Interesting sequel to Hume Highway accident

[Kevaclone]

Originally Posted by prydey

are you aware of the registration costs?? i believe the 'A' trailer alone is about $8k/yr give or take. b doubles can be between $15-18k/yr, give or take.

The Federal Govt made a blunder when they set the federal rego costs a couple of years ago, the raised the cost of registering the lead trailer by 600% and only a minor raise on the second trailer which is also used as a normal semi.

the effect this had was many smaller owners just deregistered their lead trailers and run as semis, this then meant that more trucks had to go on the road to fill the gap(about 1 truck for every two doubles) Very counter productive. the new rego charges coming will fix that

The Govt have also agreed to look into "Safe Rates" for drivers and doing away with klm rates
Pay rates are a real problem. I sometimes work for klm rate, these rates vary considerably, from 30c/klm to 45c/klm
that is a huge difference and of course a klm rate does not pay for hold ups, break downs or grey nomads

When I was living in Europe a couple of years ago I noticed the trucks were limited to 90 (even though the roads were up to 130) and had to stay in the kerb (our left) lane and religiously did so without resorting to those double and triple lane overtaking circuses we see here. Obviously the Europeans don't consider that trucks will hold up the traffic if they are speed limited and they have some pretty fast traffic. They also have a peak hour curfew in the city and you see lines of semis queued at the outskirts during peak. Here they're let loose to increase the congestion, while in yet another of those wonderful political double standards rail freight trains are not allowed to run through Sydney in peak hour!

In Europe they travel for a day and cross two countries, In Australia you travel 2 days are are still in the same state. you just can't compare the two at all. 80kph? how long do you want to wait for your "Fresh Food" people??. or should I say how much do you want to pay?. You just have to do the Math. Our state capitals are 10-12 hours apart at 100kph. drop the speed to 80 or even 90 and all of a sudden an overnight run turns into 2 with trucks sitting 2 hours away unable to go on as they are out of hours. Or they are then running on fatigue management every trip which just means they can drive for longer hours with no extra breaks...... just what we need, more tired drivers on the roads.
Fatigue management was originally intended to be used if the truck was held up and allows the driver to finish the trip. but these days it's used by companies to go the extra distances every trip(one company from gatton uses the Advanced Fatigue Management(16 hours) to run Shepperton to Gatton) in one go. that's one hell of a run to do all the time

Forcing trucks to stay in one lane. pretty sure that's what we do here since 90% of our highways are single lanes, How much of your European driving was on single lane major highways, I'm guessing a whole lot less than here. But even on dual lanes why should empty or light loaded trucks be forced to crawl up hills behind heavy loaded trucks. you wouldn't stand for it in your car. They used to do it on parts of the Sydney-Newcastle F3 but even the Police said it was causing too much of a problem and that trucks should be allowed into the next lane for passing only. and then we have the problem with the morons who past a simple test to drive a car who have no idea about lane discipline like they do in Europe and you end up with cars in the 2 left lanes doing 90kph and not letting anyone past. Heaven forbid a truck should move into the far right to get past and some clown might have to slow down to 100 and wait for 20 seconds for a truck to pass someone.

So forget what they do in Europe as there are totally different circumstances

[mik]

Originally Posted by teak81

I go around cars too, the way we drive out on the open highway is foot flat to the floor ,my truck does an indicated 103 max. But the gps tracking say's 100. I know for a fact a falcon doing an indicated 100 is only in reality doing 97. We pass them all the time. I must say though a lot of time i overtake cars going up hill as the torque just carry's you (empty of course).

good point , half the drivers on the road don`t know their actual real speed
speed, my xr6 is actually doing 94 at a speedo indicated 100 kph.

[mik]

Originally Posted by blownvn

I drove south along the Hume yesterday and I can confirm that the only things sitting in Marulan RMS were two Lennons trucks.

Funny thing about speeding trucks though is that I was towing a car trailer south yesterday and I was on the cruise control at 100kph and got overtaken by quite a few trucks; both B-doubles and singles.

Mind you they don't like being overtaken by a Ford Wagon towing a car trailer. I had one B-double suddenly lurch a foot and a half into my lane when I came up beside him on a hill and I had to take evasive action to avoid him. Luckily the wagon and trailer are a great towing combo and I had no trouble keeping it under control.

that`s a load of crap mate, the reason truckys generally pass a car, specially a car towing something is because quite often cars and car drivers don`t hold road speed like a truck or a truck driver, on a long slow climb of course a heavily laden truck will slow down, but generally their mass and momentum will get them up and over a lot of hills, car drivers don`t see any problem with slowing a truck down for miles on end well below the limit,
but trucks have to run to the strict time table of the log book, the penalty`s for not adhering to this cost dollars in fines.
as for the truck swaying , he may have hit a dip in the road, of course that could`nt happen to a car pulling a trailer could it, cars with trailers never deviate of course(sarcasm).

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by prydey

are you aware of the registration costs?? i believe the 'A' trailer alone is about $8k/yr give or take. b doubles can be between $15-18k/yr, give or take.

But what sort of calculation has any government done to determine whether registration (even at these amounts) is related to the cost of maintaining the public infrastructure that the industry uses? Is there a level playing field across all transport modes - air, rail, road and sea?

Originally Posted by Kevaclone

So forget what they do in Europe as there are totally different circumstances

Yes I agree you make valid points but there are some elements of European practice worth a look-in, especially relating to safety. But I certainly agree that, compared with Europe, you're dealing here with some pretty dumbed down road users who don't help the progress of any of us, commercial or private! Don't forget that I said earlier that there are many considerate and thoroughly professional truck drivers that it's a pleasure to share the road with. The difference in this industry is that there are also a significant number of idiots out there. Are there idiots still allowed to practice their trade in the airline, rail and marine industries (Captain of Costa Concordia excepted!)? I think not. Why? Those industries are heavily regulated. I think government here allows the road transport industry to use a substantial amount of self-regulation and that's obviously being abused.

[Franco Cozzo]

I think you guys would enjoy the last two episodes of Top Gear America, in one they get 45 minutes lesson in a prime mover then have to drive 40 miles to drop off their cargo.

It shows how hard it is to drive and how the other roadusers are a massive pain in the ***.

[blownvn]

Originally Posted by mik

as for the truck swaying , he may have hit a dip in the road, of course that could`nt happen to a car pulling a trailer could it, cars with trailers never deviate of course(sarcasm).

Mate, I wasn't in his lane, he was at least a foot and a half into my lane. I think anyone would be shocked by the sudden appearance of a truck in their lane.

I'm not denying there's some idiots on the road in cars, after all the amoubnt of people who love to jump in front of me and shorten my braking distance when towing a car trailer is unbelievable, but my post was directed at trucks with inoperable speed limiters.

[Kevaclone]

Originally Posted by new2ford

But what sort of calculation has any government done to determine whether registration (even at these amounts) is related to the cost of maintaining the public infrastructure that the industry uses? Is there a level playing field across all transport modes - air, rail, road and sea?


Yes I agree you make valid points but there are some elements of European practice worth a look-in, especially relating to safety. But I certainly agree that, compared with Europe, you're dealing here with some pretty dumbed down road users who don't help the progress of any of us, commercial or private! Don't forget that I said earlier that there are many considerate and thoroughly professional truck drivers that it's a pleasure to share the road with. The difference in this industry is that there are also a significant number of idiots out there. Are there idiots still allowed to practice their trade in the airline, rail and marine industries (Captain of Costa Concordia excepted!)? I think not. Why? Those industries are heavily regulated. I think government here allows the road transport industry to use a substantial amount of self-regulation and that's obviously being abused.

But what you have to realise the regulations on airlines rail and shipping don't have anywhere near the same impact on YOUR hip pocket as the road transport does. Don't get me wrong, I have no problems with complying to safety regulations. But the huge increase in costs would be passed on to the consumer, and the consumers affected is everyone who buys anything

First they need to get rid of the per KLM pay rates and pay drivers by the hour, this reduces the stress of trying to make up for lost time
Secondly they need to put much more pressure through "Chain Of Responsibility" laws on not just the transport company management but also the customer demanding the tight schedules. If this means they have to build larger onsite storage to cope with delayed deliveries and accept the cost of a larger inventory then so be it.

My View?
Govt's Workplace Health & Safety needs to recognise the roads as a work place
What industry these days would ever allow over 300 deaths a year and not not change something

Just over a year ago there were two maintenance workers killed on the Gold Coast when the platform they were on collapsed and they fell from a great height. Made the news for a couple of days and how Govt WH&S were going in to investigate and how bad it was.......... In those same 2 days 6 truck drivers died on QLD roads, none made the news, no big investigation by any Govt WH&S officers.....
This is where fixing the whole problem with road transport safety needs to start.
The problem with that is that ALL road users will have to abide by the regulations and what Govt would want to impose that on the barely able to drive voters

Did you know you when you buy a new Kenworth the standard seatbelt is a lap only belt, you have to tick the option box for lap/sash seatbelt and that usually includes the cost of an upgraded seat option..... these vehicles would also be put off the road as they meet no crash standards

Which for me would be a great thing because I hate the stupid driver unfriendly buckets of puss

[G6ET8U]

Originally Posted by Kevaclone

But what you have to realise the regulations on airlines rail and shipping don't have anywhere near the same impact on YOUR hip pocket as the road transport does. Don't get me wrong, I have no problems with complying to safety regulations. But the huge increase in costs would be passed on to the consumer, and the consumers affected is everyone who buys anything

First they need to get rid of the per KLM pay rates and pay drivers by the hour, this reduces the stress of trying to make up for lost time
Secondly they need to put much more pressure through "Chain Of Responsibility" laws on not just the transport company management but also the customer demanding the tight schedules. If this means they have to build larger onsite storage to cope with delayed deliveries and accept the cost of a larger inventory then so be it.

My View?
Govt's Workplace Health & Safety needs to recognise the roads as a work place
What industry these days would ever allow over 300 deaths a year and not not change something

Just over a year ago there were two maintenance workers killed on the Gold Coast when the platform they were on collapsed and they fell from a great height. Made the news for a couple of days and how Govt WH&S were going in to investigate and how bad it was.......... In those same 2 days 6 truck drivers died on QLD roads, none made the news, no big investigation by any Govt WH&S officers.....
This is where fixing the whole problem with road transport safety needs to start.
The problem with that is that ALL road users will have to abide by the regulations and what Govt would want to impose that on the barely able to drive voters

Did you know you when you buy a new Kenworth the standard seatbelt is a lap only belt, you have to tick the option box for lap/sash seatbelt and that usually includes the cost of an upgraded seat option..... these vehicles would also be put off the road as they meet no crash standards

Which for me would be a great thing because I hate the stupid driver unfriendly buckets of puss

Quoted for the truth.

Didn't change a word.

Read this. It is the truth.

Brilliant post from you mate.

We (I work for TNT) have lost 3 linehaul drivers that I know of in the last 12 months Australia wide. We only hear of the ones coming in to or going out of Victoria.

Most recently was a great bloke, in a cabover KW. Willie for those on here that knew his white KW with the Sydney Swans detail on the side and back of the sleeper. His driving partner gave the game away soon after, we still have the same combination coming in every other day but haven't seen him since Willie died. Some things just aren't worth dying for.

KM rates are a cheap way of getting the job done and making the bloke trying to put food on the table do it as quickly as possible. It then makes the companies make their trucks faster in order to get the job done quicker, so they get more work, and the driver can then work more and do more kms. Sound like a vicious cycle? It is a vicious industry... especially express freight.

Jack

[CAMS290]

Originally Posted by G6ET8U

There was also a story floating around a few years ago of a guy who could do Melbourne to Perth in 26 hours in a single.

Ended up stacking the truck. It was a Detroit Diesel V12 turbo. Apparently producing over 700hp and we are talking more than a few years ago now.

That is 11 hours quicker than you can do it non stop in a car.

Story goes the truck was capable of over 200kph, with a load on.

Jack

You are thinking of Simon Kerswells aerodyne Kenworth, it had a twin turboed 3408 V8 caterpillar motor and was the mail truck between Melbourne and Perth.
It didn't do over 200kph, it was good for about 180kph.
And no it didn't get stacked, it got banned from SA and was stripped down for parts.

[G6ET8U]

Originally Posted by CAMS290

You are thinking of Simon Kerswells aerodyne Kenworth, it had a twin turboed 3408 V8 caterpillar motor and was the mail truck between Melbourne and Perth.
It didn't do over 200kph, it was good for about 180kph.
And no it didn't get stacked, it got banned from SA and was stripped down for parts.

Nah mate, the truck in question above is different. Definately Detroit Diesel V12. Mick had the truck and I posted incorrectly above. I was talking to a workmate today that is familiar with that particular truck and it was involved in a fatal on it's way to WA. From what I believe Mick ended up going to jail over it.

Jack

[CAMS290]

Originally Posted by G6ET8U

Most recently was a great bloke, in a cabover KW. Willie for those on here that knew his white KW with the Sydney Swans detail on the side and back of the sleeper. His driving partner gave the game away soon after, we still have the same combination coming in every other day but haven't seen him since Willie died. Some things just aren't worth dying for.
Jack

Will Van Luenen (Big Will) really nice bloke, another one killed doing his job.

[G6ET8U]

Originally Posted by CAMS290

Will Van Luenen (Big Will) really nice bloke, another one killed doing his job.

That's him.

Beautifully turned out KW. The week or so before he had actually paid the truck off. He previously drove a long bonnet Western Star.

It was a running joke in the lunch room at my work having a picture of him on the wall next to a Volvo prime mover...

Never lasted long. Next day a new one would be up again makes me smile now. He was towing car parts for us from our Campbellfield depot the night he passed away.

Jack

[CAMS290]

Originally Posted by G6ET8U

I also work with a bloke (in his late 60's now) who used to drive coaches up and down the Hume too...

160kph average. He says they were more fun back then...

Jack

I remember cruising across the Piliga at about 130-140 and being passed by Deluxe coaches, they were definatley doing 160

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by CAMS290

Will Van Luenen (Big Will) really nice bloke, another one killed doing his job.

What happened? Stacked the truck somehow?

[G6ET8U]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

What happened? Stacked the truck somehow?

Yeah mate, the story goes that he was heading north and truck coming the other way crossed the line, got a bit too close and he took evasive action. Ended up losing control and heading out in to the trees off the road on his left. And for those that are aware of a cabover KW's ability to kill it's driver in a high speed (read 100kph for the car drivers out there...) jack knife. That's what happened. Trailer set facing the trees, truck facing 160 degrees the wrong way on the drivers side. Won't go in to further detail but he was alive when emergency services arrived.

As Kevaclone has posted in this thread... if this was a boom or scissor lift on a building site they would be banned from all work sites.

Jack

[Kevaclone]

Kenworth should be ashamed of themselves. The kenworth cabs have not changed since the 50s when driver safety and crashworthiness never entered the heads of anyone

Look at what the EU trucks have to do to make production, 15 tonne load dropped on the roof from 1 metre, 15 tone load swung from a meter away into the "A" pillars(not the whole front but "A" pillars only) and then 15 tonne swung into the back of the cab...... after every impact there must still be a survivable space in the cab for all occupants. Volvo go one better and do the tests with a 20 tonne load and also do rollover testing with drivers strapped in the seats with the auto retracting seatbelts pulling the driver tight in the seat in the event of a roll over. EU trucks are also fitting driver, passenger and curtain airbags as standard

All Kenworth could muster was a large surface area 1 tonne load swung from a metre away into the entire front of the cab. And then sprouted loudly that their trucks are the safest on the roads.....
and safety goes much further than just crash protection.
when was the last time any of you got into any vehicle that didn't have some kind of padding over the door frame. I can't remember the number of times I have smashed my head and drawn blood on the unprotected metal door frame just getting in or out of Kenworths. how about the simple task of cleaning the windscreen. The Euro cabovers have flip out steps in the grill and big grab handles. Kenworth rely on your ability to swing like a monkey with one hand off their little grab handles, no steps and clean the screen
Oh yeah I could go on but you probably get the idea that I don't like them much huh?

Subject these Kenworth cabs to the EU test would see that 15 tonne load take the cab roof clean off

Problem is too many orangutans love the damn things and they sell so well as they are. Kenworth see no reason to make changes beyond those imposed to meet the minimum ADRs for heavy vehicles. retarded? you bet, Kenworth had the opportunity to at least match the Euros for comfort on the latest COE and fit cab suspension.......... but they didn't take it, Nope lets hammer the spines of these drivers for a few more years to come

[G6ET8U]

Exactly.

For those that are following this thread.

Use Google.

Then click on images.

Then type in TNT Truck Accidents.

The first result is what a KW does in a 100kph jack knife. Actually in the accident described above by me.

RIP Willie. It's written on the back of more than a few of our trailers. And so it should be.

Jack

[new2ford]

Another story:

http://www.smh.com.au/national/how-t...224-1ttok.html

How truckies fuel a need for speed
February 25, 2012

Drivers rush to survive in an industry that forgets the little man, writes Jacob Saulwick.

There are a couple of ways to game a speed limiter, a mandatory device fitted to heavy vehicles to control how fast they go. A lot of people in the industry know how to do it, and a lot of people know how widely it is done.

When NSW police raided Lennons Transport on Wednesday an Assistant Commissioner, John Hartley, said the operation was unprecedented.

Launching Operation Marshall, officers swept through the company's Enfield headquarters. They intercepted trucks across the state. Drivers for Lennons, tipped off about what was happening, abandoned their vehicles at Casula and by the side of a road in Victoria.

But what the police found - widespread evidence the company was rorting speed and safety regulations - came as small surprise to many with a close knowledge of long-haul trucking.

The industry, report after report has described, survives on testing the limits. It tests the limits of the people who work in it, and they test the limits of the law.

One way they do so is to manipulate speed limiters with ''whizzers'' - a device about the size of a cigarette packet. The whizzer can be fitted anywhere in the truck's rig, and it plays with its electronic timing.

''It sort of pumps electronic impulses through the electrical wiring which speeds up the timing of a truck,'' says Euan Scott-Bell, a company driver for Toll, who has not used whizzers but has just been told about them.

''The truck then always seemed to be starving of fuel,'' Scott-Bell says.

The truck's computer thinks the truck is travelling one speed. But the whizzer dupes the engine into receiving more fuel and then running faster.

Another method involves fiddling with the truck's gearing ratio.

"They put a ring around the gear box off the drive line,'' says another driver, 60, and with 38 years experience.

This driver, who does not want to be named, explains this method involves changing the number of ''teeth'' or sensor points attached to that ring.

A ring with "12 sensor points" might tell the truck's computer it has a top speed of 100km/h, he says, but a ring with a different number of sensor points "tells the computer we're right for 130ks''.

Both drivers, Scott-Bell and the anonymous veteran, say they have not tampered with their speed limiters, nor do they now. But this is what drivers are talking about this week.

''The industry's alive with rumours and stories today,'' Scott-Bell said on Thursday. ''They are obviously not the only ones doing it.''

Lennon's was the employer of Vincent George, who crossed to the wrong side of the Hume Highway in his B-double last month and hit and killed Calvyn Logan and his parents Donald and Patricia Logan.

It was this tragedy, on January 24, that triggered Operation Marshall and the week's dramatic events.

When police charged Mr George they alleged speed was a factor in the accident. If it was not, it was definitely a factor a day earlier when Mr George was booked at Wagga Wagga travelling 133km/h, more than 30km/h above his speed limit.

As anyone who drives the state's highways knows, trucks regularly travel above their 100km/h speed limit.

This should not really be possible. Since 1991 truck operators have been required to fit speed limiters.

The limiters control the ability of a truck's engine to propel the vehicle beyond 100km/h. Trucks can still go faster than this, and easily, but only legally if they are going downhill.

Yet you don't need a whistleblower to know speed limiters are regularly tampered with. In 2007, the National Transport Commission estimated that tampering with speed-limited heavy vehicles was in the range of 10 to 30 per cent. The Transport Commission thought for some heavy vehicle classes the rate could be even higher.

On these numbers, and given there are over 120,000 heavy vehicles in NSW, there could be more than 30,000 trucks with tampered speed limiters in the state.

Before this week, however, the police have struggled to fine or prosecute companies or drivers.

Figures provided to the Herald showed that between January 2010 and August 2011, Roads and Maritime Services sent out 365 ''directive to check heavy vehicle speed limiter'' notices.

As a result of these notices, they suspended five vehicles.

Soames Job, the former director of road safety for Roads and Maritime Services, has some sympathy with law enforcement on the issue. ''The enforcement difficulty is actually finding the bloody things,'' he says of whizzers.

''I thing that's a huge problem. So while there's been knowledge of it, to actually prove it is incredibly hard,'' he says.

Scott-Bell, the Toll employee, is a rare driver relatively happy with his lot. He is a delegate to the Transport Workers Union, he works for a major operator, and is on a regular salary.

''I'm lucky, mate, I'm a company driver, I get paid hourly for everything I do: I get paid waiting, get paid waiting for paperwork,'' he says.

''Whereas the majority of these interstaters - they don't, they just get paid from going A to B.''

Many of the reports into the trucking industry highlight this remuneration structure as a major cause of unsafe driving practices. The majority of drivers either work for themselves or work for very small companies.

The most recent survey of the industry, by the Bureau of Industry Transport and Regional Economics in 2003, reported 85 per cent of the industry worked for firms with fewer than five employees.

These smaller firms, in turn, often work on contract to larger companies. Lennons, for instance, the subject of this week's raids, would work on contract for the trucking giant Toll.

With each rung lower in the chain, the remuneration comes with fewer benefits and more strings attached.

The 60-year-old driver says working for a bigger company often means getting paid extra rates for time spent loading and unloading a vehicle.

But you won't get paid extra working for a smaller firm, putting more pressure on drivers to make up time on the road, or skip breaks.

One industry study, a survey of 402 truck drivers in 1990, by David Hensher, Professor of Management at the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies at Sydney University, found drivers who were most likely to operate dangerously were the newest to the industry and paid the least.

They were not necessarily owner drivers. Rather, like Lennons and George, they were younger drivers working for smaller firms.

''Small company employee drivers have some of the worst industry practices in respect of speeding, use of stimulants and incidence of fines,'' Hensher's study found.

Later work by Ann Williamson of the University of NSW showed stimulant drug use was two to three times more likely for drivers paid on a by-results or contingency payment.

Then there are the client demands. In just one of many examples drawn out in a seminal inquiry into the industry in 2001 by Professor Michael Quinlan of the University of NSW it was shown some of the speeds in which produce was often transported across the country was not legally possible.

Mangos from the Bowen Basin, for example, were picked on a Friday afternoon and were then being delivered into Sydney within 39 hours - often by the one driver.

''Even at an average speed of 90km/h - an heroic assumption given road conditions and speed limits - the driving time would be around 33 hours or in excess of the legal driving limits,'' the inquiry said.

By definition this could not be legal. Drivers are required to have a seven-hour break between shifts.

In some respects the industry can point to an improving safety record. Since 1991 the number of fatal crashes involving heavy vehicles has remained relatively constant, but the number of trucks on the road has grown.

Nevertheless, drivers the Herald spoke to this week say plenty of the unsafe practices continue.

As a remedy, the Transport Workers Union has been campaigning on a ''safe rates'' agenda to codify a fairer remuneration structure for drivers, to prevent them having to skip breaks or catch up time with speed. The federal government has introduced legislation.

And the NSW Police and Roads and Maritime Services, meanwhile, will keep investigating Lennons.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/how-t...#ixzz1nOXMZdw0

[G6ET8U]

Safe rates are the key to the whole thing. There is no magic to running Melbourne to Sydney or anywhere in the entire country for that matter.

If you have a 600hp prime mover towing a double with 60T for example then it takes X amount of time to arrive at Y destination. It just does. The difference isn't going to be 4 hours on a 20 hour trip given similar or same conditions. Physics says it impossible. And it is.

Jack

[lamborghinifan]

I'm quite happy to drive from toowoomba to melbourne/geelong/ballarat in one hit. Takes about 15-17hrs for me, wife may drive an hour or so. Although it's not something I'd do too regularly. I only do a trip like this if I can start very early morning. I'd rather share the road (single lane newell) with 1000 trucks doing 110 than a handfull of caravans annoying everyone who is driving "with purpose." It's not everyone's cup of tea, but I have the experience, and an appropriate vehicle. Most trucks are the same, appropriate vehicle, experienced driver. The worst truck I've come across was on new-england past tenterfield. I was actually having to make an effort to make my BA6 keep up with him through the hills at a thumping pace. I hung behind him for a while until we parted ways, but I can't remember seeing another car in those couple of hundred kms, maybe a couple of trucks. I still didn't consider his driving dangerous though.
We live in australia, it's a big country. Driving fast and long haul is part of it all. Simple, continue to make the trucks safer and the roads better and the road toll will lessen. But some sort of roadtoll is inevitable because there are always risks on the road, we're always pushing the limits of physics and human concentration/stamina. It's the most dangerous thing a lot of us will ever do.
just my 2c

[Kevaclone]

Originally Posted by lamborghinifan

I'm quite happy to drive from toowoomba to melbourne/geelong/ballarat in one hit. Takes about 15-17hrs for me, wife may drive an hour or so. Although it's not something I'd do too regularly. I only do a trip like this if I can start very early morning. I'd rather share the road (single lane newell) with 1000 trucks doing 110 than a handfull of caravans annoying everyone who is driving "with purpose." It's not everyone's cup of tea, but I have the experience, and an appropriate vehicle. Most trucks are the same, appropriate vehicle, experienced driver. The worst truck I've come across was on new-england past tenterfield. I was actually having to make an effort to make my BA6 keep up with him through the hills at a thumping pace. I hung behind him for a while until we parted ways, but I can't remember seeing another car in those couple of hundred kms, maybe a couple of trucks. I still didn't consider his driving dangerous though.
We live in australia, it's a big country. Driving fast and long haul is part of it all. Simple, continue to make the trucks safer and the roads better and the road toll will lessen. But some sort of roadtoll is inevitable because there are always risks on the road, we're always pushing the limits of physics and human concentration/stamina. It's the most dangerous thing a lot of us will ever do.
just my 2c

Yep and until the Govt does something about people like you the road toll will remain higher than it could be.
There are still plenty of people who think they can drive a car for 17 hours straight and not fall asleep or be affected by fatigue and "They've done it before and nothing happened". the cemeteries are full of people like that

How about we fit tracking devices and speed limiters to ALL registered road vehicles monitored independently, you'd go for that wouldn't you?? surely....

I've been driving long distances and long hours for most of my career and I can tell you after driving 13 hours from Bowen to Brisbane I am quite exhausted. This is in a vehicle with A/C and cruise control
I have done the odd 15-20 hour day but I need a full day off to recover.
Even then I will always stop every few hours and have a power nap for 20-30 mins and drink plenty of fluids(this will force you to stop eventually to relieve your self)

The US has a good system that affects the Company as well as the driver
3 driving infringements and the truck AND trailer is de-registered for 12 months
sure the driver will get the @rse but that would probably be a good thing, if the reason he got the infringements was because of pressure from the employer, he's better off not working for someone like that and that company will soon have no vehicles on the road

[CAMS290]

A lot of these big speeding fines are for trucks that have been run off a hill loaded,even if the limiter was working correctly a loaded single trailer can get enough inertia momentum to reach 130+ off even a medium grade hill, coppers sitting at the bottom of the hill behind a bridge abuttment or in the bushes and ping............your gone.

[Kevaclone]

Originally Posted by CAMS290

A lot of these big speeding fines are for trucks that have been run off a hill loaded,even if the limiter was working correctly a loaded single trailer can get enough inertia momentum to reach 130+ off even a medium grade hill, coppers sitting at the bottom of the hill behind a bridge abuttment or in the bushes and ping............your gone.

This is very true. but running off a hill at those speeds is worse than doing it on a flat road as it's so much harder to even slow it down let alone stop in an emergency

Years ago we had a driver who was always getting a rev from the boss for doing over 110 off the Marburg and Minden ranges. His response was..... and I fell over laughing at it..... that using the brakes in a truck when you go down hill can make you lose control and crash.....
Interesting that the other 8 of us never went over 100 and never crashed. never occurred to him to get to the top of the hill at 70kph and then lift off and run down on the engine brake on a 1/2 gear split, a light dab on the brakes 3/4 the way down and you never go over 100

Note: you can have a truck slide on you going down hill under brakes because it happened to me once, heading down a 24% grade(Murphy Creek Rd near toowoomba, the place that got washed away last year) the truck was empty 19m B/Double fuel tanker(very light), it was pi$$ing rain. I was running down at about 7kph when the engine compression provided too much braking, the drive started to slip and the truck started to get away and speed up with the drive wheels only turning at idle speed. I dabbed the brakes a few times and the trailers formed a nice "S" on me. So I steered over to the dirt shoulder to get some traction light touch on the go pedal and pull it back straight.... even at walking pace it was a bit hairy as another 40 metres down the road makes a sharp left turn with a guard rail and then a big drop.......
But normal driving down hills won't have that problem

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by G6ET8U

Exactly.

For those that are following this thread.

Use Google.

Then click on images.

Then type in TNT Truck Accidents.

The first result is what a KW does in a 100kph jack knife. Actually in the accident described above by me.

RIP Willie. It's written on the back of more than a few of our trailers. And so it should be.

Jack

Holy crap, the A pillar on one side has been sheared off completely.

[CAMS290]

Originally Posted by Kevaclone

This is very true. but running off a hill at those speeds is worse than doing it on a flat road as it's so much harder to even slow it down let alone stop in an emergency

And a lot of drivers don't realize that in some cases it will also log a "engine over speed" in the ECU.
The engine manufacturers can void warranty at their discretion when the see it.
But some drivers don't give a stuff and shouldn't be allowed behind the wheel of them in the first place...............desperate times with a chronic lack of drivers means any peanut can/will get a job.

[burnz]

i have to ask a question, what has the police force, rta, and so on checking speed limiters?

and how is that related to a driver crossing to on comming traffic?

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Holy crap, the A pillar on one side has been sheared off completely.

Speechless... is that hole in the windscreen of the other truck what I think it is? Well either way it is going to be a mess whether the trucks were going 80km/h or 130 km/h. Personally if nothing could have been prevented, I'd rather have had it quick and painless than spend the rest of my life tied to a wheelchair . Maybe one day we can have remote controlled heavy transport. So the worst thing that can happen is the loss of a load.

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by burnz

i have to ask a question, what has the police force, rta, and so on checking speed limiters?

and how is that related to a driver crossing to on comming traffic?

He was speeding, in a defective truck with a company that has a poor record.

[dkpioe]

i thought everyone in this forum was pro-driving 100kmh and hating police and speed cameras, so why are you now discriminating truck drivers?
its a sarcastic question, no disrespect to the family of those killed, just disrespect to everyone else who loves speeding on public roads.

[burnz]

Originally Posted by Nikked

He was speeding, in a defective truck with a company that has a poor record.

and that caused him to cross a median stip and hit a car?
could he have fallen asleep?
are you certain he was speeding at the time of the accident?
did he blow a steer tire?