Introduction.
I first became involved in road safety in 1999 following one of those days on the road, when you really wonder where people get their licenses, out of Weet Bix packets or do they simply not care about their lives or those of anyone else? After sleeping for the night at Narrabri and only being on the road 15 minutes and not even up to highway speed, I and the car behind me, were overtaken by another car with two unrestrained children in the back with an approaching b-double heading towards us less than 200 metres away. I was in a b-double fuel tanker and both b-doubles went off the road onto the shoulder to allow the stupid motorist to safely get through.

Later that same day being fully loaded and coming down off a hill onto a narrow bridge, I flashed the oncoming F250 Ford as if to say, “Back off just a bit and I will be off the bridge before you come on”. No way. This bloke kept coming and we met before I came off the bridge and to this day, I believe I missed that vehicle and the bridge posts by millimetres. Had he just lifted his foot off the accelerator for less than 20 seconds, I would have been clear and the possibility of a crash would have been completely avoided. So I pulled up for my break and thought, “What can I do to lessen these problems?” and have been involved since.

All drivers and truckies particularly, can regale you with horror stories of crashes and near misses, most of which need not have happened, nor the risk have even occurred, had the motorist simply respected the size and weight of the larger truck. This is not about might is right, it is simple physics. As a pedestrian, you would not step out in front of a bus and simply expect it to stop because you are there. And yet everyday, car drivers who have perhaps not been taught to share the road with trucks, will pull directly out in front of a fully loaded semi or b-double and expect them to stop dead.

If through the information on these pages, one of these crashes or lives lost can be prevented, then my efforts will have been worthwhile. I make no claims to be perfect, we are all (at least supposedly) human, but not all drivers are equal and some have simply been taught to pass a test, not to spend the rest of their lives on the road, let alone to share those roads with large trucks. Fatal crashes between cars and trucks are over 70% the fault of the car driver according to crash statistics. This only confirms to me that we do need better education of car drivers about sharing the road with trucks. There is no doubt that truckies have to earn the respect their vehicles deserve and do their part to improve road safety as well.

I have now travelled in excess of 6 million kilometres on the road in vehicles from cars up to triple roadtrains and still see such foolhardy acts on the highway that risk my life and that of others. If all drivers treated people in other vehicles as if they were a member of their own family, do you think that would change some of the impatience and risky behaviours? Perhaps not a bad way to look at your time on the road. Is it your children as learners, your wife or partner in the next car, or your ageing parents going a bit steady? Either way, would you risk their lives to save yourself two minutes? I hope not, but it is up to you!

Having returned Ken’s truck, I then went back to RPT truck 7 for another year, then in 2011 Rod Pilon Transport bought a new K200 bigcab, the first in the fleet and I designed a new set of curtains that Rod never saw till I turned up with them fitted. There are few companies that would allow a driver to do this and I thank Rod Pilon for his support since the start and through now to his son Ben.

I had that white K200 for just short of ten years, did over 2 million k in it and it is still on the road with yet another Rod, driving it. The original curtains from the first TIV are on another set of RPT trailers, so they too are still putting out a good view and industry promotion as they travel the highways. TIV 2 served me very well, but now there is TIV 3 and likely the last, we will see.

June 2017 Audiobooks For The Road
I have started a facebook page to provide reviews of books I read, sometimes up to 3 a week and to seek your comments and reviews as well. I was recently invited to be a judge for audiobook of the year and want to let people know of the entertainment you can get on long trips from audiobooks. Click Here to read more.
Links to the ABC interview and Sydney Morning Herald article.

October 2026 Latest Blog Post. Listen on Spotify
Goodaye all, well the first time to the second customer in this load to Adelaide and of course, whilst I had been warned it was no b-double access, when I got the paperwork after loading Sunday, it also said ring and book in, well a bit late to learn that now. So Monday on the way in, try and ring, but not open yet, then try again, leave a message only to get a call back asking was I booked in, no sorry, well we need a days notice!!

Again, I have just unloaded across the street from where you are, this was our first delivery to you and I only leant this yesterday and I doubt you would have answered the phone then being Sunday, so is there any chance I could get unloaded please? After a bit of a delay he said, “As long as you can be here by 10.30, we will unload you, but you will not get a b-double in here.” Ok thanks, so out on the street and split, and yes it seems to be a new purpose built complex within an older warehouse site, yet there is no way known, you will get a b-double round the back of the building, but WHY IS IT SO?

Then the forkie said, but your not booked in with a small attempt at humour, then said it was ok, then took ages to unload me and seemed nearly impressed, or even in awe, that I had travelled all the way from Dubbo. Anyway, unloaded, hooked up again and off to get fuel. After some issue with Adblue at the OTR, had to change bowsers, backing up only to have another bloke rock in and then disappear, to come back while I was waiting and I asked, “Are you getting fuel” “No sorry went into the shop”. “Yes I can see that, well I need that adblue bowser please” and so he moved!!!!!

Off then to Melbourne and a sleep, then into Sydney and by the time I pulled up Tuesday night, had 39.5 hours and 3100 kilometres up in those first three days and these people who complain about working 40 hours a week just don’t have a clue about how we all live on the road. Load out of Melbourne for Grenfell, then had to ring and ask would they wait back a bit, yes and thanks very much, then pulled up outside for lunch at 6pm out of hours and a truckie in the place next door, asked if I wanted to be unloaded there as well, what terrific blokes most Truckies are.

Reload again and nearly into Sydney, used a green reflector bay on the Hume, could not make it to Pheasants Nest, then up and to the first drop and on the way back to the yard, the phone rings and I am asked, can you do us a favour and go and pick up a container, yes ok. We will unload and reload your trailers for you, yes all good. But then they gave me the wrong suburb in the address and that led to being where I should not and finding a low bridge and a phone call to say, where is this place and then some backing up and then even more fun when I did get there, with no release number. Another simple job that was not. Then off to Wagga Wagga, I hatched a plan for an extra load as I had asked to be in Sydney for Monday and it was only Thursday and they were saying, well you wanted to be in Sydney, yes for Monday. Oh!

Anyway, a delay to reload back for Sydney meant a walk around Forbes, found a bargain for an audio book 2nd hand for a dollar and reload and into Sydney, to the yard, some off, some back on and then going, not going, going again, maybe, yes no and then yes, hard to keep up, but reloaded and into Dunedoo, do part of podcast, home for a service and some tyres, service done, tyres not, so some calls to sort another trailer this morning, load and into Sydney to attend and speak on a panel session about driver fatigue at the ACRS Conference in Sydney tomorrow. Been a week, cheers and Safe Travelling to all, Rod.

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