TRUCKIES VS CARAVANNERS

What do the real truckies say?

GUIDE Trucks and Caravans – Part 4

WORDS MARTY LEDWICH, IMAGES MARTY LEDWICH AND COREY KELLY

I have quite a few mates who are truck drivers. Not surprisingly, some are also caravanners. This perspective gives them a very real sense of the issue and they understand both sides of the equation. I asked three of my truck driver mates if they could offer just three tips to caravanners that will make their jobs easier. Read on to see what they had to say.

Truck drivers have a lot of pressure on them to meet their delivery schedules

If your home away from home becomes unliveable following an insured event and you are more than 100km from home, a Club 4X4 Caravan or Camper Trailer policy will reimburse you up to $150.00 per day up to a maximum of $2,500.00 for temporary accommodation. That’s 16 days of accommodation costs covered while we work through your claim and the repair process.

It’s piece of mind if things don’t go to plan on your adventures…

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SCROLL TO CONTINUE
  1. One of the biggest problems is vehicles moving into a truck’s braking space. Think about the gap you’re about to move into and consider what might happen if the heavy vehicle needs to stop suddenly.
  2. If travelling on the open highway and a truck is overtaking you, don't accelerate. Let the truck overtake. All heavy vehicles are speed limited by law and can't go any faster than 100km/h so, if you’re not driving at the speed limit, just let them go around.
  3. When stopping along the highway at parking bays or service centres, remember the large truck parking bays need to be left clear for truck drivers to take their mandatory rest brakes. These rest brakes are the law and, if we don't take them, we can be heavily fined.

Greg W. Truck driver from Victoria. 35 years’ experience.

1

BELOW A little communication goes a long way. Always give way to large trucks on narrow bridges

Roger N. Truck driver from Victoria. 30 years’ experience.

2

BELOW He’s probably got a long drive ahead of him. He deserves to find a place to rest

  1. Please don’t park in designated truck parking bays. Truck drivers need a minimum of 7hrs rest and 1/2hr breaks at certain times.
  2. If you have a UHF CB in your car, monitor channel 40. Not only will you be able to get notified of any emergencies happening in the area, but we can also contact you if we see something wrong with your rig and we can advise you when we are about to overtake you.
  3. When a truck is overtaking you, once they are beside you, lift your foot off the accelerator pedal a little. Slowing down makes it easier, faster and safer for us to overtake you. Give us a quick flash of your high beam lights or call up on the UHF to let us know when our trailer has cleared your vehicle, and it is safe to come back into the lane. That’s something all truckies really appreciate.


Graeme H. Truck driver from NSW. 30 years’ experience.

3

BELOW For occasional towing duties, a hand-held UHF radio will be perfect. This Uniden UH820S is small, lightweight and USB rechargeable

  1. All truck drivers really appreciate communication. If you don’t have a UHF CB radio in your car, consider purchasing a hand-held unit. If you see a truck coming up behind you, talk to the driver on channel 40 and let him know you know he’s there.
  2. When you are being overtaken by a truck, slow down to make it easier and safer for them to get past. Flash your lights when the truck has safely passed, he will often thank you by flicking his indicators left to right.
  3. Always keep in mind, whenever you see a truck, the driver is bound to a logbook and can only drive a certain number of hours a day. To add to the pressure, truck drivers have to comply with a ‘time slot’. They leave at a certain time and have to be at their destination by a certain time. When the trucks are restricted to as maximum speed of 100km/h and the driver has to take mandated breaks, it puts pressure on him to complete the job in the time slot allotted.



GUIDE Trucks and Caravans – Part 4

TRUCKIES VS CARAVANNERS

What do the real truckies say?

I have quite a few mates who are truck drivers. Not surprisingly, some are also caravanners. This perspective gives them a very real sense of the issue and they understand both sides of the equation. I asked three of my truck driver mates if they could offer just three tips to caravanners that will make their jobs easier. Read on to see what they had to say.

WORDS MARTY LEDWICH, IMAGES MARTY LEDWICH AND COREY KELLY

Truck drivers have a lot of pressure on them to meet their delivery schedules.

If your home away from home becomes unliveable following an insured event and you are more than 100km from home, a Club 4X4 Caravan or Camper Trailer policy will reimburse you up to $150.00 per day up to a maximum of $2,500.00 for temporary accommodation. That’s 16 days of accommodation costs covered while we work through your claim and the repair process.

It’s piece of mind if things don’t go to plan on your adventures…

ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Greg W. Truck driver from Victoria. 35 years’ experience.

  1. One of the biggest problems is vehicles moving into a truck’s braking space. Think about the gap you’re about to move into and consider what might happen if the heavy vehicle needs to stop suddenly.
  2. If travelling on the open highway and a truck is overtaking you, don't accelerate. Let the truck overtake. All heavy vehicles are speed limited by law and can't go any faster than 100km/h so, if you’re not driving at the speed limit, just let them go around.
  3. When stopping along the highway at parking bays or service centres, remember the large truck parking bays need to be left clear for truck drivers to take their mandatory rest brakes. These rest brakes are the law and, if we don't take them, we can be heavily fined.
1

BELOW A little communication goes a long way. Always give way to large trucks on narrow bridges

Roger N. Truck driver from Victoria. 30 years’ experience.

  1. Please don’t park in designated truck parking bays. Truck drivers need a minimum of 7hrs rest and 1/2hr breaks at certain times.
  2. If you have a UHF CB in your car, monitor channel 40. Not only will you be able to get notified of any emergencies happening in the area, but we can also contact you if we see something wrong with your rig and we can advise you when we are about to overtake you.
  3. When a truck is overtaking you, once they are beside you, lift your foot off the accelerator pedal a little. Slowing down makes it easier, faster and safer for us to overtake you. Give us a quick flash of your high beam lights or call up on the UHF to let us know when our trailer has cleared your vehicle, and it is safe to come back into the lane. That’s something all truckies really appreciate.


2

BELOW He’s probably got a long drive ahead of him. He deserves to find a place to rest

Graeme H. Truck driver from NSW. 30 years’ experience.

  1. All truck drivers really appreciate communication. If you don’t have a UHF CB radio in your car, consider purchasing a hand-held unit. If you see a truck coming up behind you, talk to the driver on channel 40 and let him know you know he’s there.
  2. When you are being overtaken by a truck, slow down to make it easier and safer for them to get past. Flash your lights when the truck has safely passed, he will often thank you by flicking his indicators left to right.
  3. Always keep in mind, whenever you see a truck, the driver is bound to a logbook and can only drive a certain number of hours a day. To add to the pressure, truck drivers have to comply with a ‘time slot’. They leave at a certain time and have to be at their destination by a certain time. When the trucks are restricted to as maximum speed of 100km/h and the driver has to take mandated breaks, it puts pressure on him to complete the job in the time slot allotted.



3

BELOW For occasional towing duties, a hand-held UHF radio will be perfect. This Uniden UH820S is small, lightweight and USB rechargeable

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