A Big Operation...will Caravaners be next?

Dickodownunder · Guru

A Big Operation...will Caravaners be next?

Izabarack · Guru

Unsafe trucks and drug affected Truck Drivers kill a lot more than Caravaners operating dodgy rigs.

Deaths per kilometer traveled would be an interesting comparison. I'd also like to see the figures on how many caravaners kill themselves in single vehicle crashes against how many truck incidents kill other motorists.

Iza

Dickodownunder · Guru

Izabarack wrote:
Unsafe trucks and drug affected Truck Drivers kill a lot more than Caravaners operating dodgy rigs.

Deaths per kilometer traveled would be an interesting comparison. I'd also like to see the figures on how many caravaners kill themselves in single vehicle crashes against how many truck incidents kill other motorists.

Iza

OK Iza, please enlighten us with all in facts with your observations, but while you are compiling your facts have a look at what actually was suggested in the title of the original post.

So, away you go Izabarack, bash the truck drivers with a keyboard baseball bat. No doubt there will be one or two others on here that will weild the keyboard bat as well...

A sad first reply....

-- Edited by Dickodownunder on Thursday 1st of February 2018 07:36:47 PM

boab · Senior Member

Izabarack seems to have a real problem with truckies, there is always a few rotten apples but that is no reason to tar the rest of them. As a former road train operator i hope that caravaners are the next put under the blow torch because in my opinion there are plenty of gray nomads out there that should not be driving around in there over loaded 4x4s dragging caravans around when they cant even reverse into a parking space with out having a screaming match with the wife.I am not saying my rant applies to any one on this forum i am sure no one here is over loaded or ever has any trouble reversing into a parking bay

dogbox · Guru

wait till someone mention a special licence to tow a caravan or have to complete a towing course

Izabarack · Guru

Interesting talk to camera on the ABC News last night. Transport inspector on site doing inspections tells the story of just finding an overloaded truck and that the truck did not have brakes. Pedal straight to the floor, he said. Also had senior cop detailed the background leading to the latest crackdown. A sector of road users responsible for a large number of road deaths since the start of the year. So sad that truckies are happy to put other road users at risk. Also notice that the crackdown has the support of the truckies' union, the insiders themselves saying the industry needs a major shakeup. Anyone whinging about the crackdown needs to convince the insiders there is no endemic problem before having a go at those praising the authorities for their efforts.

Do I have a problem with Truckies? In general, No, just the mongrels who operate their vehicles in an unsafe manner and in a way that is dangerous to other road users.

I do have a problem with those who defend these drug effected, speeding operators driving unroadworthy vehicles. That is the true sadness inherent in the discussion. Apparently, they want the unsafe vehicles and problem operators to be left alone and want a blind eye to the road trauma caused by the trucking industry. Part of the problem and trying to sabotage the solution? most likely.

Iza

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

The roads hold people within every group that bend or break the rules - some intentionally and some through ignorance.

No category of road-user is fault free.

cheers - John

Woody n Sue · Guru

Im with Dickodownunder I am a farmer and I deliver some of my grain to Geelong and other places from time to time, and at no time will I defend a driver who drives fatigued , drug or alcohol, affected whether he / she drives a truck a car or a caravan , and nor do I think would ANY other person on the road.

I do how ever take exception to people who try to tar ALL truck driver with the same tag no section of our community is immune to dumb asses who do the wrong thing.

I seen a statistic somewhere recently that stated that

8 out of 10 accidents involving trucks were NOT the fault of the truck driver .
So what does that say about Car drivers

In my travels in a truck and I dont do that many days on the road

I have found that about 25% of caravan drivers do NOT have mirrors fitted that allow them to see behind their van , isnt that a SAFE way to travel around this great country .

As has been discussed many many times on here there is, I am sure, there is lots n lots of overweight caravaners out there on the road that need to have a very close look at themselves

Also there are a few that advertise that they have a CB on channel 40 but the DHs dont have it turned on or at least wont answer it when called.

Then there is the issue about speedos reading slow by around 5-8 k , now I dont mind those who want to travel at a slower speed ,

SO LONG AS THEY LOOK IN THERE MIRRORS for other road users and allow and facilitate them to pass as soon as safe to do so

and use their CB radio to ensure there is an understanding that they know there is a truck behind them that is Working not on holiday and wishes to travel at 100 kph not 80 kph .

So it would seem to me that none ,,,, none ,,, of us can claim to be that Perfect driver, but we can be more considerate to our fellow road users no matter what size rig we drive .

Please take a look in your mirror and ask yourself how would I feel if I were being held up by a slow driver when I need to be somewhere by a certain time.

Woody

Dickodownunder · Guru

Izabarack wrote:
Interesting talk to camera on the ABC News last night. Transport inspector on site doing inspections tells the story of just finding an overloaded truck and that the truck did not have brakes. Pedal straight to the floor, he said. Also had senior cop detailed the background leading to the latest crackdown. A sector of road users responsible for a large number of road deaths since the start of the year. So sad that truckies are happy to put other road users at risk. Also notice that the crackdown has the support of the truckies' union, the insiders themselves saying the industry needs a major shakeup. Anyone whinging about the crackdown needs to convince the insiders there is no endemic problem before having a go at those praising the authorities for their efforts.

Do I have a problem with Truckies? In general, No, just the mongrels who operate their vehicles in an unsafe manner and in a way that is dangerous to other road users.

I do have a problem with those who defend these drug effected, speeding operators driving unroadworthy vehicles. That is the true sadness inherent in the discussion. Apparently, they want the unsafe vehicles and problem operators to be left alone and want a blind eye to the road trauma caused by the trucking industry. Part of the problem and trying to sabotage the solution? most likely.

Iza

My opening sentence stated that the authorities were conducting this operation to detect the rogue operators.

For anyone that complied with the law then they have no problem apart from the time taken for the inspection.

It is amazing that if the authorities did checks on caravanners then exactly the same would apply.

Unfortunately there are people that group all truck drivers into the rogue category and by the same token some people group all

caravanners into a group that forms the lower end of safety standard.

We all remember the advert...Bloody Caravanners from a motor vehicle manufacturer that makes enormous claims of their products towing capacity when in fact if that very vehicle when loaded with family, fuel, accessories and personal equipment it more than likely can not legally tow the weight claimed by that manufacturer.

No one group of operators be them truckies, caravanners or general motorists deserve to be grouped this way but unfortunately some narrow minded people do just that.

In my observation there is no one in here defending drug affected speeding operators driving unroadworthy vehicles.

So will caravanners be next?

My thoughts are...maybe not immediately, but it will happen.

-- Edited by Dickodownunder on Friday 2nd of February 2018 10:39:52 AM

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

Not commenting on whether truckers are better or worse than the general travelling public ... we will never know until they do a similar exercise on ALL vehicles on the road ... however, at end of day one ...

More than 4000 trucks across NSW have been checked by police and vehicle inspectors less than a day into what police say is Australia's largest operation of its type.
As of 6.30pm on Thursday more than 300 defect notices had been issued and more than 20 drivers had tested positive for drugs.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/aap/article-5340905/NSW-truck-operation-union.html

Cheers - John

wasn_me · Guru

I am perplexed as to why vehicle repairers (mechanics) do not have to have any qualifications, or be licenced.

You have to employ a qualified plumber to repair a leak. You have to employ a qualified electrician to wire up a 3 pin plug.

Truck & bus repair centres or companies can employ anybody, to carry out repairs, no qualifications required.

Any yobo can throw a few tools in a ute, & call himself a mechanic.

A Bdouble operator can drive 14 hours, repair the brakes / steering, on his truck, himself, in his mandatory rest break Then go back on the road for another 14 hours.

A farmer that has a school bus run can repair the brakes / steering on that bus himself, with no mechanical qualifications.

A mechanical failure on a truck or bus can be catastrophic. The fact a "mechanic" does not have to have any qualifications seems to be overlooked by authorities.

Cheers Pete

Dickodownunder · Guru

Based on the figures in Johns link above;

7.5% defective
0.5% drugs detected.

It would be great to see a breakdown of those figures into actual types of defects.
For example a blown globe in a clearance light is nowhere as much concern as defective brakes or grossly overloaded etc.

No excuse for drugs as the law is already in place for zero tolerance.

Dickodownunder · Guru

wasn_me wrote:
I am perplexed as to why vehicle repairers (mechanics) do not have to have any qualifications, or be licenced.
You have to employ a qualified plumber to repair a leak. You have to employ a qualified electrician to wire up a 3 pin plug.
Truck & bus repair centres or companies can employ anybody, to carry out repairs, no qualifications required.
Any yobo can throw a few tools in a ute, & call himself a mechanic.
A Bdouble operator can drive 14 hours, repair the brakes / steering, on his truck, himself, in his mandatory rest break Then go back on the road for another 14 hours.
A farmer that has a school bus run can repair the brakes / steering on that bus himself, with no mechanical qualifications.
A mechanical failure on a truck or bus can be catastrophic. The fact a "mechanic" does not have to have any qualifications seems to be overlooked by authorities.
Cheers Pete

As far as I know and unless things have changed a motor mechanic in NSW did have to be licenced.

Someone may confirm.

rockylizard · Guru

Dickodownunder wrote:
Based on the figures in Johns link above;

7.5% defective
0.5% drugs detected.

It would be great to see a breakdown of those figures into actual types of defects.
For example a blown globe in a clearance light is nowhere as much concern as defective brakes or grossly overloaded etc.

No excuse for drugs as the law is already in place for zero tolerance.

Gday...

Fully understand and appreciate that the % of defects is low ... and even drug/alcohol affected is low ..... but just what would be an acceptable number of defective vehicles??

Praps, the ad below regarding the road toll gives some perspective of just what is an acceptable number -

How many should we accept?

cheers - John

Dickodownunder · Guru

I cannot view your link at the moment John however in a real world 0.0% would be ideal.

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

'ere ya go Dick ... hopefully this'll work -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsyvrkEjoXI&feature=youtu.be

Cheers - John

Dickodownunder · Guru

rockylizard wrote:
Gday...
'ere ya go Dick ... hopefully this'll work -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsyvrkEjoXI&feature=youtu.be
Cheers - John

Sorry John I should have been more clear.

Your link is OK but I am on wifi in a shopping centre and the service is next to useless.

Will have a look mate when I get back to the van this arvo.

newslug · Veteran Member

my two penneth here - then I'll move on ( hopefully) .. Remember when trucks in Australia - particularly in NSW were ONLY to be used for "local" haulage? All other freight HAD to go by rail. Then some enthusiastic truckies started buying rigs worth several hundreds of dollars - and through their hard work and campaigning, they got the right to move freight around the country..
Since then, the truck system has flourished at the expense of rail - and the closure of many railway lines in NSW - which was ofcourse also responsible for the demise of passenger transport around the country.. this has helped to lead to the decline of smaller communities who dipped out on the economy of passers-through, who instead took to air travel... and to busses which established their own depots for pitstops meals etc.
What we really need is a re emergency of freight rail - re establishment of closed lines ( and closed railway stations) and therefore rail as a public and freight service.
" Oh and what about the truckies? I hear you ask .
One thought may be to encourage truckies to train to be train drivers. That way they could dispose of their big rigs, put money b ack in their pockets, work for Governments ( or whover owns the existing rail services for coal/ etc .. help to re energise rail freght, decrease the number of trucks on our roads ( and the number of accidents involving truckies) They could then work in an industry where they can work as a "crew" which gets to have a sleep while still moving freight ( modern locomotives provide bunks for drivers) they will no longer need to drive 18 hours a day, they wont be so exhausted, they wont have to maintain the trucks, (that'll be the job of railway companies and departments) ... Local couriers will then be able to get work carting from railway 'goods sheds" and cattle yards... and small towns will start to flourish again.
nah, that'd be way too sensible.thats my two penneth ..... 20 dollars thanks!

dogbox · Guru

"all other freight HAD to go by rail " not quite right but close you could carry freight if you payed for a permit (co-ord tax I believe it was called) or it was goods owned by yourself an not for resale interstate trucks had IS (white and orange)? trucks (nsw) payed road tax an had F registration plates boy this is stretching the memory
rail had a monopoly but was slow damage was high and losses where also high, most of the rail freight today is high volume non urgent