Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 22:10
k then,i'll bite at this apple. lol.
i will say up front that i am a professional truck operator. i operate a heavy vehicle for a living, day in, day out, throughout the
Perth metro area. Contrary to the inuendo, and misconceptions that are rife in this thread, there is a helluva lot more to my job than just driving around all day, scaring the begeezus outa everyone in there little buzz box's, and their little 4x4's as well, whilst doped up to the eyeballs.
Every day i am amazed at the stupid, moronic, suicidal, idiots that are on our roads, blatantly disregarding the fact that we even exist.
A few facts for all of you.
1) A loaded semi can weigh up to 42.5 TON, your 4x4/car weigh's between 1-3 TON...(except Roachie :) )
2) A truck does not handle like a car, it is big, heavy and cumbersome
on the road.
3)A truck has more brakes than a car, but the weight of a truck simply means that it will take alot longer to stop.
4)It takes alot longer to get a loaded truck up to the speed limit that a car.
5)Every time a truck uses the brakes, it takes time and fuel to get back to the speed limit.
6)The training, book work, logbooks, weighbridges, even urine tests, time away from family, work over holiday periods, would make alot of you think twice before entering this profession.
If i took the attitude that i read in this thread, of bacically stuff the trucks, and applied it to me. It would be stuff the cars, and guess who would be the one still breathing.
Think for a second before you pull out in front of a truck. Think for a second that he passed you on the flat for a reason, he knows the road. He knows there is a hill comming up, and momentum will get him to the top at a reasonable pace, and once on the other side, he will be gone, whilst you still plod along at 90. Think for a second when you go to the
shop to buy bread and milk.
Over the last few years, the road has gotten to be a dangerous place to be, no matter what you drive, and the complete disregard a large portion of the population have for trucks astounds me.
We are big,heavy and slow to get moving, but we have a job to do. You may want to get home to the missus and kid's, but so do we. So let us do our job, and give us, what you expect for yourself. RESPECT
on the road.
At the end of the day, we are the most regulated industry in the country, with some of the highest stress levels of any profession, yet we still have to be at the depot on time-every time.
Stop and think before you bad mouth a truckie, and maybe instead, you will thank him for doing his job.
rick.
time to get of my soapbox, before i really get fired up.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Roachie (SA) - Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 22:50
Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006 at 22:50
Onya Rick....keep the shiny side up mate............ ;-)))
Cheers
Roachie
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Follow Up By: ImEasy - Thursday, Jun 08, 2006 at 10:02
Thursday, Jun 08, 2006 at 10:02
And Vice Versa!
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Follow Up By: Member - Matt- Thursday, Jun 08, 2006 at 10:15
Thursday, Jun 08, 2006 at 10:15
Well said Rick
cheers matt
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Follow Up By: SteveL - Thursday, Jun 08, 2006 at 13:21
Thursday, Jun 08, 2006 at 13:21
Yeah,well said Rick.
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Follow Up By: Richard Kovac - Friday, Jun 09, 2006 at 00:31
Friday, Jun 09, 2006 at 00:31
Doggy Tease
Your got too be kidding?
"with some of the highest stress levels of any profession"
are you an owner driver?
"logbooks" in WA?
Every time a truck uses the brakes, it takes time and fuel to get back to the speed limit.
What and a car doesn't?
Get real we all use the roads of
Australia and you don't have to be a Truck Driver to be a professional
Richard
FollowupID:
433693
Follow Up By: Doggy Tease - Friday, Jun 09, 2006 at 21:43
Friday, Jun 09, 2006 at 21:43
Richard.
Yep....i am an owner driver.
Stress?
Yep.....try it for yourself sometime,,,for more than a few hours,,,,do it every day of the week, and saturdays, for a few years.
Logbooks?
Yep....Accreditation mate, a wonderfull thing the state government brought in a few years ago.
Fuel consumption?
I get 2kpl at best, what do you get in your buzz box?
Brakes?
Damn right....it costs roughly $3000 to do a brake reline on a prime-mover with one trailer. What does it cost to do your buzz box? Idiots that pull out in front of me and dawdle up the road cost ME money.
Professional?
Yep.... damn right i am. i can guarantee that i would rather put my rig off the road,than go over the top of some idiot that has pulled out in front of me, or taken my braking space at a set of lights. WOULD YOU?
And just to even things up a bit. Do you know what i drive to and from work every day? lol...a iddy biddy Dihatsu Charade. AND WANT TO KNOW SOMETHING ELSE?
It is invariably the 4x4 that tries to push me faster up the road, or fills my rearview mirror with roo-bar.
So back of Richard, we carry this country....literally.
And we do a pretty bloody good job at it.
rick.
A.K.A. Richard. my real name.
FollowupID:
433875
Follow Up By: Richard Kovac - Saturday, Jun 10, 2006 at 14:29
Saturday, Jun 10, 2006 at 14:29
Yep....i am an owner driver.
Stress?
Yep.....try it for yourself sometime,,,for more than a few hours,,,,do it every day of the week, and saturdays, for a few years.
Logbooks?
Yep....Accreditation mate, a wonderfull thing the state government brought in a few years ago.
Fuel consumption?
I get 2kpl at best, what do you get in your buzz box?
Brakes?
Damn right....it costs roughly $3000 to do a brake reline on a prime-mover with one trailer. What does it cost to do your buzz box? Idiots that pull out in front of me and dawdle up the road cost ME money.
Professional?
Yep.... damn right i am. i can guarantee that i would rather put my rig off the road,than go over the top of some idiot that has pulled out in front of me, or taken my braking space at a set of lights. WOULD YOU?
And just to even things up a bit. Do you know what i drive to and from work every day? lol...a iddy biddy Dihatsu Charade. AND WANT TO KNOW SOMETHING ELSE?
It is invariably the 4x4 that tries to push me faster up the road, or fills my rearview mirror with roo-bar.
So back of Richard, we carry this country....literally.
And we do a pretty bloody good job at it.
rick.
A.K.A. Richard. my real name.
_________________________________
Yer makes sence now
I see where your coming from
Your a truck driver!!!!
Richard (That's my name)
FollowupID:
433950