Day 8 - First Aid Certificate good for Truckies to have.

This is not exactly directly related to trucks or trucking, but after doing a Senior First Aid certificate a few days ago I realised that First Aid is important for everyone to know and its good to keep those skills up to date.  

I already had knowledge and understanding of First Aid as I had done it 20 years ago... (yes.. arrogant me thought i knew it all because I had done it 20 years ago) but here are 5 reasons why I reckon people driving trucks need to learn first aid and keep their skills up to date.

1. Truck driving is the most dangerous profession there is by a factor of 10 (I got this info from a podcast)

2. Often trucks are miles away from medical help so if an emergency happens and they are there, they can render immediate assistance. Early intervention is often a critical factor in life and death situations, so truckies skilled in First Aid can save lives. 

3. First Aid techniques and Best Practice techniques are updated to reflect new understandings and new technologies. I was amazed at how much it had changed since I did my course 20 years ago. 

4. Keeping your skills up to date keeps things fresh in your mind. By revising things each year, you are committing important knowledge to short and long term memory. 

5. You will be able to equip your First Aid Kit in your truck to do the job that needs to be done in a real situation. (Don't just assume a store bought first aid kit will have what it takes)

Day 7 - Five important Knots

Five important Knots
(there are plenty more knots to learn but here are a few to get you started) 

1. The Reef Knot.

2. The Sheet bend

3. Clove Hitch

4. Butterfly Knot

5. Truckies Hitch. 

The following link address is a very useful YouTube on how to tie down a load using a Truckies knot. 

https://youtu.be/73hHtb_if1g

(Copy and Paste the above link into your browser to view)

This is a very handy website. 

http://www.netknots.com/rope_knots

Day 6 - My five thoughts after watching "4 Corners" documentary of Trucking in Australia

This is a YouTube I watched today. Called "This Trucking Life" made by 4 Corners. 

https://youtu.be/wer9KLT8y-o
(copy and paste this link into your browser to see it )

After watching this video (even though the video is a few years old now) there a 5 things that stand out to me.

1. There’s more to trucking than just driving trucks.

2. There are many forces in the industry that the Truck Driver has to deal with directly.

3. Driver Fatigue Kills. 

4. Drivers are the ones who end up paying fines or going to jail if laws are broken (not the companies that put pressure on Truckies).

5. Drivers are at the mercy of the company they work for. If

the company skimps on maintaining trucks etc. and push truck drivers into fatigue and unsafe work practices then the driver (and others) and at risk.    


Sounds like the industry needs an overhaul. 

Day 5 - Application for Large Passenger Vehicle accreditation in order to get a Bus License in South Australia

This is a simple Blog briefly outlining my application process in order to get a Bus License.

1. In order to obtain a bus license in South Australia, you need to get something called "Large Passenger Vehicle accreditation"... (no this is not how to transport large passengers, but rather how to transport large vehicles with multiple passengers)

2. Large Passenger Vehicle accreditation is needed for a seating capacity of 13 or more people including the driver. 

3. To apply for this you will need to provide Police clearance through a National Criminal History Check. This costs money and takes time. (As I personally already have a DCSI clearance I rang the Dept of Planning Transport and Infrastructure and they emailed me a consent form for me to sign so they could obtain that info. I was very impressed with their prompt reply and the need not to go through another round of forms)

4. You need to get a medical and eyesight certificate filled out by a doctor, and have a full medical examination.

5. The driver accreditation form needs to filled out and witnessed by a JP. 

Once this is done it all needs to be submitted to Dept of Planning Transport and Infrastructure.

Day 4 - Transmission (GearBox)

A truck has an engine and a transmission

1. The engine is the power source of the truck

2. A transmission is a machine that provides a controlled application of power from the power-source (engine)

3. The Transmission is the gearbox of the truck, and uses gears, gear-chains (a series of gears) to change the speed and torque from the power supply.

4. There are different types of Transmission. (Planetary-Gear Automatic, Automated Manuals, Manual)

5. Heavy truck transmissions often do not use "synchronizers" that make gear changes easy. Truck drivers need to know how to engage a gear by matching RPM of the engine to the gearbox and this takes practice and skill to do.
(RPM refers to the Revolutions Per Minute or how many times the shafts in the engine rotate every minute)
RPM means Revolutions Per Minute and refers to the speed of rotation of the shafts in the engine

  

Day 3 - Different truck body types.

1. Flatbed : chassis fitted with an open flat body on which goods are carried

2. Tippers : Open Top body that is tilted using a hydraulic arm to unload.

3. Curtain-siders : have a fixed, roof frame attached to the body and a flexible curtain fixed to both sides of the frame. 

4. Box-bodies : have a solid rigid body and sides. Generally have rear roller shutters or solid doors to access. 

5. Road Tankers : Used to transport liquids, gasses or powders, Road Tankers have a tank fitted permanently to the chassis. 

Day 2 - Different Truck Licenses

Different Truck Licenses in SA

1. Light Rigid (LR)
2. Medium Rigid (MR)
3. Heavy Rigid (HR)
4. Heavy Combination (HC)
5. Multi Combination (MC)

Info on each license will come in following days 

only 5 things a day... that's the limit