Goodaye all. Two things I would like to raise. First is I would like to wish all a Merry Christmas and a Trucking Good 2018. It is a time of year for reflection on what has happened and towards a time of year to set goals and yes even, New Years resolutions, but either way, a chance to reflect first, what have you done and what can you do better.
You are responsible to yourself first, your family and friends and then perhaps the wider community. I wish I could change the world, or at least, parts or pieces of it, but that is a dream that I will not achieve, yet I can make plans to change the things I can, or at least try. I want to be a better Father and one day, a better husband, as with this job, each I have failed to do as good as I would have liked to.
This leads to the second thing. How many of you outside of the trucking industry truly recognise or understand the life of an interstate truckie. This is not a whinge session or woe is me, there are worse jobs and many better, but ours seems to be so lonely in so many ways. When you start, is it being not really, but the King of the Road, like the old days getting the mail through, delivering the goods, being your own boss out on the road, seeing the country. If only any of that was true?
I wrote this years ago and will include it over the next few instalments. I would welcome your comments.
KNIGHTS OF THE ROAD 1.
Out here in highway land life is like a fairy tale. There are good princes and knights of the highway, there are beautiful princesses waiting at castles across the land, there are wicked monsters and RMS officers, waiting to prey on the good and simple folk. Now for the story. Once upon a time there lived a happy truckie, Drivealot was his name. He lived in a small castle, (well a man’s home is his castle, isn’t it) in a beautiful valley far away from the city with his wife Laughalot and his two children Talkalot and Hungryalot.
He was happy because he was his own boss, sort of. He could do whatever he liked with his truck, a big Carryalot with 400 horses under the bonnet, (and couldn’t they go through the chaff), but only as long as he paid the finance company, Takealot. He could come and go as he pleased as long as he wasn’t too fast, too heavy, too slow and or too late because then his customers would be wanting to know why he wasn’t where they thought, he should be. Of course Drivealot did his best, like all truckies do.
He looked after his truck like it was his own, it would be in 200 years when his son’s sons had paid the last installment. He serviced it and washed and polished it and of course he drove it all around this large bountiful and beautiful but unforgiving land. While he was off on his travels his time was his own, sort of. As long as he drove, stopped and slept as was decreed by the Royal Log Book he wouldn’t incur the wrath of the Lord’s Armies.
Now one army wasn’t enough to watch over truckies, there was the normal army in blue uniforms and then there was the special forces in the brown uniforms. The blue uniforms watched over everyone, their job was to protect the people from themselves and each other and by and large they did a mighty fine job. The brown uniforms were especially interested in truckies. They were there to protect everyone else from truckies and make sure they (the truckies) complied with the Royal Log Book which we will look at next. Safe Trucking, Royal Subjects.
So what do you think? It does not cover the depth of this job, though gives a somewhat jaded but comedic view I hope. Does this make it look worse or better? I can only see things from where I sit and I would hope over time you can help me to help others.
Please consider the truckies who will be away from home and family during this season, those who will be on the road perhaps thousands of kilometres from those they love. so someone else can have their food, fuel, clothes and presents to have an Australian way of life. Merry Christmas all. Safe Travelling, Rod Hannifey.
TRUCKRIGHT 