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The Pub For General Automotive Related Talk |
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#121 | |||
Life begins at 40
![]() Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Melbourne. Socialist capital of Victoriastan.
Posts: 3,715
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I’ve just returned from work and managed to read through this thread and the Herald Sun. I just can’t believe that this truck driver, Don Mcallef actually stopped just for a blown tyre. Personally I wouldn’t care if the entire case had separated from the rim. I would have dragged the whole bloody trailer out on its rims if I had to just to avoid stopping in this tunnel.
In a previous post I stated that “no truck driver in his right mind would stop in the tunnel just for this reason”. I still stand by that comment, however, I sit here at my computer totally stunned and disappointed by the actions of this individual. I’m quite sure that people can read between the lines here. Speculation is one thing, but when he says it to the media (if he did actually say this) it leaves absolutely no doubt to the reason to why he stopped. The only reason for stopping a vehicle (car or truck) in this tunnel is for a mechanical failure. A flat tyre can still be driven on, it’s as simple as that. This was certainly a hot topic over the UHF last night and I can say that none of the people that I spoke to could believe that the truck stopped simply because of a blown tyre. Sadly as the story emerges, we are to be proved wrong. Condolences to the families of the three deceased.
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Justice is what you get when you run out of money.
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#122 | |||
Former BTIKD
![]() Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Sunny Downtown Wagga Wagga. NSW.
Posts: 53,197
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Quote:
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Dying at your job is natures way of saying that you're in the wrong line of work.
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#123 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Perth
Posts: 1,557
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I just cannot fathom why someone with 18 years experience could act so carelessly?
I've been in a truck for 6 months, and there i know from driving through that tunnel every day, i wouldnt even think about stopping, no matter what. And if i did for some reason break down in the bottom, i'd be flat out on the radio warning other drivers to get out of the left lane! |
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#124 | |||
Miami Pilot
![]() Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: ACT
Posts: 21,701
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Quote:
Look at it from the point of view - What if instead of the truck pulling over from a single blown tyre, he pulled over because every tyre blew, and his engine seized, but that he had enough momentum to get the truck over to the left and stop safely(?!). Now, do you believe that the accident wouldn't have happened? I don't. Given the way the accident occurred, it would have happened no matter the reason he was pulled over. So does that make one reason to pull over any better than any other? Not to the people who died. At the end of the day, the truck that was pulled over created the potential for something to happen, but it was the drivers following along some time after he pulled over that actually created the carnage.
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The Hammer: FG GTE | 376rwkw | 1/4 mile 11.793 @ 119.75mph 1.733 60' (4408lb) 1 of 60 FG MK1 335 GTEs (1 of 118 FG Mk 1 & 2 335 GTEs). Mods: Tune, HSD/ShockWorks, black GT335 19” staggered replicas with 245 & 275/35/19 Michelin Pilot sport 5s Daily: BF2 Fairmont Ghia I6 ZF, machine face GT335 19” staggered Replicas with 245s and 275s, Bilsteins & Kings FPV 335 build stats: <click here> Ford Performance Club ACT |
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#125 | ||
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 6,197
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JC - the fact remains that if this *&^%$&^*(&^$%@##@^())_* didn't park in the middle of a motorway, in the middle of a tunnel this would not have happened. He provided the situation - no one else.
If every tyre blew and the engine seized, we would all be saying "what a freak accident", not "what a total moron". |
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#126 | |||
FG GT 5.4 w/ additions!
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sunny SE Melbourne
Posts: 2,105
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#127 | |||
Lucifer's Angel
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Sydney
Posts: 5,282
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Quote:
__________________
![]() ![]() Blueprint, manual, 4490's, Redback 2.5" dual exhaust, BA Typhoon rims, tint, fog light covers, BF tailights, blue illuminated window switches, Ghia bootlid carpet, lower grille, FPV door spears, steering wheel & interior bits, XR6T + F6 intake, K&N filter, Typhoon spoiler, tuned, sway bars, custom angel eyes & plates..YUM!
If there's one thing guys in Holdens hate more than being beaten by a Ford... It's being beaten by a girl driving a Ford ![]() |
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#128 | |||
Miami Pilot
![]() Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: ACT
Posts: 21,701
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Quote:
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The Hammer: FG GTE | 376rwkw | 1/4 mile 11.793 @ 119.75mph 1.733 60' (4408lb) 1 of 60 FG MK1 335 GTEs (1 of 118 FG Mk 1 & 2 335 GTEs). Mods: Tune, HSD/ShockWorks, black GT335 19” staggered replicas with 245 & 275/35/19 Michelin Pilot sport 5s Daily: BF2 Fairmont Ghia I6 ZF, machine face GT335 19” staggered Replicas with 245s and 275s, Bilsteins & Kings FPV 335 build stats: <click here> Ford Performance Club ACT |
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#129 | ||
doof doof doof doof
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: SE Melbourne
Posts: 611
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I asked earlier on, and ask again: is it impossible to see a very large stationary object in the left hand lane of the tunnel and take early, safe, evasive action?
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#130 | ||
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 6,197
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It is if you're behind the truck that hit the truck.
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#131 | ||
Regular Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: wrong side of town
Posts: 174
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seems to me theres a couple of professonal drivers on here,(truckies)that might be able to answer a question.
Why do alot of transport companies send there heavy vehicles out to do battle with the roads full of traffic,sometimes at max speed,on freeways etc,with 2nd or 3rd caps?OK there cheap to buy,but the damage they do not only to there own trailers,is it really worth the saving on the rubber? ![]() |
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#132 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Perth
Posts: 1,557
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Quote:
We only run on new rubber, but imagine a company has 100 b-doubles. They each have 34 tyres on them, but you wouldnt run them on the steer, so 32 tyres that could be caps. If you can save even $100 per tyre, on 32 tyres, that $3200 per truck and trailers, x 100 trucks, = a saving of $320,000 per 180-200,000km each of these trucks drive. Thats why. We only run fresh tyres, as to us it's not worth the hassle of having the down time or the rooting around changing tyres on the road. But with only 6 trucks, the cost is no where near what the big operators are forking out if they were to change to clean skins. |
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#133 | ||||
Life begins at 40
![]() Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Melbourne. Socialist capital of Victoriastan.
Posts: 3,715
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All of our linehaul trucks and trailers are fitter with cleanskins (new tyres) as some of them travel up to 1800 kms per day. On some of the runs, one driver will jump out of the truck and another driver will jump in and continue to the final destination. This doesn’t give the tyres any chance to cool down so you have to run good gear. For local trucks, as stated by Schmidty, it’s just not cost effective. There’s not enough money in the job to cover these expenses.
By the way, you can still blow a cleanskin and they can do just as much damage as a cap. Quote:
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Justice is what you get when you run out of money.
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#134 | |||
Former BTIKD
![]() Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Sunny Downtown Wagga Wagga. NSW.
Posts: 53,197
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Quote:
__________________
Dying at your job is natures way of saying that you're in the wrong line of work.
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#135 | ||
LOW AND SLOW
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Geelong.
Posts: 2,644
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R.I.P To the deceased. Condolences to their family and friends. What does everyone think about the safety of the tunnel now. My main point being that Transurban is currently trying to sue Transfield and Obayashi Companies over faults in construction. The main one being the walls of the tunnel being too thin. Major accident with two explosions and ensuing fire which would have been burning at a very high temp. How well will the (thin) walls of this tunnel last in the future.
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#136 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Perth
Posts: 1,557
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Quote:
Thats for them to fight out. I'll still be using it on monday. Transurban only care from an investment point of view and what its going to do for the share price. |
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#137 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Lilydale, Melbourne
Posts: 835
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Quote:
I agree with you mate and unfortunately if you want your tax reduced you can expect more of this. They got to get it back some how.
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#138 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Lilydale, Melbourne
Posts: 835
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Quote:
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Blue Power Enhanced |
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#139 | |||
Former BTIKD
![]() Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Sunny Downtown Wagga Wagga. NSW.
Posts: 53,197
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Quote:
__________________
Dying at your job is natures way of saying that you're in the wrong line of work.
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#140 | |||
Regular Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Sydney
Posts: 476
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Quote:
nothing but alloy buds and a whole lot of tyre debris motorists have to dodge. Imagine a motorbike or Car driver seeing a chuck of rubber or even the whole cap skin in some cases lying on the road and quickly swerving to miss it. that itself could cause a chain reaction of smashes in a confined tunnel. I still think truck driver wanted to prevent this because he had trust in the tunnel operators to switch on the appropriate safety signs to let other motorists know of the obstruction ahead and didnt want a lenghtly clean up of picking up rubber debris for 2 km. On the M5 tunnel in sydney their is an incident everyday weather it being a truck, car, bike or a stray dog running through they have good signage letting motorists know of what danger lurks ahead. Driveing trucks for a living is first nature to me and i can see/judge ahead. why couldnt the motorists prepare themselves when the lorry stopped inside tunnel? If 1 min 30 seconds worth of motorists passed the truck no problem what was the driver that hit the truck doing that caused all this commotion? only time will tell, not paying attention on the road thats for sure. |
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#141 | |||||
Former BTIKD
![]() Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Sunny Downtown Wagga Wagga. NSW.
Posts: 53,197
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Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
__________________
Dying at your job is natures way of saying that you're in the wrong line of work.
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#142 | ||
Regular Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Sydney
Posts: 476
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mabye truck driver was running single 385 trailer tyres
not a good sight if that were the case. And besides i bet if VIC road inspectors saw a truck driveing on a blown tyre they would book him. NSW rta wouldnt be too happy of tyre bits flicking away at other motorists. |
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#143 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Perth
Posts: 7,043
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The tunnel fire got a mention on page 48 of the West australian here in Perth today.
What made front page??? Footballers on drugs, hooly dooly. I'd have thought 3 people loosing their lives (RIP) in a tunnel crash would rate higher but there you go. ![]()
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jaydee351 4DV8 |
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#144 | |||
Former BTIKD
![]() Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Sunny Downtown Wagga Wagga. NSW.
Posts: 53,197
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Quote:
Actually I'm surprised that no one's blamed Bin Laden yet ![]()
__________________
Dying at your job is natures way of saying that you're in the wrong line of work.
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#145 | |||
Regular Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Sydney
Posts: 476
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have you seen how much the tautliners lean with a blown single? not a safe sight! top of container would of hit side tunnel partitions. |
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#146 | |||
Miami Pilot
![]() Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: ACT
Posts: 21,701
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Quote:
__________________
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The Hammer: FG GTE | 376rwkw | 1/4 mile 11.793 @ 119.75mph 1.733 60' (4408lb) 1 of 60 FG MK1 335 GTEs (1 of 118 FG Mk 1 & 2 335 GTEs). Mods: Tune, HSD/ShockWorks, black GT335 19” staggered replicas with 245 & 275/35/19 Michelin Pilot sport 5s Daily: BF2 Fairmont Ghia I6 ZF, machine face GT335 19” staggered Replicas with 245s and 275s, Bilsteins & Kings FPV 335 build stats: <click here> Ford Performance Club ACT |
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#147 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Canberra
Posts: 13,370
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I heard about this on the radio. How terrible is all I can say!
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#148 | ||
carefactor zero
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: s/e melbourne
Posts: 423
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I personally run a fleet of over 20 prime movers around Melbourne metro
We spend over $4000 per month on citylink. It is (even in peak) the quickest way to get cross town as there are no lights. There is not one truck driver out there who wants to be changing down through the gears (ROADRANGER box) in his prime mover with the reverberating noise whilst exiting the tunnel & carrying 26 tonnes (42.5 gross) so they ALL try to keep the momentum up as to stay close to the speed limit on the downhill. Real truck drivers will basically stay left/middle & the steering wheel attendants/cowboys always right lane. I heard this morning through the industry that there were definate sparks coming off the blown tyre and other truckies were on the cb to the driver telling him to pull over. To my knowledge citylink has 24/7 towies on standby (incl. heavy) to remove vehicles from danger situations, but this was too sudden to react to but the safety sprinklers and emergency teams did a fabulous job responding after the tragedy. |
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#149 | |||
LOW AND SLOW
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Geelong.
Posts: 2,644
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#150 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Perth
Posts: 1,557
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Quote:
Based on what???? That the newspaper said so? Or you just reckon? |
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