Towing the world's biggest caravan would be a doddle compared to driving this!
As the annual grey nomad northerly migration gets into full swing, veteran truckie Ken Beggs, gives an insight into the challenges ‘caravan season’ throws his way.
“Hi all. I’m a grey nomad truckie who retired some years ago from a professional career. I got bored doing very little so decided I would see more of Australia from behind the steering wheel of a truck (and with the value of hindsight it was one of the best decisions I have ever made).
I’m writing this as the peak season for the annual grey nomad migration north gets under way. As you might all appreciate, and I apologise if I upset anyone, a large number of caravan drivers have very little experience steering their ‘wobbly boxes’ up the road.
Far too many don’t understand or give due regard to parking etiquette. It seems money must be a bit tight so demand for free parking is high given most vans are now self-contained with the requisite cooking and ablution facilities.
Unfortunately too many travellers are oblivious to the signs ‘Truck Parking’ and block up truck parking bays. I drive a truck that is 36 metres long with three trailers, four pivot points and grossing over 105t. It is difficult to manoeuvre in tight spots.
Most nights around 11-12pm I’m getting to the end of my allotted 14 hour work day and am looking for one of the few truck rest stops available; especially in western NSW and throughout QLD, only to find it full of wobbly boxes. Or worse still one or two parked randomly in the middle of the rest stop. This means I can’t fit my truck in there and have to try and stay awake until the next park, mostly 50-100km further on.
I can’t pull over on the side of the road for fear of getting bogged, or having the thing fall over. This means I will exceed my work hours, which is about $1100 fine. Law enforcement officers won’t accept a parking bay full of caravans as a valid excuse for exceeding hours. They say we should have parked up earlier.
Parking etiquette: don’t park in truck parking rest stops. If you must then please try to drive off to the edge or into a cleared spot. If this is not possible then drive as far forward as you can so that a truck can rank in behind you. If you park half way along we can’t manoeuvre in front of you. We can park behind you but if another truck is there then often we can’t fit. A van parked part way along can effectively waste 2-3 truck parking spots.
Please appreciate the roads and highways are our work place and ‘Truck Parking’ bays form part of our work place. We need them for our rest. If we are well rested we won’t get cranky with you out on the road, and more importantly we will be safer drivers. Also please appreciate that us older blokes find it hard to stay awake if we have worked a 14hr day and have to drive another 50-100kms late at night to find a parking spot.
Sorry to disappoint you, you’re not driving a truck. It really isn’t as big as you think!
Enjoy your holidays, stay safe and remember you are wandering around in someone else’s work place, so stay alert!”
