1st November 2020

Goodaye all. Home for my 25 hour visit with the family for this week-end. I did get one night home during the week, a rare change and it worked well as I was not needed that night and had some media to do for our “Stop the River Street Bridge” campaign the next day. I did check out the site as it was raining that afternoon and am keen, but wasn’t going to spend four hours in the rain washing the truck, with the forecast for more rain. I could not stand without slipping that afternoon, yet nearing midday the next day, checked out the site and drove in and parked along with a couple of local prime movers for the handover ceremony.

I did a radio interview in the morning, loaded and then took part with a number of Dubbo stakeholders, from the convenor of the group, the mayor, small business reps and other transport entities at the handover of about 11,000 signatures to see Dubbo try to get a decent and long term traffic solution, instead of a half arsed cheap patch, that will not solve anything now or later. Did a tv interview, then bolted to Melbourne.

I had been to Brisbane Monday and after loading headed north. Less than half an hour out of Dubbo, a siren behind and a random license and logbook check. The gentleman was not exactly friendly, found an error but did not accept my reasoning and said I will get a ticket in the mail. I explained I did not go to work to break the law, we were talking about 15 minutes (or less the way we have to fill in the book), but it was an error and he thinks I should pay. I was cranky with myself and yes, I did make a mistake, but it will show I was legal and I can back it up, so we will see what the review process thinks of it when I fight it.

If I was an hour out, then that is not an error, but there was info in my book, that had I been given the chance to look at it properly and think on it for more than a second, I could have shown it was a mistake, not a breaking of the law or attempt to deceive. Forgive me if I might agree with those who often make the comment, this is about either revenue raising, or putting me in my place. We will see.

I spoke of UFOs on the “Nightshift” radio spot, unidentified farming objects, bright lights out in the middle of dark paddocks and many of them are trying to beat and or deal with the rain, to get crops off. I wish them all success, as what we grow for food and export, contributes to all our libves, in one or more ways.

The other issue was the change in the USA of the differences in many truckstops there. Mandatory Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs which we call Electronic Work Diarys here) started a change where fewer drivers have time for sit down meals and as here, when Covid struck, many US truckstops were initially closed, but then reopened when it was recognised nothing would get delivered without trucks on the road. Many stayed closed for sit down meals and there is a trend for more grabbing something to eat in the truck.

That sounds more like a recipe for less healthy, more overweight and more stressed truckies everywhere. Is this what we want as drivers and what we all need for safe and reliable road transport. Looks like it is going in the wrong direction to me. Till next week, Safe Travelling, Rod Hannifey.