Goodaye all. Thursday and Friday may well turn out to be at the top of the, lousy days at work, up to this time. In Brisbane Thursday, a fun place to deliver at the start of the day, double split and so drop one trailer, go and deliver it, go back to the safe place to drop trailers, drop that trailer, pick up the other, go back with it and again, back in off a road with cars parked either side, then down a driveway and then have to unload one side at a time, as it was too narrow to unload either side in one place. A lovely, but my age, so bloody old gent, that was not in any rush to unload me. I was asked by the younger fellow, why aren’t you in a hurry? Most of your blokes are often saying they will run out of hours.
I had time then, but did have someone coming to meet me to look at something on the truck and did have to put him back a bit. Worse, what I hoped would solve a problem and give me back my cruise control, did not work, so still to be resolved, along with not being able to do a burn. But thanks for your effort in trying to solve the problem, it is much appreciated.
Then nearly 6 hours in total, (the fellow loading when I got there at 1.40PM had been there since 10.30 in the morning and had just started loading) so waiting, then loading and painfully watching a young bloke learn on a forklift, then after finally being loaded and now dark, have to move up and climb up and down a tall ladder 20 odd times to strap the whole load down in the dark. No lights there on one side and trying to throw straps through a very small gap while on said ladder.
We must do it all safely mustn’t we and I did lodge a concern with both the lack of light and the adjacent light, which did not light where I was working, but kept going on and off, so one minute I could see something and then nothing. Winter is still upon us in places, yet I was wet with sweat when finished. I had rang and said I will not meet the timeslot in the morning after just starting to load at 4PM. I will see what happens and of course, when I finally left after 7PM, everyone else was long gone home.
Just managed to get tea at Fisher Park, they were getting ready to close, but I rang ahead and got in scoffed tea down, though they told me don’t rush, but they were good enough to look after me, I did not want to delay them anymore. It did mean I was too late for a shower and could not really give up any more time, I was hungry so was getting a feed no matter what, but wanted to try and meet my new given arrival time.
Of course on arrival and later than I had suggested and having been told I had to reload with a product that is not very friendly to tautliner curtains, just a bit worse than what I had on already, so already not really in a “Oh I love this job”, frame of mind, it started to rain. It started each time I had to unload or reload (oh and can I mention another double split to unload etc spot) and stopped while waiting, so I got good and wet a few times. Then there was an issue that I am yet to find out what the ramifications will be, partly my fault and partly a combination of others and of unusual circumstances.
But I made it home Friday night, for it to rain again as I dropped my trailers. Now there are blokes with harder jobs, worse freight and in these times, suffering trying to deal with border issues, not being treated human as per some Facebook posts I have seen and I am normally pretty passionate about my job generally and the industry as well. I love what I do most of the time, but nothing is always or forever perfect.
To those worse off and you only have to listen to those suffering in Victoria, whether affected by the shutdown, the virus, or the other essential workers dealing with those so affected, I am not the worst off by a long shot. But to those of you who have said they had no idea what our job is like, I simply want you to understand it is not just get in the truck, drive and then get out and then get in and drive again.
I want some of the public to understand not this complexity, nor see me as a whinging truckie, so will attach a video hoping to help them see and recognise our contribution. If you agree (and you will have to accept some wind noise, it was getting dark and cold and my daughter “Thank you love” had better and warmer things to do) please comment and or share. I really think we have lost a chance to show the public our lives and perhaps gain some empathy for our jobs, others could do this much better and more professionally than I can, but have not, so I felt I had to at least, give it a try. Till next week, Safe Travelling, Rod Hannifey.
TRUCKRIGHT 