Goodaye all. Off to Toowoomba last Sunday afternoon, had a glitch nearing Wellcamp and thought I was imagining it, maybe. Unloaded next morning, left for Dalby to do a pick-up to feel a miss but not a miss, as if it was turning on and off, rather than not running smoothly. Got permission to go back to Brown and Hurley Toowoomba, rang them and explained the problem and codes and arrange a time. They are running two separate but shorter shifts with cleaning between, second shift got me to drop the trailers and went to work.
Thinking it was hopefully simply electrical (and they said initially should be a few hours) first check-up, yes found and fixing, good soon. Second check-up, now have another problem, red check engine light on. Third check-up and now worrying about time to complete and where I was going to stay, told they needed a plug, (a previous repair at Roma had done a roadside repair that had held, but was affected by work on first problem) could not get the part number and so then not the part and getting one now not likely, so rang our depot.
Then, “we can try and get it going so I could park outside to go to bed and then complete in the morning”, whilst on the phone to Brissie depot, no leave it there, fix it properly in the morning and they would come and get me. They tried a couple of motels, no answer with the virus perhaps, waiting at the gate to be asked where I was going and then offered a lift to meet my bloke half-way, yes thanks. There are still some good if older truckies about. Thanks Daz.
In Brisbane depot late in the evening, helped load a set of trailers with the load I had been due to take, so another driver could quick hitch, then taken back to the supervisors place for a shower and better bed than at work. Thanks David. Up in the morning, to the depot, do a bit of cleaning up, a pick-up for another truck, then back to Toowoomba. Plan then was to load in Brissie following morning, but then told I was needed in Dubbo for another load to Melbourne next day. All good, back to Brissie yard, loaded up and off to Fisher Park for tea, then onto Narrabri.
Quick stop for Triple M Nighshift spot just before I got there, went well (and got a call from a driver Friday saying I had nailed the issue of car speedos reading slow and he had only recently spoken with a car driver whose partner following had given him the finger after overtaking).
Forgot to change the time on the bunk clock from Daylight saving, got up unbuckled and unstrapped, had breakfast and thinking, hmm, they are late today, only to check watch to find it is still only 7AM. Damn, not going back to bed now, catch up on some paperwork and my diary. Unload, back to Dubbo with a plan to be loaded in the depot, change of plan, unload and go and load and then back to yard, top up and go. Off to Temora, tea from my mate at the Tiger Moth Inn, rang ahead and ate in the truck. Not a designated truckstop or driver lounge, so can’t eat inside. Down the road and planned a kip, overslept, so bugger it, make it my 7 hour break and back to sleep.
Still don’t have a load out of Melbourne yet, do delivery, get a call, got a load from Bayswater, don’t go there till 3PM. Ok, back in yard, have lunch, chat with another driver about the old Hume and arrange him to start writing a list of names of places and why named such for the future, then Ah, we need a part for another truck, from Bayswater, so I better get going so I can pick it up.
Luckily close to loading point, in and explain issue with part, yes you can drop your trailers here and we will wait for you. Thanks, won’t be long and much easier to get part bobtail, just a bit harder to get it in the cab.
Back to pick up trailers to put in to load, had to drop to load, their rules and then some minor things we each wanted to do differently, but in the end all sorted and out the slide, pulling up at Springhurst parking bay and to bed Thursday night.
Had a decent sleep and off to Dubbo for a break, did a radio spot with ABC Wagga Saturday as I would normally have been at “The Stone the Crows Festival” talking to vanners about sharing the road with trucks, and tomorrow to Brissie for Tuesday. Drop trailers, them home, change the sheets and clean the frig out in the truck and then catch up with all this stuff too including audio books review and Owner Driver column. No rest for the wicked. Happy Easter to you all, Safe Travelling, Rod Hannifey.
TRUCKRIGHT 