In the velvety darkness of an outback night, they are often heard but not seen, as they rumble through our small outback towns, delivering the necessities of life for isolated residents across thousands of kilometres of our vast Australian interior.
Come daylight it’s a different story – you can see them coming from a mile away, especially the big, triple-trailer set ups – 50 metres long, more than 4 metres high with plenty of horsepower hauling all manner of goods from fencing wire to fridges.
But this road train is different and it’s a first for the transport industry, as the Western Star prime mover, with driver Brian Clothier at the helm, embarks on a 3400-kilometre plus journey from Toowoomba to Darwin then onto Adelaide, carrying a payload that for some, might be a lifesaver.
“We got involved with this initiative because we employ over 700 people and the majority of those people work in remote, isolated conditions that can be trying at times for them,” said Neil Mansell Transport (NMT) director Robert Mansell.
“They spend days, if not weeks on end just living in their truck, very isolated, and that can have an effect on some people’s mental health.
“Our industry is renowned to be a tough industry which it is, and it employs tough people, and those people don’t really ask for help when they need it, so we’re trying to get the message out there that there’s help available for them.”
Neil Mansell Transport has been in the transport industry for more than 40 years, but this is the first time they have partnered with a health organisation looking to spread an important message about mental health for rural and remote residents.
It all started with a meeting at RHealth headquarters in Toowoomba, where the idea for a massive, mobile “billboard” was first put forward.
“One of our staff member’s Kerry Osborne, who has connections in the trucking industry, came up with the idea of advertising our new Western Queensland Head to Health service on the side of truck trailers,” revealed RHealth general manager Michelle Sieders.
“The thing that surprised me the most was what we thought a cool idea in our office was also enthusiastically supported by industry people at Neil Mansell Transport, and that’s the real reason it actually came together.
“It’s so amazing to have this opportunity to promote such a valuable service in a really unique way and we really feel like this is going to get people talking.”
“TV and the internet can be patchy in the bush, so this is just a new way of getting the message out there on these massive truck trailers.”
The truck curtain “billboards” will carry details of the new Western Queensland Head to Health service, designed to help outback residents find the mental health support they need either locally or via telehealth. The Head to Health service is also available Australia wide.
Tragically, the statistics don’t favour outback residents or truckies when it comes to mental health.
“Very remote residents are more than twice as likely to die by suicide than city-dwellers, with one in two workers in the transport industry reporting some level of psychological distress, compared to an average of 1 in 3 for working age Australian men,” reveals Western Queensland Primary Health Network manager Deb Spanner.
“This is a great way to get the message out there that bush residents are supported, and that they have options available to them via this free, confidential service that they can call anytime, anywhere.”
The Head to Health trailers’ maiden journey from Darwin to Adelaide is just the beginning of a long haul commitment for Neil Mansell Transport, as the trailers are folded into their regular services from the east coast of Australia, deep into the Northern Territory and beyond.
“We are really fortunate to support RHealth in bringing this tautliner design to life,” said Attard’s Queensland state manager Josh Furlong, whose company manufactured the new truck curtains.
“We assisted in creating RHealth’s vision for this design, which we are very proud of – we are really happy to support such a great cause.”
To access the Head to Health service anywhere in Australia – FREE CALL1800 595 212.