Best Australian Trucking Stories by Jim Haynes

Reading a very interesting book about the Best Australian Trucking Stories by Jim Haynes

The Book is about period stories and how integral trucks were a part of OutBack Australia. The Book lives up to it’s tittle and is full of Interesting and crazy Truckie stories.

One thing I learnt of in this is about the AEC Road Train, the first one that replaced the the Camel Caravans along the central desert. Interesting lesson in Economics there.

The introduction of the AEC Road train caused a 50% drop in the price of the freight hauled by the old animal driven Caravans, This machine is credited with keeping the supplies going to much of central Australia after Darwin was lost in WW2. Interesting Army truck modelled on heavy duty military equipment.

Here’s a Video of the AEC Truck in Action, it was designed like an elephant. Not only in size but in the fact that each of it’s rear wheels go strictly over land passed by the front wheel. An Elephant’s Hind Legs always step exactly where it’s front legs have stepped.

There was another economics lesson in the book about vested interests and levies and taxes. Historically the respective State Governments imposing road taxes for movement of goods across the state borders and penalised transport companies for these taxes. These road taxes were imposed to protect the monopoly of the state owned rail corporations. Thankfully can’t imagine them now, Crazy times indeed…

The book gave me a good appreciation of the role trucks played in the development of Australia.

Have you come across a Jerk Truckie, well I thought I had now when I read the book here and read some Road Safety tips about sharing the road with trucks, I have a finer understanding of the other perspective.

Remember almost All Truck Drivers are Car Drivers, not many Car Drivers have Driven Trucks. Found this site run by which gives some practical tips about safely sharing the road with large trucks.

Check out Truck Right for Safety Tips on Sharing the Road

Also gave me new Appreciation for the Do Not Overtake While Turning Signs.