A frustrated truckie has claimed he politely informed a caravan driver that it was illegal for him to be parked in a space reserved for heavy vehicles – only to be asked “Are you a f**king copper?”
Shane Boese told Big Rigs that the incident happened around 9am yesterday morning in Chinderah, NSW.
Boese, who delivers boats Australia-wide for a company called Express Boat Transport, had pulled up at the BP truck stop during a trip from Brisbane to Adelaide.
He was dismayed to see four caravans taking up truck parking spaces and whipped out his phone to get some video evidence, sharing the footage with fellow truckies on Facebook.
“There are four heavy vehicle bays being taken up by caravans and this is just not on,” he said.
“Somebody has got to do something about this.
“Truck drivers need to rest, and this has got to stop.”
Boese said the truck parking bays at BP Chinderah are clearly signposted as “trucks only”, so he does not believe that caravanners are confused.
He revealed that he tried to address the issue with one of the caravan drivers, but was met with a hostile response.
“I was nice and polite, because that’s the type of person I am – I’m not into being aggro or anything like that,” Boese said
“I just said, ‘Do you realise it’s illegal for you to park in a heavy vehicle bay?’
“He said ‘Are you a f**king copper?’
“I said that wasn’t the point, and he just told me to f**k off, gave me the thumbs up and said ‘Have a nice Christmas.’”
Boese said he wanted to share what happened because caravanners taking up truck bays is a recurring problem, especially during the holidays.
“Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day, long weekends…It’s the same issue, time and time again,” he said.
“Outside of the holidays, it’s not as bad, but now on this run to Adelaide, I’m going to find this pretty much all the way along.”
The 62-year-old said he’s previously been fined by the NHVR for going over his hours in his logbook, simply because he hasn’t been able to find a parking spot.
“I was fined $1100 about 18 months ago because I couldn’t get a spot and I ended up going over my 11 hours,” he said.
“It’s so frustrating.”
Another truckie echoed Boese’s sentiments, telling Big Rigs that he passes through Chinderah weekly and recently had to have words with two caravanners hogging truck parking spaces.
Tristan Michel, who lives in Coffs Harbour, said: “It was actually that bad that trucks were starting to queue around the complex and couldn’t get out because of these morons.
“I told them in no uncertain terms to move it or lose it.
“You can bet they moved quick smart.”
Michel added that he’s sick of caravanners having no regard for the fact that truck drivers have to run a logbook with strict rest breaks.
“Those parks are for us, not them.
“They aren’t on a logbook, which I pointed out to the caravanners on this particular day.
“They can find somewhere else to park – we can’t.
“Chinderah obviously isn’t the only place where this happens, but it’s one of the worst.”
Caravan road safety researcher and campaigner Ken Wilson said there needs to be more parking provided for both trucks and long vehicles like caravans and fifth wheelers – but that doesn’t excuse caravanners parking in spots reserved for trucks.
Wilson, who manages the popular Truck Friendly caravan and road safety program, said: “Caravans can park basically anywhere at any time, whereas trucks are very restricted to their hours, with mandatory rest breaks.
“But caravanners also complain that they don’t want to take up five car park bays, so we need spaces for them as well.
“Service stations, councils and governments have got to start providing better parking for all types of vehicles.
“The whole system needs an upgrade.”
Wilson said there can often be confusion around where caravans can park, and what areas are for trucks only.
“If a rest area is for heavy vehicles or fatigue regulated vehicles only, put that on the bloody sign!” he said.
“There’s too much complacency out there.
“The blue sign with the silhouette of a truck – if you look up Queensland signs, that means ‘An area suitable for trucks’ – it doesn’t mean it’s a truck only parking area.
“If we’re going to have designated areas for trucks, let’s have proper signage.”
Wilson said that when it comes to incidents like the one Boese experienced yesterday, sometimes you’ve got to play a little dirty.
“I’ve got no issue with truck drivers blocking a caravan in, in those cases,” he said.
“If you’ve got to take your rest break and you can’t move your truck for the next eight hours, so be it.
“It’s a last resort when there’s nowhere else to park.
“With the Christmas holidays coming up, we’re going to have a lot more truck parking clogged up by once-a-year caravanners who don’t know the etiquette and have no courtesy.”
All in all, Wilson would like to end the “us vs them” mentality between caravanners and truckies, and recommends caravanners get a UHF.
“Get on the radio and talk to the truckies, communicate and help each other on the road.
“Let’s stop all the foul language and aggression on the UHF, with the truckies having a go at the caravanners and the caravanners having a go at the truckies.
“We are road users, and we all want to get to our destination safely.”
What a stupid article. The spaces are clearly for long vehicle which these caravans are. There’s only two types of spaces: car parks and truck parks. The truck parks are for everything that’s too big to fit in the car parks obviously. Truckers need to pull their heads in and plan better – you can expect everywhere you pull up to have a spot just for you because you failed to plan properly. As for the comment about trucks parking-in caravans, how would you like it if caravans start parking over the front of truck parking areas so you can’t leave? You must all have rocks in your head to think that this is a solution.
Your not a very sensible traveller, despite your username.
It clearly shows in the 1st picture that “trucks only” is painted on the concrete at the entrance to the parking bays where the caravans have parked. Also, most rest areas, service stations/truckstops have truck only spaces and car and caravan bays, but caravanners still want to park in the truck parking areas.
no. caravanners need to understand the parks are intended for heavy vehicles. not you and your van.
this location its sign written trucks only.
fines under the nhvl start at 500 bucks per offence. and that could be as simple as a spelling error.
do you have a spare 1000 bucks in the bank at all times?
I’m telling you most drivers don’t.
perhaps the operators of these road houses need to start enforcing thier signage.
and place sinage stating that. this area for comercial heavy vehicles only. all other will be towed at owners expense.
and they can be given the opportunity move your car or it gets towed.
after hours towing is rather expensive towies know how to charge at the best of times.
and the shire councils and dept of main roads can do the same at public rest areas.
we also just simply need more rest areas that are suitable for all vehicles.
block the fucking inconsiderate caravans in for 10 hrs these new breed of caravan of caravan people think there entitaled. us old school who have been towing caravans for 50 plus years have had a gut full of them as well