What is wrong with current batch of truckies??

Fellas, I'm sitting here, wondering what it is about the trucking industry today, that is seeing a serious increase in the number of switched-off truckies.

Every day I see news items about truck accidents that just shouldn't happen. A few months back, here in Perth, a couple of blokes changing a tyre on a trailer in the breakdown lane of the Kwinana Freeway get wiped out when a truckie cleans up their trailer, Hilux, and both of the blokes.

Yesterday, a woman sitting in her broken down car on the Sth Eastern Hwy east of Adelaide, gets wiped out by a truck, that just swerves right into her car.

On the ABC today, there's a video of Tony Abbot nearly getting demolished by a truckie who can't even see vehicles turning right, stopped in the middle of the road!

What is scary about all these style of prangs, is that every single one of them happens on straight roads, in broad daylight, sunny conditions, dry roads.
If this is what the average steerer is capable of in these conditions, what is going to happen when the conditions turn to crap??

What is behind this poor standard of driving? Low requirements for people getting behind the wheel? Too much of the soft life inside the cab? (heaters, luxury seating, soothing music?, low noise levels leading to sleepiness during the day??) Working hours for subbies that are too long??
I think there's some serious research needed here, and some major attention, to what I see as a problem that is increasing on a daily basis .. no wonder the trucking industry has a bad image, that is getting worse .. :'

ABC news video - Tony Abbott nearly cleaned up .. www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/02/17/2822287.htm

Woman killed in broken down car .. www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/02/16/2821628.htm

Two men killed whilst changing tyre .. www.abc.net.au/news/video/2009/10/21/2720686.htm (

Jeez Mr Abbott was lucky.
Over the last couple of weeks driving around Ive noticed the amount of tyre marks approaching intersections is dramatically increasing around the place and have been wondering the same thing.

Speed is causing alot of the prangs and I agree with you on the going to sleep bit. Fatigue management has dropped the hours fella's are driving dramatically but now the trucks themselves are putting them to sleep.

Inexperience and arrogance is alot of it also.

Basil

mobile phones?

Cruise control and fellas driving trucks as they would drive a car ie tailgating not reading the road ahead etc.

Just looked at the Abbott clip, that truck is from a well regarded local fleet but the driver has got it all wrong. Seems like he nearly got the mini bus as well.

RE : Abbott clip

Yes the trucky is in the rong

But hoo in there right mind would try n turn right off a main hwy with a truck bearin down on m

they shoulda pulled over to the left n waited for a break in traffic then do the right hand turn

the only time u can pull a stunt like th@ ( turnin right from the center of rd) if U got the bigger vehicle than wotz following U

Also
Gotta have an also
vehicles parked on the road vegitaion strip is also ilegal

Wot say U Sarge?

LOL

Cya

[ch9787]

maybe the truckie was looking at all those cameras and people on the side of the road . . but with the power of the newer trucks they tend to drive them like cars and not trucks ... i always think my UD is slow but then i realise maybe some of the other trucks have to much power !

im still waiting for huppypuppys opinion . . :

Looking at the video there seems to be plenty of road to the left of Abbott's car. What's the chances there was plenty of room (even a slip lane) for the truck until the mini-bus decided to pull left from behind the car without looking?

I'd back a truckie over a mini-bus drover any day.

No i think the truckie has been watching the new V8 supercar ad.

How lucky was everyone and i bet he gets a nice $$$ fine in the mail.

Ron, this chain of responsibility, why don't fleet owners have to check if their driver has a mobile phone on him? And if he does, why is it not a requirement that all trucks bne fitted with a blue tooth device that has to be paired to any said phone a driver may have on him? I got a lift win a truck owned by one of my customers a while ago, and old mate driving it had 3 mobile phones in the console. Blue Tooth kits can be had for $100 and upwards, and in most of these new limo's they would work fine. I must admit, I've got one in the Road Boss, all you can hear is the turbo.