using "THE SLIDE" out of Melb thru Bayswater, Yarra Glen ect is a totally different scenario, your on twisty, winding, up hill, down hill single lane road with overtaking lanes.

back in the day(years ago) most of the trucks would be lacking in HP but have lots of gears, the newer trucks have a lot more HP at there disposal which means they can maintain a higher average speed

Your missing my point dogbox. It's about courtesy both ways, not the horse power. I always help others to pass if l'm holding them up. When the shoe is on the other foot will they?

Nobody is arguing that yobarr. Old log truck is an example of being courteous when you are holding up traffic. The situation on the Hume is an example of how things have changed in my opinion. Same with my first comment. No matter what sped l travel at everyone wants to pass you.

diggerop wrote:

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So, how many trucks on the major highways are 130 ton? Very few I reckon.

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 Hi Trevor, you are mistaken, with many Roadtrains in WA running at 160 ton on public highways aroung Kalgoorlie, and up to 210 ton on public roads into Port Hedland.

These 60 metre long trucks are known as 'Super quads', tri-drive with 3 axle semi-trailer towing 3 x 7 axle Dog trailers.

Super-quads are, however, limited to 90km/hr. Cheers

 

 

-- Edited by yobarr on Tuesday 12th of September 2023 06:14:26 PM

People will want to pass a truck or caravan, no matter what speed it's doing. That's because they want an unobstructed view of the road ahead. Driving is MUCH less stressful that way.

Just got back from a jaunt up and down the Hume Highway from Jugiong to Beechworth then Glenrowan to Jugiong. No problems, putted along at sensible speed with the little van on and no issues with the trucks. A few went round me, I let one big logging truck go in front of me at at a roundabout at Goulburn and then struck him later in the trip labouring up a very steep hill on the Hume. I just reduced my speed and sat back a safe distance to allow everyone else that wanted to overtake do so. No issues. Just driving sensibly and unselfishly is the answer to me.
On Jugiong, on the way to Beechworth I counted 61 RV's, vans etc there and that was after I heard a few departing earlier. Then counted 34 on the way home but only went there for a squizz as Wombat via Harden was my intended overnighter. Good spot Wombat, $10 a night, pay online or at the friendly pub for a powered site, toilets and an old but decent disabled room hot shower. Nice and quiet there and power outlets all over a few acres. Only 6 of us camping there for my quick overnighter.
Good spot, not as busy as Jugiong Free Camping. Lake Sambell at Beechworth and Glenrowan Camping site were excellent places to stay also and very affordable as well.

Eaglemax wrote:

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The presumption that some slower vehicles are not entitled to drive slow is a reflection on your entitled view Yobarr. If police view a slow rig as travelling at a speed inappropriately they can issue a fine. Old Merv is travelling at an appropriate speed for his rig. As would 2 cyclists side by side at 13kph. Learn patience bloke

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                                      Seems commonsense and courtesy are foreign to some? 

poor old MERV or a couple of push bikes doing 13 kph in a 100 kph zone on narrow country road, with no shoulder are more likely to be statistics even if they are within their rights.

not everyone you come across in life will be kind, courteous, or express any form of commonsense.

That's true dogbox. Times have changed. Poor old Merv now can't tow his old rig to the show and shine because many believe the speed limit is the only acceptable driving speed. So pity the farmer and his tractor with baler on his way to his other farm several kms away. Pity the restored 1960's bus restored as a camper that cruises all day long at 85kph, pity any vintage car that can't cruise at 100kph... they all have to "get out the kitchen." Yet all authorities think otherwise! And any person that believes we should all share the road.

Eaglemax wrote:

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That's true dogbox. Times have changed. Poor old Merv now can't tow his old rig to the show and shine because many believe the speed limit is the only acceptable driving speed. So pity the farmer and his tractor with baler on his way to his other farm several kms away. Pity the restored 1960's bus restored as a camper that cruises all day long at 85kph, pity any vintage car that can't cruise at 100kph... they all have to "get out the kitchen." Yet all authorities think otherwise! And any person that believes we should all share the road.

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 Not wanting to confuse you with logic, but could I point out that the number of tractors and balers, restored buses and vintage cars is minuscule when compared with the number of caravanners on our highways, creating havoc for professional drivers just trying to go about their business? 
Although I have many times driven tractors towing balers on the road, never have I seen one on a freeway.

As for your comment "Yet all authorities think otherwise", this is just another example of catering to the lowest common denominator. Nothing more. 

Well Yobarr, Merv wasn't on a freeway, Melba is a 2 lane highway chosen deliberately for that reason, no alternative route and few pull over locations. BTW your big road train should keep sufficient distance from the vehicle ahead. There's many reasons why a car comes to a stop suddenly (but any reason is irrelevant). I suppose you'll defend the indefensible that your insurance will admit you'd be in the wrong ramming up the back of someone. I don't think anyone can educate you Yobarr as you refuse. Weights guy maybe, layman you're trumped.

yobarr wrote:

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deverall11 wrote:

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Hogging the road and being inconsiderate to others is the recipe for an accident.
Haven't seen any nuns lately driving but when we did we use to say:
'Haven't had an accident in years, but caused quite a few'. 

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 This has been my response, for many years, to those who waffle-on about "Paid my taxes for many years" when I suggest to them that driving slowly and holding up traffic may be both illegal and unsafe. 

Similar responses are often received from those who waffle-on that they've  'done a million ks mate, no worries' in their twin-cab ute with its 3500kg van in tow. 'Just gotta drive to the conditions, mate'. Yeah, right.

Such an 'achievement' is a not a result of 'driving to the conditions, mate' , but is simply a result of good luck. Nothing more. Cheers.

 

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 That was expected. Turned an issue about slow driving into a twin-cab towing weight issue. Thanks from everyone. 

yobarr wrote:

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dogbox wrote:

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poor old Merv, the farmer and anyone else can still go about their business but they must make allowances for the people who think the speed limit is the minimum speed, to minimize the risk of becoming a statistic. there is very rarely a copper around when you need one.

even with wide loads with escort vehicles, flashing lights, signs, even police escorts unbelievable things happen  for unbelievable reasons.

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 Aint that the truth! Just last month I was travelling South in a smaller Roadtrain, only 123 ton, when I heard on the UHF that there was a 6 metre wide approaching from the other direction. No big deal, but as I continued South behind a line of cars I saw that the wide load had pulled off the road and stopped on a gravelled area. 

The escort vehicles had also stopped on the gravel, but the police car, with flashing lights etc, had stopped on the highway adjacent to the wide load.

The Southbound lane was clear, so I kept my speed up  - Until the so-called driver in a car ahead of me decided to stop dead in the middle of the road.

All hell broke loose, but fortunately I was able to safely veer off the bitumen and drive around this clown. 
People like this seem to have no brains, but are happy without them.

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 I know in SA, drivers must slow to 25kmh when passing emergency vehicles with lights flashing, whatever side of the road they are on. I dont know where you were driving Chris, but keeping the speed up does seem to be a bit excessive at best, and illegal at worst if it is a state with similar rules to SA. I am not excusing the driver of the car for stopping, but there may be more to it than you were aware of, especially if the Police escort gave him a sign you couldnt see from your driving position and speed. 

There are often circumstances we dont know about.

-- Edited by TheHeaths on Wednesday 13th of September 2023 09:15:36 AM

Eaglemax wrote:

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Yobarr said "people like this seem to have no brains but are happy without them" Kund of sums up a very poor judgemental attitude we don't need on our roads particularly those driving a mega ton road train. Quoting Vicroads. "Following distancesHide The minimum following distance for road trains and long vehicles (not on a multi-lane road, in a built-up area, or when overtaking) is: 200 metres for a road train behind a long vehicle 60 metres for a long vehicle (other than a road train) behind another long vehicle." The law, nothing compares nor competes.

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 This all is stuff that I am well aware of, and I wasn't  going to bother responding to, but which could only have been drafted and quoted by persons with absolutely no undestanding of the operation of a Roadtrain. 

It's so easy to circumvent that law with a simple explanation that I was simply starting an overtaking manouevre. Job done.

Leaving room for motorists to overtake one Roadtrain at a time, and merge in front of us is common sense, but if we're travelling at the speed limit, which we do most of the time, surely that gap is not required? Unless the motorist is exceeding the speed limit.

Police officers generally are understanding of the frustrations we have with motorists, and tend to let us do our work unhindered, whereas most motorists have zero understanding, as illustrated by their driving habits.

Getting back up to speed after having been baulked by some clown in a car can take several kilometres, along with an associated increase in fuel consumption and general wear and tear on vehicle components.

P.S Your quote "Nothing compares nor competes" has no relevance here.