them we couldn't survive and as a person who drives alot in the bush surrounded by trucks on a daily basis I will say that truck drivers here are excellent.I also work as an Ambulance officer and the trucks are the one thing that saves lives here,every time,and I mean every time we have a road accident it's the truckers that call it in,those guys stop traffic and let us know were within a K or two were the accident is and the condition of the people inside.There is bad drivers but they are weeded out quickly in my experience and we have no issue's up here travelling anywhere until bicky dipper season starts. Pat

Originally Posted by incisor

we are not talking public transport

we are talking heavy loads

But like passenger services trains are only efficient when taking a large quantity of a single comodity from a single departure location to a single destination. Commodities like coal, grains and other minerals.

Every other form of heavy freight rail lacks rail infrastructure and logistic centres which would not be cost effective to build and maintain for the vast majority of freight. Then rail still requires trucks to deliver the product from the rail head to the customer. The only situations where freight rail would be ecconomic, is the mass transport of containers to and from ports to freight interchanges outside the metropolitan areas and for high speed freight rail between the Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and possibly Adelaide and/or Rockhampton.

In my experience it is usually a small number of truck drivers, who drive or behave like "cowboys".

Both the vehicles and the drivers of most heavy vehicles are OK and often the worst we'll find in s slight infringement of time or slipping in swear words on the UHF main channels (repeater/18 or 40 are what I consider main channels)

Usually a verbal request over radio fixes the language. (Often I believe they dont realise they are swearing).

Those that are cowboys not only upset other roadusers but we find upset the better behaved drivers because of their attitude and the attention it brings to all of them.

The speed limit for heavy vehicles is 100km/hr, this allegedly takes into account loads, vehicle capabilities, safe stopping power and distances (including taking in account possible loads.)

the time allowed for driving is limited for the same reason, reactions for a heavy vehicle driver need to be reasonable and safe.

I am aware that these are things that apply to all other road users equally but in reality a car hitting another car will cause carnage on a much smaller scale than the devestation a heavy vehicle ploughing through will cause! And yes maybe the same restrictions should apply to car drivers... good luck getting any uniform road law in across australia though!

As for tailgating (heavy vehicle, 4wd or car) I can say that after a very recent accident where the front vehicle slowed to turn and the rear vehicle didnt slow, the rear vehicle (a cabover) was devestated and the driver was killed and his body horribly maimed. The time it took to document everything, remove the deceased and then remove and itemise his possessions cemented my opinions on tailgating, no tolerance, dont care if car/4wd/truck/horse.


Anyway the bit I wanted to add is something I have noticed that I believe is very biased reporting... Both Tv and papers, Its the headline (almost inevitable)

"TRUCK HITS CAR"

Even when there is clear evidence that the car has collided with the truck (eg the car is in error - no fault of the truck operator), As a HA lic holder this really bugs me, When I've asked reporters and an editor I know why this headline their reply was consistantly along the lines of "well the truck is bigger so that sounds better"

My theory is this is wrong as they dont use the headline

"EARTH HITS PLANE"

when a plane crashes? its the same theory..

my 2c
Cheers
Digger

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

But like passenger services trains are only efficient when taking a large quantity of a single comodity from a single departure location to a single destination. Commodities like coal, grains and other minerals.

Every other form of heavy freight rail lacks rail infrastructure and logistic centres which would not be cost effective to build and maintain for the vast majority of freight. Then rail still requires trucks to deliver the product from the rail head to the customer. The only situations where freight rail would be ecconomic, is the mass transport of containers to and from ports to freight interchanges outside the metropolitan areas and for high speed freight rail between the Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and possibly Adelaide and/or Rockhampton.

I challenge you to find a study saying road freight is lower cost and more (energy) efficient than rail.

e.g. - this is the first one I found:
http://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/p...ttachmentb.pdf

Intersting comments
When I ran the highway it stagered me how many trucks would go past me while I was sitting on "full noise" in a limited rig at 101Km.
I passed them all sitting just before the NSW truck cameras as their travel time was to quick
These same drivers, no- wheel attendants, would then have to coffee up as the fatigue/stress of constantly overtaking got the better of them.

Now I run around the western suburbs of Melourne in a truck and trailer grossing 57.5ton..
Due to the extra weight I leave a biger braking space but not many car drivers know what it is.
Some think it's there for them to jump into
I've lost track of how many move over when they are just past my bumper.
I'm lucky to see their roof, let alone their rear tail/ind lights. I'm always watchng the left mirror for these clowns
In heavy traffic it adds up to 5min of extra travel time per hour letting them in.
I'm paid by the hour and a boss who tells us to drive smart, not quick so I let them go.
They obviosly are in a hurry to be at work

Most trucks are paid by the load so the incentive to drive quick is always there.
Some go hard to try and get one load up on their "mates" but at what cost?
More fuel, more wear on the brakes, extra driver stress, bad image for the rest of us. They are kidding themselfs.


Now here's a thought....
Why don't all cars have to have yellow flashing lights on their roof?
And why isn't every one in the car wearing a safty vest/shirt?
The road network is my work place, I can't go near a job site with out the above

Originally Posted by slug_burner

I believe the behaviour of trucks rolling up close behind you before overtaking is to minimize the time they are out overtaking. Usually only an issue on single carriageway/undivided highways. On dual carriageways it is only likely to happen if there is a lot of traffic in the right-hand/overtaking lane.


But then again the behaviour of a few can reflect on the whole industry as we all tend to generalise.

That'd pretty much nail it, but some companies drivers do seem to push past what is acceptable too.

From my experience travelling the New England Hwy, one trucking companies drivers in particular (who hail from the Lockyer Valley) regularly push what is deemed 'polite' IMO, sometimes to the point of beyond aggressive (we've been pushed off the road when towing a horse float)

Talking to other road users the same company keeps being mentioned for similar behaviour, I just wish the Police and RTA saw what's happening too.

About 9 years ago I sold a 22' Pantech we had for moving gear to race tracks around Australia for several reasons. One it was getting to small, two I could ship a 40' container around the Eastern seaboard on a train for bugger all, even once you added in a side loader at each end.

Now the cost of rail has truly skyrocketed and it is nearly cheaper to truck the container from race track to race track. For me anyway trains aren't a serious option, it takes about three to four times longer to get a box anywhere, the box often arrives with the side smashed in and the cost isn't that different once everything is added in.

I'm often on the highway between major cities and yes many trucks do speed and I've seen some pretty hair things. but most truck drivers are from what I have seen quite safe in how they drive and usually courteous to other road users.

cheers,
Terry