The TruckRight Industry Vehicle has, for many years, endeavoured to raise the image of road transport. Now industry assistance is needed to take that next big step. Rod Hannifey writes
The TruckRight Industry Vehicle (TIV) was my dream, to have a working truck to promote the road transport industry and road safety. It took a long time to become a reality. I started trying at Finemores, pushed harder at Toll, but could not find the one person there I needed to make it happen.
So I left after 29 years of working at Luya Julius, Finemores and then Toll. My boss at the time said “You will not get anyone to support your road safety aims”.
I wrote to 30 transport companies detailing my efforts up to then and my aims. I did not think it fair to get a job and then say, “I want to do this”. The advice was right of course, though I did get one reply offering me a job, but the answer was “We would love to have you as a driver, but cannot support your road safety”.
I had asked to be a driver like every other for 10 months of the year, but to have one month to attend events over which they would have right of veto and I would give my month’s holiday as a second month for events for the year.
I then sent the same application to Rod Pilon, whom I had met and knew through the Australian Roadtrain Association as well as John Morris there. They offered me a chance to be involved and they then gave me a place to be, as it were.
I had been in the Transport Workers Union and tried for support there, attended Australian Trucking Association (ATA) conventions and raised issues there. I tried other state associations as well, looking for that place to get things done from where I sat on the road.
First incarnation
Rod Pilon gave me a start, though I had never done tautliner work, having come from containers and then tankers. I found out later that some of the drivers and mechanics took bets on how long this “tanker wanker” would last. I don’t think any of them are still there.
Ken Wilkie made his Kenworth K104 prime mover available and it came into Rod Pilon Transport’s fleet for two years. That was the beginning of the TruckRight Industry Vehicle. Rod Pilon bought me a set of trailers and I designed the curtains. with the help of many others supplying things from lights to on-board scales, winches and turntables, we got the TIV on the road.
In the two years I had Ken’s truck I started with the aim of attending one event and/or having one rider in the truck each month. I have a list of all those from the start.
I am still invited to many events and if I succeed here, will be able to do more in the future than I can as a fulltime employed driver.
Rod Pilon then bought me the current K200 and I designed a new set of trailer curtains to match and carried on the effort. The trailers have now done over 1.8 million kilometres and we have just replaced the first set of wheel bearings. Both trailers are still on the original brake linings on drums. The K200 has just had a new crate motor at 1.3 million kilometres and is going well.
New beginning
I am seeking someone to either supply a new truck and set of trailers from manufacturers to companies to individuals and I will commit to the next five years with that likely being the last TruckRight Industry Vehicle, unless I can get someone else to carry it on.
It is hard to work fulltime as an interstate driver and be able to commit to events. While all who read these pages work hard too, few would put in the time on top of a fulltime job unless you are passionate about the outcome.
A few drivers who have done more at times have even asked where I get the time. Much of it comes from family time – my family has both put up with this and allowed me this time now for over 20 years.
When I gave Ken’s truck back I tried to auction the last trip but was told that was not legal. However, one operator offered me $50,000 towards buying Ken’s truck, but that would not have covered the truck and trailers and without others it did not happen.
I am a firm believer that you get nothing unless you ask and ask nicely of course. If a truck manufacturer offered up a truck and a trailer manufacturer gave me the trailers, even if refurbished, then I could earn sufficient income for two weeks work to feed my family and pay my bills for the other two weeks where I could then do more events and rider trips.
I aim to continue working for Rod Pilon Transport who has supported me in this endeavour from the start and who have done more than anyone else to make the TIV a small success. They too are happy to continue, but if the offer is right, perhaps someone else could step up and do their part to help improve how we are seen and perceived by the public.
I am happy to work with any company, group or association who want the same aim. However, of course, not all of them will let me work as I have done. Few want a driver or individual to go it alone, but if I had waited for that agreement, the TIV would never have got on the road.
What do you think? Will you help to make the next TIV a bigger and better industry billboard and I will give you five years of effort and passion.
I have many smaller committed sponsors and can contribute much to the total rig, but I just need the big bits.