Started with a new job last monday on full time fridges, interstate work based out of Melbourne, mostly running Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane and anywhere in between… basically what you guys call tramping, dont see home from sunday afternoon to friday night
2006 Freightliner Argosy 110" cab (big cab) with Detroit Diesel 575 (i think) motor in it
ridiculous amount of living space in it 
just finished my first week, pretty heavy going, lot of time slot deliveries so struggling to get a proper 7 hour break between shifts as have to keep waking up after a few hours sleep for a timeslot, enjoying the challenge though…
Beattun’s got a new christmas tree!!
Nah, fair play mate, looks good fun.
Nice one.
Is there a Driver shortage in Australia?
Do you have a Digi Card or Tachos?
yeah its the only one in the 80 strong fleet thats tarted up with lights too…weird
neither digis or tachos dino, we use logbooks here, which suits the fridge work as you might drive 9 or 10 hours city to city then start your drops off the record, maybe 4 or 5 hours then get some sleep after that, only legally allowed to work 12 out of 24 (driving + POA is counted work, there is no POA option anymore in the logbooks here its all WORK or REST)
in saying all that, the rozzers and the inspectors have been known to plug their laptops into the ECU, which gives them a reading of engine running times, speeds, etc, so basically the equivilant of a digi tacho without it being a digi tacho, i dont know anyone whos been knocked off for this data not matching their logbook, but im expecting it to come.
bit crap really when you consider the logbook is a legal document and when we sign it its the same as a stat. declaration, so why bother making us fill em in if youre going to hook into the trucks brain and shaft us anyway?
as for a driver shortage, theres plenty of f-wits behind the wheels of trucks so until theyre all gone theres a DRIVER shortage for sure
‘rozzers’ 
You a Scousers
Sounds OK over there, do you like it?
dinosteveus1:
‘rozzers’ You a Scousers
Sounds OK over there, do you like it?
hey im just trying to fit in with the beanos here you know, im a paddy 
yeah its alright, been here 5 years now, done a few years local in melbourne then eased into a bit of half distance half local, decided i wanted full time distance as sick of local and not enough dollars, so i just changed jobs and started full time distance, so i dont get home much now, but on the plus side the missus never been so bloody happy to see me as when i come home after 6 days!
dinosteveus1:
‘rozzers’ You a Scousers
Sounds OK over there, do you like it?
sounds f’in bliss compared to here!
darkseeker:
dinosteveus1:
‘rozzers’ You a Scousers
Sounds OK over there, do you like it?
sounds f’in bliss compared to here!
lot of adjusting to be honest, especially coming from ireland, but im here for good now so its easy for me to say that now
trucking wise, its better because the trucks are bigger, better and faster, which is what counts when you get paid by the kilometre, the weathers better too which can work for you or against you, can be a pain when youre running nights and have to try sleep in 40 degree heat during the day, even with a viesa it can be hard
beattun:
darkseeker:
dinosteveus1:
‘rozzers’ You a Scousers
Sounds OK over there, do you like it?
sounds f’in bliss compared to here!
lot of adjusting to be honest, especially coming from ireland, but im here for good now so its easy for me to say that now
trucking wise, its better because the trucks are bigger, better and faster, which is what counts when you get paid by the kilometre, the weathers better too which can work for you or against you, can be a pain when youre running nights and have to try sleep in 40 degree heat during the day, even with a viesa it can be hard
And yet there’s some here who reckon that yank trucks are zb 
and ‘say’ that they’d rather drive a euro heap 
.Go figure.I reckon that they’re either jealous and it’s sour grapes or they’re just stupid But with those temperatures over there why don’t they fit the things with decent sized air con units which can run independently like the yanks have on theirs ?.
Carryfast:
beattun:
darkseeker:
dinosteveus1:
‘rozzers’ You a Scousers
Sounds OK over there, do you like it?
sounds f’in bliss compared to here!
lot of adjusting to be honest, especially coming from ireland, but im here for good now so its easy for me to say that now
trucking wise, its better because the trucks are bigger, better and faster, which is what counts when you get paid by the kilometre, the weathers better too which can work for you or against you, can be a pain when youre running nights and have to try sleep in 40 degree heat during the day, even with a viesa it can be hard
And yet there’s some here who reckon that yank trucks are zb and ‘say’ that they’d rather drive a euro heap .Go figure.I reckon that they’re either jealous and it’s sour grapes or they’re just stupid But with those temperatures over there why don’t they fit the things with air con units which can run independently like the yanks have on theirs ?.
the viesas are independant, but theyre evaporative coolers, so not much good up north in queensland in the humidity, some of the mobs install icepacks (refrig. air con units, but $$$$$$$$$$$)
my first few years here in melbourne i was on mercs and scanias and i was sceptical of the yank tanks, then i got thrown into an old KW K100 Aerodyne, rough as guts to ride but you could really “drive” her and after a while you fall in love with the sound of what a turbo SHOULD sound like, pig of a thing to live in though, having to climb over the hump and fridge to get into bed, the freightliners arent as well built as the kenworths but wow the 110" is an outstanding cab to live in, all it needs now is a CAT to relpace the detroit
just to add, this is what the truck is like on the inside, save me taking photos
freightliner.com.au/argosytour/
beattun:
Carryfast:
beattun:
darkseeker:
dinosteveus1:
‘rozzers’ You a Scousers
Sounds OK over there, do you like it?
sounds f’in bliss compared to here!
lot of adjusting to be honest, especially coming from ireland, but im here for good now so its easy for me to say that now
trucking wise, its better because the trucks are bigger, better and faster, which is what counts when you get paid by the kilometre, the weathers better too which can work for you or against you, can be a pain when youre running nights and have to try sleep in 40 degree heat during the day, even with a viesa it can be hard
And yet there’s some here who reckon that yank trucks are zb and ‘say’ that they’d rather drive a euro heap .Go figure.I reckon that they’re either jealous and it’s sour grapes or they’re just stupid But with those temperatures over there why don’t they fit the things with air con units which can run independently like the yanks have on theirs ?.
the viesas are independant, but theyre evaporative coolers, so not much good up north in queensland in the humidity, some of the mobs install icepacks (refrig. air con units, but $$$$$$$$$$$)
all it needs now is a CAT to relpace the detroit
You would’nt say that if Detroit still did big two strokes though.The CAT is a bit like a Gardner compared to those
i dunno, i have a bit of a fetish for the C-15 lovely whistle off it when its working hard
beattun:
i dunno, i have a bit of a fetish for the C-15 lovely whistle off it when its working hard
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmytwZnXgjM&feature=related.
thats just obnoxious carryfast
this is what i like to spin along to youtube.com/watch?v=qRQBox_TyCU
Carryfast:
beattun:
i dunno, i have a bit of a fetish for the C-15 lovely whistle off it when its working hard
youtube.com/watch?v=ZmytwZnX … re=related.
Cats is ■■■■■.
Listen to a proper engine:
youtube.com/watch?v=4q0dr3Fzc2A
Ken.
beattun:
trucking wise, its better because the trucks are bigger, better and faster, which is what counts when you get paid by the kilometre, the weathers better too which can work for you or against you, can be a pain when youre running nights and have to try sleep in 40 degree heat during the day, even with a viesa it can be hard
Going by the trucks I have used so far out here, I would go Euro all the time. OK, they have all been about 10 years old but I can’t see anything they offer better than a Euro motor. An International S-Line or Mack Select cab over an FH?? Never lol.
I think there was a write up about Don Watson Trans not long ago in Truckin’ Life or Power Torque.
I’ll keep my eyes peeled for ya along the Pacific Motorway.
Chopsticks:
beattun:
trucking wise, its better because the trucks are bigger, better and faster, which is what counts when you get paid by the kilometre, the weathers better too which can work for you or against you, can be a pain when youre running nights and have to try sleep in 40 degree heat during the day, even with a viesa it can be hard
Going by the trucks I have used so far out here, I would go Euro all the time. OK, they have all been about 10 years old but I can’t see anything they offer better than a Euro motor. An International S-Line or Mack Select cab over an FH?? Never lol.
I think there was a write up about Don Watson Trans not long ago in Truckin’ Life or Power Torque.
I’ll keep my eyes peeled for ya along the Pacific Motorway.
i try and stay away from the pacific where possible!
pm a photo of your rig and ill keep an eye out though! or put it on here if ya want
watsons have a few new FH16s XXL cab, and if they try and pull me out of the 110 argosy which they may cos its one of their oldest rigs (2006) so may be due a trade soon, they better give me an FH and not a bloody KW aerodyne
I don’t have a rig mate, I do shunting between warhouses for a steel mob. I’ll try and get some pics and put them up.
Cats! Macks!!. and the sound of their engines! Yeah. Great!! But there was summat else that turned up as a result of me clicking on those 2 links put up by Carryfast and Beattun. 
youtube.com/watch?v=ZmytwZnX … re=related.
and youtube.com/watch?v=qRQBox_TyCU
and a bit of scouting about,I went from one truck video to another. Then I got to the music videoes, and Bingo!! I was taken back over 40 years via YouTube to the time when I heard Buffy Sainte Marie singing the greatest Anti-War song of them all–“Universal Soldier”, for the first time. I used to have it on tape, and I played it in my waggon, at full bore, until the tape eventually got completely ZB,d. 
youtube.com/watch?v=VGWsGyNsw00
Thanks for that boys.I,m now off to get it downloaded for non-stop playing. 