Over the past week we have at least 4 road deaths in Australia with large trucks involved. Just recently we had private operators driving around Canberra protesting about wage rises for drivers which they claim will drive them out of business. Well I'll tell you one thing a hell of a lot of truck drivers are out of business for good when their vehicle have an accident. Do the big Companies maintain their trucks in tip top condition? Just in the last year one major company was found to have over 50% of their trucks unroadworthy...Who would want to drive one of these trucks for $22 hr if you were sitting on a time bomb. Go ask anyone who have been driving semis for 20 years or so, how many mates funerals have you been to? The government makes a big deal about the private owners not been able to pay increased wages but maybe they could look at the road safety of all trucks be they owned by private owners or Corporations. Have you noticed the length of some semis on the road? Two trailers for the price of one. :| Heading South from Bundaberg to Brisbane in the late afternoon, you will pass at least 200 trucks...Some of these travel in convoys at speeds of around 100km (close together)Why do they do this? Slipstream to save fuel. Now what do yo do when you are coming North from Brisbane, when you look in the mirror and here is this monster on your tail.. Slow up and let him pass, then low and behold you are sandwiched between two monsters. I've talked to semi drivers and they tell you of car drivers who give them no room, pull out in front, think that trucks can pull up like cars when braking. Semis carrying fuel and fertilizers should IMO be restricted to 80kph. Maybe Coles, Woolworths, Auldi, K mar/Target could up their contract price to help reduce the road toll.. Regards Errol 43
To register an interstate (federal plates), B double, per year is $32,000 ! reducing the max. speed to 80kph, is meaning those trailer sets, will be on the highways 20% longer.
Paul Little, ex Toll, has a personal worth of 350 million dollars. Lindsay Fox is a billionaire. you like ice cream, moved on average 5 times before it's on a market shelf. you wear T shirts, same movement. you use express post, same. you ever bothered to view the environment from behind the windscreen of a heavy vehicle ? get involved to be informed really.
Over the same week, there were about 24 road deaths, 20 of which supposedly didn't involve large trucks. What speed should the general motoring population be restricted to?
But by that logic, the speed limit should be increased so they are on the roads less. Bump the limit to 200km for trucks and you can halve the time they are on the roads (ignoring inneficencies of slowing for lights or having to accelerate).
More nannying? Or just addressing the symptom rather than the cause? Maybe motorists should be retested on their license periodically... Especially in QLD.
Yes, that was my point Most suggestions seem to fall into the categories of: 1. More ineffective nannying 2. Someone else paying the cost 3. Attacking those who highlight an issue rather than addressing the actual issue itself 4. Stating that there is no issue
A few things. Truck drivers aren't getting $22 an hour, double that and you are closer (this was 4 years ago). Speed limiting devices at a previous company I was at were installed in all trucks and set at a top of 95kph. During the time I was there I am aware of three accidents involving trucks from this company (transporting dangerous goods) 2 were on the Bruce Highway where overtaking cars misjudged distance. The other was in the suburbs where a speeding motorcyclist coming around the corner too wide ended up under it. Another company in the concreting industry and over 156 trucks in SEQ during 3 years and there were 4 accidents I am aware of...again none the fault of the driver of the mixer. Take from that small slice of the industry I know of first hand what you will. On a personal opinion I agree with wrcmad and his take on Qld drivers, there are a lot of crappy ones.
The trucking industry is slated for major disruption in a few years when self driving vehicles hit the roads. If any truckers think they will be able to drive faster, with bigger loads and take greater risks to compete with autonomous trucks....then we are going to have more carnage before it gets any better.
This was the truck I once owned below and I hated changing a flat tyre (which was a regular occurrence), especially if it was one of the inside tyres. It took me nearly half hour to change one. The wheel nuts are a ball breaker to undo and tighten. And it's not like they had 5 nuts like cars but like 15! If I had to drive one of those B-double trailers with all those tyres, it would be a nightmare. I would have to get paid dam good money for me to want to do that.
Some of the Doubles turn into a triple outside of major built up zones: eg loads going out from Brisbane may be a double, hit Roma and become a triple to continue North or South
Skyrocket...With regard to undoing wheel nuts...ON my car I had some very stubborn wheel nuts..I couldn't budge them until I got a hollow home made crowbar..More leverage an at last I could move them Regards Errol 43
RE POST 12...I was basing my figure of $22 per hr on a truck driver I knew here in Bundaberg.. It was a well known company that does a lot of work between Maryborough,Hervey Bay, Bundaberg and Gympie and Brisbane. However the figure of $44 per hr does sound more realistic for transport drivers working out of the major cities. In the recent protest by small truck owner operators, were not they complaining about having to pay drivers around this figure claiming they would go broke if these new rates came into force. What is the true picture? I would love to be informed. REgards Errol 43
