Goodaye all. I do welcome some high level discussions that aim to simplify and streamline border crossings for trucks. It would have been nice if we had been thought of more at the start and recognised for the service we provide to all Australians. Of course, the way things are going, it may be too little and or too late for those who have lost hours waiting in ques to get there and deliver the freight needed for peoples’ lives to continue.
This of course, completely ignores the cost in time and money, transport companies have wasted, chasing details and then having to keep doing so as it kept changing, aiming to comply with differing requirements for each state. You would think we lived in Europe and in different countries, instead of just different states of Australia!
Update from email just now, the new guidelines from the Australian Government, Protocol for Domestic Border Controls – Freight Movements have just been released and look to provide some basis for a national and co-ordinated set of guidelines for all states to hopefully agree to and implement. Let’s see?
I was asked by a journalist about how truckies could be a problem, travelling from state to state as many of us do. Yes, there is a risk, as in every part of life, but of all the essential services, we are the most isolated and least involved with close contact with others. Health workers caring for those in need must be close, many others work in closed offices (unless they can work from home) but for those in retail and other services, they often deal with people close up.
Yes we have to deal with those where we load and unload, but more often than not, it is outside and in the open or at least, definitely not, in confined spaces as such. Once that is done, we are alone and on the road, yet again. Yes we need fuel and food, but again, one of the problems we have, is you simply can’t park your b-double anywhere within cooee of a supermarket most of the time, so not only is it harder and more costly to obtain food and live on the road, it is hard to do so healthily.
We too have to comply and use common sense in our dealings. We need to consider the contact we have and minimise the close contact where and when we can. Some have said we should be tested and I have been temperature tested at some sites and have no problem with this, but being held at a border while we wait for testing, could see many drivers left without food or supplies and so far, I have not seen or heard of any suggestion to offer testing at roadhouses, even for those who want to check.
I took part in a phone hook up Monday towards improving driver health, this being done by OzHelp and funded by NHVR, First discussion was about sleep, what problems there are in getting good quality sleep, what can be done etc. It went for over an hour and notes were taken and a list of issues and suggestions tabled. There will be more such discussions and I have followed up with some rest area info.
Last week-end I also chased two well apart but current informal and dirt bays that truckies use to try and get access to supermarkets. I got one reply, have again responded asking for further info and support, citing our issues and why such sites are so valuable and needed by us.
The Senate Inquiry took further oral submissions in Brisbane Friday and whilst I could not listen in, I do aim to find the time to hear what was said by those who took the time and made the effort to contribute. I am told you can still make a written submission and that there will be further chances for oral in person submissions, in other states. If you do not contribute and tell the authorities what is wrong, how will they know what is needed to fix anything?
I am still trying to get a culvert fixed 20k south of Forbes after a number of emails. They put up “Rough Surface” signs, so at least someone else knows it could hurt, I said that is not enough. They said they would do a patch, that did not fix it either and so I asked again to have it fixed as I believed it was a road hazard. Initially I was told it could not be fixed till September. Any of you know of the bump and believe it warrants urgent repair, next time you hit it, call 131700 and put in a complaint, maybe with a few more, we can get it fixed. Till next week, Safe Travelling, Rod Hannifey.
TRUCKRIGHT 