“Recently I had the distinct pleasure of the company of Rod Hannifey…..”
When you are engaged in a project with other parties, it is difficult to praise the other party without seeming to be biased or, worse, be suspected of using the opportunity to uplift your own project, however, in this case, the accolades are directed at the other party for achievements that no one can put claim to, but the one person at whom those accolades are directed.
Recently, I had the distinct pleasure of the company of Rod Hannifey, at home, and it was great to get him out of his truck, even just for one night, for a break, while he was in town for the Annual Newcastle Transport Awareness Day.
Getting Rod out of his truck though, does not mean you get the “Truck” out of Rod. Such is the passion of this man, that to get him out of the driver’s seat, just turns it onto ‘remote’.
By way of introduction to those of us from outside the ‘Industry’, Rod Hannifey, whom you may have heard Lyndal and myself mention, is a truck driver from Dubbo, employed currently by Rod Pilon Transport as a Linehaul Driver. He is married with a family of seven kids and three and a half grandkids.
As a sideline to all this, Rod has worked as a Road Transport and Road Safety Advocate, putting in countless hours in the pursuit of safer roads and safer conditions for drivers. His blue reflector indicators for informal parking bays is but one of Rod’s initiatives that has been adopted by the Qld Authorities and now NSW and Vic are set to follow suit.
While regularly running the Golden Highway from Newcastle to Dubbo, Rod approached and was successful in getting every shire engineer along that road to do a stint in the truck with him to demonstrate the repairs required to bring that road up to a reasonable standard and as a result improved driver comfort and safety.
He has to his credit, several parking bay improvements and is now regarded as the first stop by the roads authorities in three states for his ideas on design and improvements to new and existing facilities.
Rod holds a Graduate Certificate Road Safety Q.U.T., (Queensland University) and is an Assoc., Fellow Australasian College of Road Safety, Committee Member-Driver Liaison of the Australian Road Train Association, 2000 Natroad Professional Driver of the Year, 2001 ATA Professional Driver of the Year, winner of the Queensland Road Safety Award and is an Honorary Member of the Road Knights USA, an organization with similar aims to Rod.
A regular column in Owner Driver Magazine and Caravan World Magazine as well as a regular spot on night radio and frequent live interviews, presentations on his ‘Sharing the Road With Heavy Vehicles Programme’ and taking part in various Truck Audit Trips on major highway routes, form his media interests and never misses a chance to talk up our Industry.
In his spare time from all this, Rod has had a dream to create an Industry Education Truck, designed and built, as a working truck, but also to be able to be put on display and used to promote Road Safety and Driver Awareness.
The last couple of weeks has seen this vision come to fruition after four long, frustrating and arduous years and the Newcastle Awareness Day was her Inaugural Show Day. (On a personal note, I have to say it was literally like sharing the day with a new father).
To give credit to all parties in making this vehicle possible, as I said, Rod is employed by Rod Pilon Transport who has supplied the trailers and allowed Rod, by way of sponsorship, to have them sign written, and also as far as possible to take time out to attend show days and other opportunities to display them.
The prime mover, a smart looking and well presented cab over Kenworth, has been generously made available by Ken and Dot Wilkie from Queensland, who are single truck operators and having brought a newer truck, and have made this one available. I’m sure you agree that this is quite a commendable act for a small business and demonstrates their respect for and confidence in Rod’s efforts and also their own passion for the cause.
As for the messages on the truck, the sides are emblazoned with information regarding Industry initiatives for energy efficiency and safety messages, while on the back doors is a weekly safety message taken from Rod’s ‘Truckies Top Ten Tips’ on safety.
For anyone interested you might look up Rod’s website at www.truckright.myco.com.au.
I am sure that you will join me in congratulating him on a sterlig effort and a great achievement. Really well done, Rod.
Cheers Westy
November 21st, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Too right,congratulations from me.
Dave
November 22nd, 2008 at 10:01 am
Dear Westy
In response to your article Westy, on Rod Hannifey’s site, I had a look and was most impressed and can only urge others to go onto this site and appreciate the efforts of Rod Hannifey, as he endeavours to reach out to people in his concern, in regard to road safety. I am sure Truckies will enjoy his site. I did send an email of appreciation to him and I pressed a button, but goodness knows where the email went! Cyberspace!! So, back to Coast to Coast 100, to state my comments. I join Westy in congratulating Rod Hannifey on his efforts.
Irene Baldwin
November 24th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Hug a Truckie
November 24th 2008…www.ownerdriver.com.au. Rod Hannifey, Transport Road Safety Advacote, quietly going about his business; taking Gary Liddle Chief Executive Officer for Victorian Roads;a trip in Rod’s truck on the Hume Highway Melbourne to Wodonga Giving Mr. Liddle first hand experience of the complexities of driving these large vehicles.
Irene Baldwin
November 26th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
[...] truck campaigner Rod Hannifey on the anti-truck website ‘Coast to Coast 100′. A recently published article on the site congratulated him on his work for safety on the roads and his constant lobbying for [...]
November 27th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Hug a Truckie
Dear Lyndal
Back on Rod Hannifey’s Site http://www.truckrightmyco.com.au I was browsing and read ‘The Truckies on the Road Code’ which is good for Truckies to read…and of course motorists; and for the motorist there is ‘Ten Top Tips for Motorists’ to consider, when driving near trucks; and then there is a Truckie poem ‘Not on Sixpence’ again for the benefit of motorists to help give them understanding of these large vehicles.; I have done print outs for myself to help me remember. Rod Hannifey has certainly put a lot of thought into his site, lets hope that it helps all of us to take his statements seriously.
Irene Baldwin
December 18th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Very usefull post.
Thanks.
P.S. I like your writing style.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
First of all congratulation for such a great site. I learned a lot reading article here today. I will make sure i visit this site once a day so i can learn more.