Caravans clogging up truck rest areas

I think your reply gives further thought to maintaining a distinction between truck, and overnight amenity for revellers.

Cheers

parked there because all the "truck stops" were full of caravans .... :-)
funny cause i have never seen a truck in a caravan park but seen caravans in truck parks mmmmmmm

We were in a road side pull off for vans east of Cloncurry in July and a couple of trucks pulled in.
Frankly we don't mind that, but what does get up our nose is they start the bloody things up and let them idle for half an hour before they pull out.
Cheers
Baz

Baz & Pud .... I've had a few caravan park expeiences like that too.

G'day Baz. The reason most heavy vehicles need to run for a while before taking off is they need to get "air up" for the brakes and airbags before they can move.

Fred

Agree wit Fred, but if they're having to idle for 30 minutes, I'd say they're leaking air over night and/or knackered air pump.

I can get full pressure on empty tanks in about 5-10 minutes and their tanks shouldn't be empty anyway.

A pre-trip inspection can sometimes take close to 30 minutes if having to check chains, load binders etc. Most of that can be done without the engine running BUT, most guys/gals will have the engines running to check for leaks and to run work lights.

It's not the sound of the idleing Diesels I have a problem with...it's those damn Mack air starters that scare the bejesus out of me everytime.

Fab.

G'day Fab. Well explained for the unknowing out there mate. There's more to it than cranking the donk over and driving off over the horizon, LOL, as you have pointed out, especially as the rigs get bigger, and tyre numbers increase.

It wouldn't be like some to exagerate the 30 minute idle time, would it ? LOL, although to some 10 minutes may seem like 30 minutes when trying to sleep.

If anyone is really interested how the big rigs work, next time you're sharing a pit stop with one, go and talk to the driver, say g'day and he will be happy to let you have a look, maybe even jump up in the cab so as you can get his perspective of the road. You'll have a whole new respect for their job.

Safe travels over the Xmas break all.

Fred

take a good look at a truck with just 2 trailers on........
42 tyres to check BEFORE you move, they would most probally check at least the park lights as there are SO MANY caravans out there on the roads in the day that most try to travel early in the morning or at night, quick "visual" check of wheel bearings, that is simply eyeing off the way each set sits in line with the others, with Cattle on board when you stop some will lay down and you can not have ANY cattle laying down when you move as they will be crushed by the others when you brake or pull away....
2 levels/2 trailers of Cattle takes about 25 mins to check ALL of them so they are OK, remember that the truck driver is responsible for the welfare of the cattle and they have to be in good condition when they arrvive with no bruising or injurys.. get one that is down in the middle of the truck you cant get in there to stand it up so work out how hard it is to get it up, it can be really hard if they dont want to, they associate the noise of the truck running with the need to get up so the truck WILL be running whilst all is being done ...

And i would not ever think any truck these days would ever start up a truck and leave it running for half an hour without a bldy good reason as the job they have is probally now the MOST regulated and controlled job out there, they deserve all the respect they can get ...
Hats off the every trucky out there, they are still at work when we hold them up cause we are on hols, and all they ask for in return is RESPECT for that ...
Cheers, Joe

Fred and Joe..... Amen to that.

Steve

I think your stirring the possum.....'The noise is so annoying'

LOL

Cheers

I'm assuming you're talking about the roadside stop at Kynuna near the blue heeler pub? Try about 13 km south at combo waterhole - a little off the highway but worth the effort and no trucks. Also where A.B. wrote waltzing matilda - apparently? Sleep near diesels ticking long enough and you'll get so industrially deaf that you'll miss them when they are gone ;)

Hey Josh spot on.
Ill add some drivers get peed off with each other too. My father a interstate truck driver all his working life winges about the refrigerated vans and cant stand the smell from cattle trucks. But he still goes back out and helps to keep the country moving.
Sharon

well said motherhen.

i think it is a bit selfish of caravanners, wicked-vanners etc to take up space in a Truck Only rest area. They are there for a good purpose.
Ive stayed in quite a few shared rest areas over the past 9 months. Plenty of trucks make use of these too. Sure they are a bit noisy but thats just the way they are. If you choose to travel and rely on rest areas, then you need to just accept that you are sharing them with a variety of vehicles. Travellers are in the best position to plan their trip and stop whenever, they have all the time in the world most of them.
Good on the truckie who wrote in to share his point of view!!

Hi Rock Ape,
Couldn't agree more, You've nailed it.
People attitudes towards other road uses has to change.
This goes for both regulators as well as those that use the roads.
Safe Travels
Cheers.

Rock Ape, Talk about planing trips. One time I went for a wide load run with my husband. We left Toowoomba for northern central Q. We had planned on a parking bay that worked out with his hours. Only to find caravans there. This particular road was narrow and then we didn't know the area. It was late at night. He was forced to break the law to find another spot. That could have cost his weekly wages and more if was involved in an accident. We don't knock all caravan's as we are one too even my life long interstate driving father has his van ready to become a grey nomad (he is already living in it). But this parking bay issue should be advertised regularly.
Another thing that hasn't been mentioned, the rego for these rigs are unreal. The amount of parking bays available dose not add up. The only designated spot in Toowoomba is out at Charlton with a porta loo. Anybody that has traversed Toowoomba would understand what I mean about the movement of trucks in this area.
Sharon

Hi Dazza, If I absolutely have to park up in one of those truck bays I always park right up the top near the exit that way I can't get boxed in and more importantly I am out of the way. I find roadside quarries where they stockpile road materials are a good place to stop as usually the ground is well compacted and I am out of harms way.

Mostly I am looking for a stop about 3.30 in the afternoon when vanning, that gives me plenty of time to get a good rest area or off the beaten track.
Bruce.

If you park in stockpile sites one night you will get a Bitumen tanker turn up with the gas burners roaring (which make fridge vans seem quiet) and end up surrounded by a road repair crew at about 4am.

Daza ,the hard standing oposite Longreach Caltex does actually have signs , 2klm away from the eastern end before the Stockmans Hall of Fame and 1klm on the Western side near the Dept of Transport building,,,,, yeah I know silly place to have them and both obscured by trees ,, LOL.

Hi Shaker,
Agree, unfortunately this NSW Government is addicted to the revenue it raises through fuel Tax, Rego's, Fines and any other means that they can bleed out of the trucking industry.
In their eyes, why would they build a rail network that took these vechiles off the road.
Another couple of reasons there are so many heavy vehicles on the road is, We as consumers want product now, not in two days time. Trucks can have it there over night and stores/outlets don't have to have stock sitting.


.

Shaker
"I am not real lover of trucks"
everything you own once was on the back of a truck.



Without trucks Australia stops.

That is a fair enough comment, although I expect there are things that you dislike, that are a necessary evil!

Shaker
yep,plenty.