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Does anybody watch Outback Truckers ■■ Yon Turbo fella shouldn’t be out with normal people :unamused: Then there was a husband and wife team, engine fault on their motor, they spent 4 hours looking down the road waiting for a mate and never bothered with their engine problem, then 2 hours after they got going again the aforementioned engine let them down… :unamused:
I know it’s a ‘made for TV show’… but some of the stuff on there defies belief.
Last evening there was one idiot with some sort of Portakabin on with a sheet …ahem…covering the Kabin,…ye gods, it was like a galleon under full sail. Every few miles he was stopping to tie a bit more string on the sheet.

Watch the programme…have a laugh. :smiley:

Please, don’t judge all Australian truckies on that garbage show. One bloke, Steve Grahame, is pretty fair dinkum, but bear in mind all the drama is distilled and emphasized.

Is that from the same lot who came up with Ice Road ■■■■■■■■

Turbo is in jail now.
bigrigs.com.au/news/turbo-c … l/3067424/

Saw it the other day, made a big thing about a road train overtaking another vehicle stating there was an on coming vehicle approaching. Kept showing a truck bearing down on them but In the long shot there was nothing there.
I do think Steve Graham is more down to earth and watchable.

sorry, double post

I’ve been on Out Back Truckers a few times ( season 5 onwards ) and know the staff and camera crew pretty well, what would you like to know about it?..
First thing to take into consideration about it is that it is billed as a light entertainment program so it has to appeal to large portion of the general public so it can generate enough viewing figures to attract advertisers to the networks… Currently it goes out in over 129 countries round the world ( primarily on Discovery ) then it’s passed on to the main terrestrial networks, then the regurgitators. Each episode has to gain over 15,000,000 viewers ( world wide ) over it’s first 2 cycles for most networks to even consider it viable for scheduling.

So It Has To Be Appealing…
…if you were sat in a truck cab with a driver recording everything over a normal day then in most cases you would cover a load of k’s and that would be about it… nothing much going on… pretty boring… there’s not many people going to watch that. They either have to go after larger than life characters… or cover jobs that are beyond the realms of the every day persons normal understanding ( comfort zone ) they have to have WOW facture. You have to make the viewer want to stay tuned after the add brake, and watch it next week and next season.

With out a doubt Steve Graham is at the top of the show, he comes across as a down to earth guy that just gets on with things no matter what is going on. Next in line is Glen Yoggie. again he comes across as a top bloke… Turbo is polliser you either love or hate the guy. Most people that know anything about trucking are in the second camp, most of the non trucking general public are in the first , but the main thing is he’s good for ratings… most of us other guys even though we’re doing interesting things, are just fill ins ( and we know it ) but without us it wouldn’t be much of a show.

What usually happens is someone will get recommended., or will bump into the film crew in a remote location. If the production crew think there might be a story, then they’ll pursue it a bit farther. ( IE driving a Tasmanian reg road train on a regular run on Broom, Mt Isa Cairns, Melbourne, while constantly bumping in Steve ) will probably get their attention…

Leagle get in touch with the boss of the company and sort things out… You do a bit to camera, usually on your phone, or turn the dash cam round to see how you are going to come across on camera, then if they like it they sort out some kind of game plan for a certain trip and it’s all on…
It’s as unobtrusive as they can make it, most ot the trips I have done with them don’t usually take much more than half an hour more than usual. I usually have a head camera guy in the truck with me, and I’ll give him a heads up when we’re going to encounter something interesting… There are usually 4 or 6 GO Pros attached to the truck which are on all the time, and either 1 or 2 chase cars which will go out about 10 to 15 mins in front of the truck, they get the long panning shots… Again I’ll usually give them a heads up of good locations to shoot. Both of them have also have camera drones…
After all the filming is done the head camera guy who is also the on line editor usually has an angle that he wants to pitch the story at… All the footage is then sent back to the studio where head of production will sort out the final edit, bearing in mind it has to be entertaining and engaging for the general public.

Most episodes I do will have about 250 hours film between all the cameras, but they tend to shoot a lot more film in Tasmania because it’s so scenic. All that has to be cut into your slot which is usually about 17 to 22 mins for each episode. From filming to airing it can be up to 9 months depending on when your episode is scheduled. By the time it gets aired on the terestrols it can be anything up to 3 years old.
Yes some of it has to a bit over dramatised, but it is aimed firmly at the general public. Currently it’s out gunning all the other truck related programs running on TV…

Everything shown on the episode has happened on the trip… but then there’s the guy in the editing suit… by his own admission he doesn’t know much about trucks, or how the road unfolds, but he does know how to make an interesting TV show that millions of people round the world want to watch…and the premise of the show is … IT has to be entertaining and engaging…

I knew what I was getting into before I signed up and I’m glad I did… picture the scene 20 or 30 years from now when my grand kids ask me what it was like to drive big trucks… most folk might have a few photos scattered about here and there… and in a vague memory might be able to cobble together some kind of story to tell… I’ve got DVD’s shot and edited by pro’s… nothing can’t take that away…Yeh it might have been a bit edited for added entertainment value, but for the most part that’s what went on.

I hope this clears up some of you questions GOM

It’s got nothing to do with any of the other truck shows, Ice Road Truckers or Jamie Davis.etc …there all done by different production companies even though they’re aired mainly on Discovery.

Personally I don’t take any offense to any of the comments, it’s not for everyone, but I’m amazed by the cross section of people that come up to me and say “hi, I saw you on the show.” From hardened truckers to airline pilots, doctors, and little old ladies in the supermarket…

Jeff …

Nice one Jeff… if I ever get to Tassie on holiday I,ll be looking out for the tractor with the TIR plate !!! and you’re lucky to have the dvd 's to leave as a legacy my Saudi snaps are fading fast
cheers
stay between the white lines !!

Hi Backsplice I wish I had taken photos when i was doing M/E and China, but cameras weren’t allowed… very strict company policy… probably why I take so many now… If you happen to be at Sydney fish market (under Anzak bridge ) any day from Sunday to Thursday around midnight-ish you would probably see a TIR plate on a B Double … we also haul regular loads to Berrisfield Maitland ( Newcastle ) most nights of the week as well. so we rattle down the hill at Gosford most nights…either RBA or Tas Trans

Jeff

Hello Jeff,
Hope you’re well!!
I’ve just watched an episode of this with you in it-flicking through the channels and watched a bit then I heard your name mentioned-i didn’t think there could be many Scotsmen that drive lorries in Tasmania with the same name as you lol
Built any models lately? (Come on get some built!!)
Cheers,Andrew

andrew.s:
Hello Jeff,
Hope you’re well!!
I’ve just watched an episode of this with you in it-flicking through the channels and watched a bit then I heard your name mentioned-i didn’t think there could be many Scotsmen that drive lorries in Tasmania with the same name as you lol
Built any models lately? (Come on get some built!!)
Cheers,Andrew

Hi Andrew, There aren’t many ex pat drivers in Tasmania, however I work with a guy that used to be on with Leicester Heavy Haulage, then moved to a company that did Kelloggs out of Wellingborough to Spain. The kid over the road from me did a 2 year working visa not do long ago and drove for a heavy haulage out fit based in Ipswich…

I have a few models on the bench at the moment, and am eagerly awaiting a rather big envelope to arrive from Chris Moxham so I can finish at least 2 of them…but i’s getting a bit out of hand as storage space is running out and the only model show we had in Tasmania has stopped as the club that was running it couldn’t afford the insurance… usual story…

Ps any idea how to put photos on here. I used to use Photobucket until they hi jacked all my images. I saw a " How to " on here about putting them straight up from your computer but can’t find it any more …

Jeff…

Jeff, was it you with the fish ?

grumpy old man:
Jeff, was it you with the fish ?

Yes it was but it wasn’t my normal run… I usually do the long haul interstate work with B triples and road trains but they couldn’t tie up the film crew for 5 weeks running about with me catching fishing boats round north west Australia then hauling it all back to Sydney. So the boss organized it so I could do the local stuff when I was back one week-end… had good fun doing it…The low bridge thing at the end was a bit of fun we thought about after the main filming… but I thought they cut ( edited ) it in good with the story line…Those episode were filmed about 2 years ago…

This is my usual truck…

Jeff…

AA Tastrans.jpg

Bumped for Buzzer…

Jeff…

grumpy old man:
Does anybody watch Outback Truckers ■■ Yon Turbo fella shouldn’t be out with normal people :unamused: Then there was a husband and wife team, engine fault on their motor, they spent 4 hours looking down the road waiting for a mate and never bothered with their engine problem, then 2 hours after they got going again the aforementioned engine let them down… :unamused:
I know it’s a ‘made for TV show’… but some of the stuff on there defies belief.
Last evening there was one idiot with some sort of Portakabin on with a sheet …ahem…covering the Kabin,…ye gods, it was like a galleon under full sail. Every few miles he was stopping to tie a bit more string on the sheet.

Watch the programme…have a laugh. :smiley:

Ha ha , i saw the portakabin show. The sheet wasnt big enough and wasnt fit properly at the front our saving grace was Bewick didn`t see the show :wink: .Overall the show is for entertainment and quite enjoyable

I have to admit that I haven’t seen that Portacabin episode but are you sure that it was a Portacabin or was it half a house. :confused:
I did see the programme where Robbie Mackay cut a house in two and half way through the heavens opened up with what seemed like a tropical downpour.

mushroomman:
I have to admit that I haven’t seen that Portacabin episode but are you sure that it was a Portacabin or was it half a house. :confused:
I did see the programme where Robbie Mackay cut a house in two and half way through the heavens opened up with what seemed like a tropical downpour.

I dont think it was a house but it was in half if that makes sense.They struggled to load it and i think the loaders sheeted it up covering the back and leaving the front quite exposed .The other way round would have been more successful maybe.Still good emtertainment though if you take it as just that

The portacabin one was in series 2… a dude ( New to the job ) with an Argosy did a half cut site hut from Sydney to Perth… Not sure what way he was going through Sydney as one shot had him on Parramatta road getting stuck under the over head train lines out near Church street, and the next shot was him going out by the Airport turn of. It looked like he had been to Super Cheep Autos and bought a big tarp to stop the weather getting in the open side of the site hut but it wasn’t big enough… and …," quality " isn’t usually a word associated with Super Cheep Autos …

Here’s a bit about Robbie Mac that Elliot Buchan ( Main camera ) for OBT told me. They were getting through some suburb with a half house early one morning and he was trying to get the attention of his new spotter who was watching the passenger side, but Robbie wanted to know about the drivers side… The Kid wasn’t looking at Robbie at all, so eventually Robbie gave up on him jumped out the old Mack and had a look for him self, leaving Elliot sitting in the passenger seat while the truck chugged along driverless while Robbie had a bit look see… That bit didn’t get on the show… he also had a few Turbo tales as well but I’d get shot if I told you…

From mid November until the wet season this is normal for getting about the North and West …it’s about 15mm inside the legal limit, hence no bull-bar…

More trailers… More hassle… That’s about right DIG…

Jeff…

:open_mouth: B loody hell, I wouldn’t fancy taking that round the M25.

ramone:

mushroomman:
I have to admit that I haven’t seen that Portacabin episode but are you sure that it was a Portacabin or was it half a house. :confused:
I did see the programme where Robbie Mackay cut a house in two and half way through the heavens opened up with what seemed like a tropical downpour.

I dont think it was a house but it was in half if that makes sense.They struggled to load it and i think the loaders sheeted it up covering the back and leaving the front quite exposed .The other way round would have been more successful maybe.Still good emtertainment though if you take it as just that

Here ya go Ramone, if you want a job working with these guys then I highly recommend that you go to The Harry Gill Roping and Sheeting Academy or do The Retired Old ■■■■ Open University Roping and Sheeting Curriculum but you must do the “Homework”. :laughing:

youtube.com/watch?v=nex1_gHsFAM

youtube.com/watch?v=au7gmWjhfR8

grumpy old man:
:shock: B loody hell, I wouldn’t fancy taking that round the M25.

One of the show promoters contacted me a while back and asked about the possibilities of getting Road Train over to the Europe to do some shows…
Personally I’d love to drive one up and down the M6 M1 and round the M25… I think that photo was taken when I was doing supermarket deliveries up north, we have to split them up into B doubles before we go in… More Hassle…

Jeff…