"Move over RV'ers, I'm coming in!"
An innovative solution to the eternal “truckers V RV’ers” rest area showdown has been put forward by a leading road safety advocate.
Rod Hannifey says the traditional approach of governments providing separate rest areas for truck drivers and travellers is misguided … and that rest areas capable of accommodating truck drivers and motorists at the one site should be built.
To prevent problems of the type that currently occur when grey nomads decide to use heavy vehicle stopping bays, Mr Hannifey says each rest area should have a ‘caravan corner’.
“The issue with caravanners is they pull up late in the afternoon and think, ‘we’ll stay here for the night’ and, when they go to bed, they don’t think of anybody else because there’s no-one else there,” Mr Hannifey told Australian Trucking News. “Of course, what happens is that at about 10pm, 11pm, or 12am, truckies start trooping in trying to find a park.”
Mr Hannifey says some trucks can then find it impossible to get in to the rest area, at all.
Under his proposal, stock crates and fridge vans would also be housed in a separate section to ensure noise from the vehicles does not disturb others.
He wants separate spots allocated for those taking short breaks and long breaks, so that truckies and grey nomads wishing to sleep at night will not be disturbed by those taking a brief stop.
Mr Hannifey fears that if the authorities spend a lot of money on car and caravan facilities, truckies will be left with nothing but ‘a bit of dirt and a rubbish bin’.
Under his approach, all road users will share facilities that include toilets, playgrounds, an amenities block, barbecues, tables and chairs and shelter.
Last month, the NSW branch of the Australian Trucking Association strongly criticised travellers who set up camp at rest areas.
“These are not camping spots and pretend caravan parks so people should not be putting up their awnings and having their cups of tea,” said ATA NSW manager, Jodie Broadbent says. “These are dedicated rest areas for truckies.”
Currently, only about 7% of sites in NSW qualify as ‘major rest areas’ which, according to National Transport Commission (NTC) guidelines, should have generous parking spaces and be located at 100 kilometre intervals.
• Do larger ‘shared’ rest areas with a ‘caravan corner’ and a ‘noisy truck area’ make sense? Comment below.
I’m sorry but I just can’t help myself. In all my circumnavigation of Australia I haven;t noticed too many rest areas designated trucks only. I agree that some vans should be pushed straight out of some rest areas due to no thought being given to anyone else including trucks. A rest area is a rest area and I have seen trucks leave one trailer in an area for 24 hrs plus whilst getting work or something done. This exercise reminds me of a few years ago when the trucking industry decided to lay claim to the CHAT / CALL UP channel (40) and make vans use ch 18. Back to the rest area issue. I know of a certain b double that parks in a tiny rest area signed no trucks for 5 days over Easter , even cutting trees so as to not scratch his vehicle. Everyone needs to sit down and start working together. Most areas have plenty of room if everyone thinks of others. Cheers Bill
Goodaye Bill, in regard to your comment that the trucking industry lay claim to channel 40 and made the vanners use channel 18, this is incorrect. Channel 40 is the road channel and truckies certainly use it most, but it is not ours as all the imbeciles in capital cities who abuse it would agree. I started Channel 18 as the vanners channel for two main reasons. If vanners together chat on 40 about how nice the cup of tea was or how pretty the flowers are, we cannot get through to tell anyone of road problems. Even amongst truckies, if you chat too long on 40, you will be asked to move to another channel. The second reason was truckies do swear, some thinking they are the only people on air and if a vanner turns the set down or off, then we cant get to them at all and so, Channel 18 and the signs you see on vans. I monitor both channels on two UHFs and vanners are welcome on 40, but if they put a sign front and rear so we know what channel they are on, the roads will be safer for us all so we can communicate instead of guessing what the other party is doing. Safe Travelling, Rod Hannifey
Some new sites on the Bruce Hwy. in QLD. already have this. My only complaint with these was that the caravan parking was close to the hwy and the day picnic area was furthest from the hwy. Should be the other way round.
Maybe, just Maybe what is needed is an education of all travels so they know How to Park in the rest Area’s..
– there was a Letter published on the forums from a Truck driver that clear state d some great idea’s of HOW to use a Truck/rest spot so it was usable by All.. the Method stated here sounds like the Government will need to Buy Land beside most rest areas just to enlarge them to suit all…
Or they need to maybe use old Road sidings and set clear areas of Parking..
J
Spent the night at the new stop at Yelgun a couple of months ago it is designed to take both vans and semi’s, but the trucks would come in for an hour or so and leave their engines running far to noisy for me.
Been around twice never had a problem I do agree there should be room made for all
Sounds like a very good idea, provided it is not left up to bureaucrats to design them. It would also be cheaper for governments by building only one lot of amenities.
Trouble is the idiots that have no consideration for anyone but themselves.