A Queensland truckie’s Facebook group to help new drivers learn the job “the old school way” is picking up steam, and now has over 500 members.
John Bellam, who has over 30 years of experience behind the wheel, continues to share advice and informative videos on everything from backing up a road train to polishing your wheels.
One of his most recent videos is on hooking and unhooking trailers, where he urges truckies to pay attention to detail.
“My number one rule with hooking and unhooking is, you do it the same way every time – no excuses,” he tells viewers.
“You don’t say ‘I wound the legs down yesterday so I might just do the airlines today.’”
Bellam told Big Rigs that he decided to make this particular video because he often sees truckies on the phone while they are doing the important task.
“I often see people on the phone when they are hooking and unhooking, and you shouldn’t do that because you have to concentrate on what you’re doing.
“Even when my boss is on the phone to me, if we’re having a general conversation, I’ll say ‘Mate, I’ve got to go.’
“But if it’s something important, like the boss is telling me the next loading structure, well then you just stop.
“You don’t do anything, you finish your conversation, and then you go back to what you were doing.”
Bellam said it’s important to share advice with less experienced drivers rather than simply mocking them when they make a mistake.
“You see some posts on Facebook where people make fun of someone who has driven out and forgotten to wind down the legs, and the trailer has dropped.
“It’s not about making fun, it’s about helping people.”
You can join John’s group, Learn the Old School Way, on Facebook.
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