UHF call points

Possibly a road works site adjacent, they are often divided into sectors, as there may also be different contracts for each sector.

A part of OHS for the site, and formalises comms between supervisors, equipment operators, contractors and providors....etc.

Hi Val

The call points you refer to are for trucks to make a call on channel 40 to inform other trucks of their whereabouts on a certain section of road. You may have noticed the call points are close to a bridge,. causeway, or a road narrowing.
Also used for wide loads.

On approaching the sign the truck will call eg "southbound train from call point 19 "

This is to warn other vehicles, mostly the trucks or more so roadtrains of their approach..As the call signs are placed at both ends of a road variation it is easy to work out if you are approaching the calling vehicle.

A great idea which seems to work very well


Cheers Teza

Yes , I have been oin that road and found it valuable to know that a truck was coming.
AFAIK they are mine trucks.

Regards Philip A

Hullo John and Val

Good comment. I also find that logging trucks in hilly forest areas with narrow winding roads use UHF for the same purpose, often referencing bridges, named bends and saddles/passes, etc to give other trucks warning they are in a particular section.

I often hear them refer to me, eg "white LC coming", to warn other trucks and I confirm location and intention, which is generally appreciated, albeit at times gruffly ;-)

I have also found "unofficial" signs on the side of some roads locating mobile coverage spots in mountainous terrain - very useful as by the time you hear the beep beep of a message received, it is difficult to back up and find the spot

Cheers
Andrew

I downloaded a brochure on it once, I'll have to find it.

We used it ourselves on a couple of QLD highways as we are the same size as a decent truck anyway. 15 metres with the van.

We have been pleased to use this system on the Lynd Road last year. Usually triple road trains travelling in the area - both cattle and mines related.

We had a terriffic response from the truckies when we called at each point: "North bound large caravan at Point 19". When the truckies replied I would advise them that we would get off the road and let them stay on top and maintain speed.

Other road users ignored the arrangement and inevitably were sprayed with rocks etc when the road trains had to get off the top of the road.

It worked well for us, but some of the people we spoke to at the Undarra Larva Tubes that travelled without calling suffered damage to their vehicles and vans.

I think it is a great idea.

Regards, Jack

In Victoria on narrow logging roads they signpost the truck routes starting with the uhf channel to monitor then distance signs every km from a major point. For example in the Buckland Valley they start at BV1 from the end of the sealed road & the truckies call their position and direction. Four wheel drives don't usually need to call their position although if towing a big van may be handy.
Cheers Craig......

As well as road trains, those areas will be frequented by overdimension loads.

mostly the pilots ( even on the main coatal highways) will call oncomming heavy traffic on channel 40.

Nominating width, so the oncommer knows how wide a berth they need to swing.

these numbered call points would be very usefull for that.

cheers

Hi Val

When we were in the Kimberley in 2008, there were a number of single lane bridges between the Victoria Highway Junction and Halls Creek. These may have been replaced with new wider bridges by now as a roadworks progtramme was underway. Although not signed, at those with poor visibility trucks of all types announced eg 'truck approaching xxxx bridge northbound'. A sedan without UHF may have time to stop quickly and back off when they met a truck on the bridge, but for those with a caravan, being alert and ourselves announcing was essential.

Other places such as on mining or logging routes, signage specified the channel to use and bridges or crests may be numbered and signed to announce.

Motherhen

Been away for a couple of days, but took this photo a couple of years ago. There's not a lot of bitumen there!

Image Could Not Be Found

Bob.

Thanks for all the replies, next time we are on one of these roads we will be better prepared.

We drove the Kennedy and Gregory Dev roads (via The Lynd) this year and while I dont recall seeing call signs along there they must help with overtaking as the road is very narrow.

The road that I had in mind when I asked the question was the gravel road running from just east of Mt Surprise north to Almaden. It more or less follows the old railway. Especially in the northern section there was a lot of roadwork around a formidable curved (and blind) single lane causeway. Surprisingly though we heard few trucks making calls and of the few that we did hear a high proportion were pretty unintelligible at least to our ears.

Cheers,

Val.