“What can we do to help?”
To all at CTC 100 ….. with this proposed stoppage or blockade - as some are indicating -I feel if it disrupts or disadvantages the public to a great extent then you will have the general public off side.
This action would be a very personal issue for heavy vehicle owners/drivers and theirs alone to decide either way.
The real question that I put to all truckies out there, irrespective of his or her desired actions for or against, is “what can the general public do to help in this regard?”
Why I ask this is that fuel, i ncreased costs and other burdens upon the freight haulage eventually means higher living costs to everyone so there is a flow on effect straight down the line.
So come on people, don’t disavantage the general public or face ruin yourself but put your case forward to the general public and ask for their assistance and support. You might be surprised at the level of support that you would receive from them.
Don’t fight this on your own even it if is very fragmentized amongst the different organisations of freight haulage. I for one would be very happy to help in any way possible.
So I’m asking “what can I do to help you?”
Dave
July 26th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Dave what an email….I think I speak on behalf of a lot drivers when I say thank you. Thank you Dave for having that open mind to ask the question, what is going on? What is the issues that these people are raising. Without people like you thinking outside the box a little, it would be most a gloomy world.
Now having said that, I have a list of “Demands” set out by Mick Pattel, which I shall type up on here in the next couple of days for Lyndal, I was hoping to have done it before this, but being as lazy as I have been of late it’s very fatiguing doing nothing!!
One thing is for sure it’s not just about fuel costs. But that’s an issue we ALL face, not just owner drivers, but everyday joe bloggs. One of the other issues raise by this man and his desciples is that they would like the NTC disbanded. Why?? I have no idea, it will not prove to be of any advantage. They also would like our logbooks to operate from midnight to midnight not the rolling 24 hour clock as it as now. Why?? Once again I have no clue. By doing this would result in cases of people being able to anything up 20 hours in ANY 24 hour period instead of the 12 or 14 as is the case now. They would also like it if we did away with electronic logbooks. I know nothing about this demand so I won’t make comment. They would also like to see any licence that has been lost as a result of the QLD government’s demerit points attached fines be rescinded. I ask why?? if they’ve been detected driving when they shouldn’t have then bugger em!! Having said that it has been reported to me that people have been fined for a spelling mistake….In which case I say SHAME SHAME SHAME, on the QLD officer that decided to include spelling mistakes as a fatigue management issue. There are of course other issues but none that I can remember, so I will endeavour to type up the list of demands and send em off to Lyndal in the very near future.
July 26th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Dave,
I hate to keep harping about 1979, but, a lot of the general public will remember that far back, and back then the road transport industry closed the road freight system down for ten days.
Only today, at a meeting regarding this new stoppage, some of us, more “experienced gentlemen”, of the industry, recalled incidences of support from the public and businesses not connected to the transport industry, including boxes of food, offers of donations and most of all, vocal support.
One of the first items discussed today was that very same support and how we must respect it.
In the blockades we did what we could so as to ensure that the general public could still travel and with that in mind, this time it has been agreed that petrol supplies will not be interupted.
Let me add here, it is not possible to please everybody, but those who are protesting do have it in mind.
At this stage Dave, the best thing the public can do for us is to understand the plight of the industry.
Remember, you, the public, are the ones paying extra for your groceries etc., because of exorbitant freight costs. The truck operators who contract to the larger transport operators, who are the ones getting the extra freight charges, are not getting the benefit of those extra charges. Simply put, the big companies charge the supermarket extra for transport to cover fuel rises, they then pocket the extra revenue and get someone else to deliver the goods without passing it on.
There are other issues involved in this protest, however, that is the main problem facing the smaller operator.
Thank you for your support and I will do my best, if this becomes drawn out, to keep you informed.
Cheers
Westy
July 30th, 2008 at 12:10 am
Lyndal,
At this late hour, after a long and eventful day at the front, (and with a well deserved, if I do say so myself, night cap in hand) I will give you a very brief update on the situation regarding the transport shutdown. I may well even take the heat off Chris and save him the tortuous task of actually trying to type up the claims, and mate, if you thought that was a big task, there were actually two logs of issues involved.
Firstly, I just want to say that I will not go into the politics or the “he said and I said..,” of it all, but I would like to congratulate all those who supported their colleagues and stopped work. Although only a small core stepped forward, I have to say those “few good men”, restored my faith in the Australian way. There were wrongs and they needed to be made right.
Anyway, what would seem like a farce may well have turned into the most successful outcome the industry and the community could have hoped for.
Absolutely independently of each other, two meetings, one in Sydney and one in Newcastle, voted to approach the Transport Workers Union and seek their sanctions for picket lines. The reason for this was that no unionised yard would stop for a picket line unless it was Union sanctioned.
The outcome of those meetings was that, those delegations learned that the TWU is already well down the path of taking all of the issues that we were fighting for, to the Government, and that they were now Federal issues and not just State issues.
Both parties in Newcastle, and my information is, at this stage, that those in Sydney also, have agreed, that we can best achieve those goals through the conciliatry processes and are happy to do so.
Both, those meetings, and as of tonight, the Gundagai meeting, have returned to work and I expect that most others will follow suit over the next day or two.
Although we were not able to secure that magic solution to the ails of the industry, we were able to take back to the meeting, positive answers and forseeable improvements in the industry.
From the communities stand point, I feel that I can assure you that changes will take place within the next twelve to eighteen months, in this industry, that I feel will raise the professionalism of the industry and those who work in it.
In short, those who do not want to move forward with the industry will become collateral losses, and will only serve to raise the standards of the industry people.
I sincerely hope that all of those who stopped will be amongst those left standing, as that is the calibre of the men we need in this industry.
To Dave and any other supporters in the community, I thank you for that support and would like to just reiterate that, you the community will benefit by sharing the roads with more ‘professional’ operators, and that can only mean safer roads for all.
I would just ask one thing, if I may, and that is that Lyndal proof read this post as I am pouring one more ‘elixer’, only for the relief of stress, and retiring.
Cheers
Westy.
July 30th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Westy, that is very good news.
I already share the road with professional operators,you,Chris,Indy,Ian B,Rod B and many others.
But mate,do something about Peter Schuback and crew,I don’t think that they did your situation any good.
Again good news and I’m happy to offer my support.
Damn,I’m going to get a “Mack” insignia for my Camry.
Dave
August 2nd, 2008 at 11:06 am
Sorry to let you down too Westy, I was one of the defiants!! Unfortunately any stoppage must have the support of management when it comes to any protest. We had a statement issued to us saying we’re expected to turn up to work, but in the event of the road being blocked or any REAL AND IMPENDING threat to our personal safety we were to park the truck in a safe spot and ring in to receive further instructions.
And as for the list of “demands” I haven’t been in the depot to retrieve this list from my faithful 81′ GH Sigma yet, but hopefully soon!!
August 8th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
The general public could help by asking retailers who bump up prices due to transport costs to substantiate the claims that fuel levies etc that are charged are actually going to the people who are incurring the huge over inflated costs involved with getting freight to its destination. Over here we’ve just found out that a company we were working for was charging a fuel levy, but they were not passing it on to the sub contractors. I say ask the question and it you can’t get an answer would you really want to be doing business the company anyway. Maybe if enough consumers took this approach, the bigger companies may have to look at the way they do business.
Regards
Rhonda
August 13th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Rhonda,nice to see you again.
These are precisely the things that should be put in front of the public. The general public didn’t have a clue[including myself]as to the significant issues of the freight haulage business. This was caused by too many organizations in the fray.
I suppose they were all well intentioned but the public just threw their hands up in dismay.
Not a soul knew exactly why? the stoppage was going ahead.
You are correct Rhonda in saying”maybe if enough consumers took this approach,the bigger companies may have to look at the way they do business”.
That’s the key,get the public on side!
dave
August 14th, 2008 at 8:31 am
Dear Westy
I am really pleased that you have recieved encouragement regarding progress made by the TWU in their efforts to improve the conditions of the ‘truckie’; their hard work and progress sounds very promising and also the efforts that C to C 100 is doing as well, will eventually benefit everyone in regard to safety practices on the highways.
Irene Baldwin
August 15th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
The transport operators have to take a lot of blame for the state the industry is in at present.
Rates are kept down by people undercutting each other.
Comradrie has gone listen to the uhf anywhere you like.
Drivers blame every one else except themselves.
How about this.
Base rate $2.50 a k for the prime mover and $0.50 a k for each trailer.
Standard rules and regulations Australia wide.
Abolition of backload rates.
Decent parking bays for all the community.
Then how about drivers just being civil again. Run your truck like a real business, put your prices up to cover all costs then add 20% for your company. If people do not want to pay dont cart thier frieght.
I dare you all to try it.
August 18th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Thank you people for the reply, the public would be very interested in exactly what’s going on with fuel levies and freight charges.
They would want to know … why they’re paying ever increasing food costs if a majority of truckies are being rorted of entitlements?
I think that these companies,not passing on correct fuel levies or not paying a decent freight charge,should be named.
The public and truckies are being shafted.
And Dave Sweeney says”rates are being kept down by people undercutting each other.”
There should be a minimum base rate and be strictly controlled.
Dave