I tell Julie Gavin her pink Western Star has won the 2012 Rig of the Year competition, in Perth this morning.

I’m in Perth and have just caught up with Julie Gavin who drives, loves and cares for the 2012 Truckin’ Life Rig of the Year. Truckin’ Life readers voted overwhelmingly for the pink Western Star with almost double the votes of the nearest contender. I had a chance to congratulate Julie and the owner of the truck, Gavin Transport based in Welshpool, Perth. I realised today, travelling with Julie north of Perth with a grader on board that this is a very worthy winner. Not just a show pony, this is a real working truck, one of Gavin Transport’s 30 truck fleet. In fact Julie has clocked up 7,000 km over the past week.

CONGRATULATIONS JULIE GAVIN AND THE PINK STAR.

And congratulations to all other Rigs of the Month in the 2012 competition. Particularly the runners up: Craig Membrey with ‘Rowan’ (24% of votes) coming second and Nick and Lindy Annett (9% of the vote) third. The Pink Star received 41% of the total votes.

You, the readers, have voted and made the decision. Congratulations to you also, you picked a good one.

The official presentation of the Rig of the Year will take place at the Truckies’ Reunion and the National Road Transport Hall of Fame in August. Reckon everyone should try to get there, it’ll be a hoot!

Cheryl Arnol wrote a couple of days ago (May 30):

I learnt this morning that the Triabunna roadhouse is only just hanging
on in business in these very quiet times without the log trucks and
lower tourist numbers.  The roadhouse has been there ever since the
woodchip mill opened. It was built by Golden Fleece to service the log
trucks and who knows how long they will be able to remain operational
without that income especially with the downturn in tourism. The
hardware store is only open 10-3 5 days a week for the winter period as
it is simply not economical for them to open longer or on Saturdays with
one of the owners currently incapacitated. According to the owners,those
operating hours may not improve after winter and they have even flagged
the potential for the business to close completely.  We have had a
successful hardware store in Triabunna now for more than 40 years.
Should they close it will mean that even the smallest hardware item will
have to come from Sorell or Swansea; either way a 40 minute or more
drive away.    We had a Stihl chainsaw dealership here for more than 35
years; it has now closed.  The local clothing store has reduced their
operating hours.  He may reduce his operating hours even further but he
has suggested that closing would not be out of the question with the
lack of income in the town.

I have no idea how to make this State Government, aided and abetted by
the Federal Government, realise what has been done to our State’s
economy with the closure of the forest industry or what has been done to
small businesses in towns right across this wonderful State that have
relied on the forest industry.  We might be saving trees but
unfortunately the human toll is mounting and we are fast becoming the
endangered species!

This detour over the Barcoo River between Blackall and Tambo stopped north and southbound freight on a national highway for a day and a half. Pic Owen Orange.

 After all the complaints and consultations and industry wah wah that followed Queensland’s floods earlier this year. It was all discussed, the broken channels of communication, the problems with keeping roads closed for far too long because of bureaucrats protecting their backsides and working nine to bloody five. All the government departments and industry associations have had their meetings and conferences but nothing seems to have changed.

Yesterday I posted a text I received from warren Orange while stopped with all other southbound freight at Blackall because of the ‘flooded’ Barcoo River. The trucks rolled and … well I’ll let Owen tell his story …

“FROM THE HOT SEAT: Well they finally threw the gate open at 10.30 A.M. & the charge was on after a day & a half of sitting around drinking coffee & standing around in groups solving the problems of the world especially the transport industry here in our fine country.

So off we go, with the hard runners leading the pack, jostling for pole position eager to see the mighty torrent of floodwater that has held us at bay for so long. Cars racing past so they don’t get held up by those bloody drug crazed lunatics in their big trucks. Then in the distance it appears, the mighty “BARCOO RIVER”, that has shut us down with it’s massive expanse of water.

The stop go people are there slowing the charge to a crawl as we approach the dangerous crossing & then there it is!

I can see it all, the absolutely awesome sight before us: NOTHING. We had been held until the water had completely gone – we could have got underway hours ago if the governing bodies’ had, SHOCK HORROR, got out of their warm bed & checked the road surface a little earlier.

There were drivers with cattle on that had to unload at the sale yards to feed & water the stock , fridge vans full of essential food stuffs heading north with their use by dates decreasing as time wore on. These are the things nobody cares about of course, unless your the person awaiting their swift arrival.

But I must say the local POLICE would do their checks & come back into town & announce over the loud speaker in the car an update of events, as did the local council workers after their recon mission & the staff at the BP couldn’t do enough for us so a big thanks to those involved trying to keep us in the loop & to get us going as soon as possible , “FROM THE HOT SEAT”

Southbound road trains held up in Blackall, Queensland yesterday (photo Owen Orange)

Unseasonal rain has shut down our national highways again over the weekend. Hillman driver Owen Orange sent me this text and he makes the point well:

“Well here we go again Bruce! A dog must have pissed out in the paddock near the Barcoo and the useless bridge and bypass has gone under, 400 mm and rising so we’re told, so the NATIONAL HIGHWAY – ha ha – is closed once again, this time at Blackall and Tambo.

“The bridge has been closed for ages and the bypass takes you down to the water level beside it. At the start of the last Wet Season they commenced working on it, bringing in a pile-driver and doing earth works before the rains came and sent them running for the hills and to plan on their next assault this Wet Season.

If they had only taken time to visit a kindergarten in Tambo or Blackall, the kids would have informed them they need to do bridgeworks in the DRY months!!!

“So here I sits with a good dose of the sh..s, cooling my heels in downtown Blackall when I should be almost home to the wife and kids and deliver the EXPRESS Darwin – Sydney mail onto the next driver to finish its trek from the top End. But no, a little bridge in the middle of nowhere has stopped all traffic as it did only months ago in Mitchell.

“Just something to think about as we travel along the M1 with four concrete lanes in each direction. Yes it carries a lot more traffic but all we’re asking for is one good lane each way. The people in the West and North like to eat, drink and have their services too.

“Australia hopefully doesn’t stop 100 k’s off the coastline, or does it???”

I had a chance to have a steer of the Cat CT630 last Thursday, took it from Sydney, up through the Blue Mountains, over Mt Victoria to Lithgow and return. All the hills, traffic, traffic lights, road works and of course Mt Victoria made it an ideal run to try out the new Eaton UltraShift Plus.