First drive

I'll tell about getting my licence.

Lived in a couuntry town in Cent Qld - and on the day of my 17th Birthday (was really 17) I wandered down to the cop shop at lunch time (on a Wednesday) to get my official brief to say I could drive.

Snr Const Custard Guts (Allan Cunningham) was on duty, and marched me out for the driving test - only to discover I hadnt bought a car with me. So he put me behind the wheel of the squad car (an XT Falcon I think) and directed me to take him to the local cafe to pick up his lunch (probably a free one).

That was it - to the cafe and return - total of about 3 blocks each way. I dont recall there being any 'questions' involved in the test - and I left with my little creamy coloured card with the 'car' & 'truck' (boxes ticked - an X actually as they were done up on a type writer in those times).

'Truck' covered all versions of a 'rigid' as we know then now. There was no difference between a 'light & heavy' rigid.

In the next few days I had a chat to a new copper to town (Const Alan Hayes) who had joined a sporting team I was in - about 'up grading' my brief to semi trailer std. He suggested I probably should allow a week between first getting my licience and the up-grade.

I could wait that long - so we set a date on the spot - the up-coming Wednesday - at lunch time. It was also agreed that bringing a semi trailer with me wouldnt be necessary.

Wednesday lunch time I rolled up (wandered down on foot actually) and the good Constable was there as planned. "Give me your licience and we'll do the endorsment". Into the pocket I dove - to find (with serious embaressment) that I had forgot to bring it.

So off home at a trot I went - and was back in a flash. But not quite quick enough as in the mean time Const Hayes had gone on lunch.

So I imparted my story to the new chum (another new cop to town who I had never seen let alone know) on the counter. After a bit of uming and areing he took my word and proceeded to put the licience in the typewriter to do the 'endorsment' (which was just a note on the back to say I now qualified for the up-grade).

Once all set up he asked - "now what are we doing it for"? 'A Road Train' I replied with a bit of a quiver in the voice. From memory - the classifications were:
A = Car, B = Motor Bike, C = Rigid Truck, D = Articulated Veh (Semi Trailer) and E = Road Train (Multi Articulated Veh) and then there was Tractor and Bus (F & G).

My request met with a bit of a raised eyebrow and no typeing. At that exact momment one of the local owner driver cattle carters walked in the door to get a permit to move a load.

The copper looked up and asked the guy (Barney Harrison) whether he thought I could drive a Road Train.

Quick as a flash Barney offered a glowing reference as to my ability to do just that. At that stage in life I knew him by name and sight - but had never actual met him OR driven his truck. To this day I have no idea as to what he realy knew about me - but he sure gave the right answer.

Out I walked (a little late back from lunch) with my 'E' Class endorsment.

That Friday night I hit out after work in a 160 Cummins powered C line Inter with a 36 ft lead trailer with a 40ft dog behind - headed 450 klm up the drit road to Charters Towers with 80 weaners on board. With a 2 hour camp included I was back home 34 odd hours later.

A couple of years on I was getting married and leaving town at the same time - headed for the coast. I had mated up with another cop at that stage and we were all sitting around the back yard on wedding day - after cleaning and decorating the wedding cars. When - it dawned on me that I might need a Motor Bike brief in a big city.

So down we went to the (closed) cop shop, and I got the little creamy card added to - for a Motor Bike, Tractor and Bus.

All was fine until the Govt introduced the National Heavy Truck Licience - and everything had to be changed over to the new classifications. I think they were taking the oppitunity to 'thin out' some of the liciences from the old era - and to maintain all my endorsments I had to present a 'reference' that said I was still competent and employed in a job that required me to need all the boxes ticked. Didn't take long to round up the required references - with the guys I approached having pre-prepared letters in their office draw - that just need a name inserted.

Oldfulla

Good on ya oldfulla
I might use that when i slip down for a ticket.!

Appreciate the story mate
always good to hear from ya

chocs

Oldfulla,

Great story.

I have just started helping on my 16 year old grand-daughter's licence - 100 hours learner, P plates for years, restrictions etc etc. The kids now would give their eye teeth to do what we did.

Mind you kids in remote country areas might still have a chance with an amenable cop but certainly not anywhere they have to do a test with a Transport Testing Officer.
All on the computer so very hard to duck under their defences.

Lang

I recall one old fella relating the story of how he was driving the farm truck, full of wheat, into the town wheat bin, in the early 1930's, when he was 14.

The local constable spotted him and waved him down. The constable says, "How old are you, sonny? Do you have a truck licence?"

The bloke said he admitted he was only 14, and he didn't have a licence of any kind.
The copper was appalled. "You haven't got a licence? Gee, we can't have that! Come on down to the Police Station and I'll write one out for you!"

And that, he related .. is how he got his truck drivers licence at the age of 14.

As for myself .. I left school at just over 16 to join the brother in the dozing contracting business. We rented a farmhouse to live in, about 10 miles out of a little country town, and I drove myself around everywhere, from the day I left school.
There was the odd head cocked and the odd question asked, as to whether I was old enough to be driving? .. but overall, I kept a low profile until my 17th birthday arrived, and the brother drove me into the little one-horse country town to get my licence.

We booked in for a test. The gruff old Sgt was a frightening sight to any teenager. I hadn't even sighted a copy of any road rules booklet.
He jumped in the passenger side of the EH Holden ute and told me to drive around the town block.
There was one solitary stop sign in the town, and he took me through it. I made sure I stopped.

Then came the verbal test (no written tests, then). The Sgt thumbed through the book and picked the curliest questions.
"How far from a level crossing do you stop?" I didn't have a clue. I guessed 60 feet. WRONG! He glowered at me. "It's 20 feet!"
How far from another vehicle do you dip your lights? I knew that one - 600 feet. He grunted.
Then came the killer. "What is the closest distance to a corner can you park?" I gulped. I had no idea.
I hopefully said "60 feet?" (this sounded like a good number). WRONG! He glowered again. "It's 20 feet from the building alignment!" :-[

He then says .. "You've already been driving for a while, haven't you?" I reckon the old fox had got word I'd been driving without a licence. I just said, "Yeah".

One question right out of three, and it wasn't looking good! He chucked the road rule book aside .. took all my details, and wrote out the licence.

"Thank you Sgt", I said, as I picked it up .. and I floated out the door!!

Lang

Yes - it is a different world today - and I'm not too sure it is better for it.

We didnt have the distractions that kids today have and I think we had more enquiring minds back then too.

Without wanting to sound boastfull - but at about 13YO I made it my business to find out how things worked. Non the least was transmissions - the difference between the 'crash box' and the later 'constant mesh' variety (thats a difference that a LOT still dont understand) - watched the experts use them (and ignored the non experts). Then put that learning into practice.

All to the point where (at that 13 odd mark) and like a few others my age, I could go from the bottom to the top and back down again with 5 x 3 and 5 x 4 boxes. And you didnt learn that pottering around the suburban street.

How many kids today get that sort of chance to learn?

So I think our getting easy liciences was just a result of the times rather than anything underhand or shonky.

Oldfulla - just jibbering on.

Ron Hartridge Transport
Now there are some memories and history there when Dad was there and my first job

Slasha
Gudday M8
many a time we were @ Hartridge Wellington Rd Mulgrave



Rolling thru Hartridge

Jist to get the weights right
Cya
[ch9787]

Are you putting a tow bar on front the truck. Dave

Lang what a great story from your younger days ole mate , some people take a lifetime to get to where you got on your 18th birthday mate and others dont get there at all . I rekon you can hold your head up high Lang , Ive read your name on the Commer and I put you alongside the many other people who made a special achievement in our transport history . much appreciated Rob

Thanks Rob,

I don't reckon I am too special. There are a few other stories above with equal merit. I am sure amongst all the members we could have a 15 page thread on this if they got off their a...s and put pen to paper to entertain the mob. You don't have to be driving road trains at 10 years old to be interesting - everyone has a tale to tell.

Lang