Goodaye all. How many of you recognise the song name? Slim Dusty is an Australian legend and made over 100 albums and one of the last was “Looking Forward, Looking Back” and the title song was the same. Not a bad idea at this time of year, would you not agree?
We must look back at what we have done, learn from our mistakes and seek to improve and look forward to what we are yet to, but can, achieve. I do believe in goal setting, though not to the degree that it rules my life. I look forward, I do some planning and in doing that, I do look back to what worked, what didn’t, what I learnt and what I can do better.
I would like to thank all who have helped and or contributed to the TRUCKRIGHT Industry Vehicle (TIV) and what it has achieved. It is still like peeing in the ocean and expecting the level to rise, it is a small part of a large industry and will never fix all the problems, but it is my attempt to do something, rather that just sit and moan and expect someone else to do it for me.
Without the help and contributions of all those who assist, it would not exist and my dream would never have seen the light of day. I look back to events attended, things I have contributed to, issues I have tried to improve and or at the least, be part of and I look forward to the next TIV.
In February in will be asking for more support from any who would like to help. I can only do so much as an employed driver and my hope is to have a truck and trailers supplied so I can work for two weeks and generate enough income to feed my family and pay my bills and have two weeks to work for the road transport industry, attending events, taking people for rides in the truck and contributing to industry issues in a bigger way than I can now. I would welcome any who might want to consider contributing to give it some thought till then.
January will be rest areas month. I am planning to have articles in all industry press seeking more rest areas, an agreement from all road authorities that no truck rest areas, informal or otherwise, will be closed without replacements being built FIRST, not later, as we all know how hard it is to get something done later when it is not important to that person in the first place. We continue to have one shut here and one shut there by different groups or districts and they say, it is only one spot. But when ten different places are closed and nothing is replaced, we continue to fall behind in the number and quality of the truck rest areas we need NOW!
Please keep an eye out for submissions being called soon for comment on the new national rest areas guidelines and are you interested in and or contributing to the call for submissions from the NHVR re Electronic Work Diaries currently? There is also funding available from the NHVR and Federal Government for Heavy Vehicle Safety Projects, so if you have any good ideas, give that a go as well.
Kirsty the new editor at Big Rigs, did a trip with me from Brisbane to Dubbo last week. She has agreed to fill out a TIV riders form and to support my rest areas and TIV requests over the next couple of months and I have spoken with Tim Giles at Diesel Magazine as well and would welcome any suggestions or other avenues to push these issues forward.
So, thanks to all of you who read this, who have commented and or passed it on. I hope 2017 has ben good to you and if not, hope even more, that 2018 will be. Safe Travelling, Rod Hannifey.
TRUCKRIGHT 