Caravan driver's simple act on Aussie highway praised by truckie: 'That's how it's done'
Dashcam has captured the moment a caravanner contacted a truck driver on his radio to assure him it was safe to overtake with the simple moment going viral.
A caravanner’s very “considerate” act on a long, flat stretch of highway has been praised, with Aussies urging travellers to “always do this” when sightseeing around the country.
A truck driver named Ben captured the kind gesture on video while driving on the remote road last week. Footage shows the truckie trailing behind the caravan on the two-lane highway for just a moment before the traveller ahead contacts him on his ultra high frequency (UHF) radio.
“Just let us know when you want to go and we’ll back down ok,” the van driver says to Ben after telling him he can overtake.
“Good on you mate, much appreciated,” the truckie responds before inching to the side of the lane to make sure no drivers were coming in the opposite direction. After waiting for two cars to pass, the caravanner slows his speed so the large truck can go around.
“Good on you mate, you have a good day. Thanks very much for that,” Ben tells the thoughtful van driver. “That’s all we love, we love caravan drivers, truck drivers, communicating like that. It’s not that hard.”
The clip, which has been viewed by almost two million people online, is a prime example of how road users should behave, Aussies have exclaimed.
“Isn’t life easier when road users just use common sense,” one person said, while another said all caravanners who don’t have a UHF radio “need to get one” and “do what this driver did”.
“Trucks have a strict schedule, caravanners don’t. It’s that simple,” they added. “That’s how it’s done!” someone else said.
And experts agree.
Communication between caravanners and truckies 'highly recommended'
Gary Gardiner from Total Towing Setups told Yahoo News Australia he “highly recommends” travellers use UHF radios, particularly when driving on highways.
“The last thing you want is a truck driver sitting right up the tailgate of a caravan for kilometre after kilometre, and then he takes an unnecessary risk because he can’t communicate with the caravan,” he said, adding this could prompt truckies to “overtake on a shorter” lane.
“Or maybe the caravaner doesn’t know what [the truck driver] is actually doing so he might tend to speed up because he thinks there’s an issue.
“You’re talking about a truck driver who is on a bit of a mission to get his work done for the day and a caravanner who is generally just cruising along at a slower speed, taking their time.”
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Caravan traveller says UHF radios are essential on the road
Gaye, 70, who travels full-time in her motorhome while working from the road says a UHF radio is one of two essential items all caravaners should have for their travels, along with a personal locator beacon.
“There’s two things people really need if they’re going to travel — one is a UHF in their car,” she told Yahoo News. “I’ve been in touch with so many other travellers and truck drivers to say what the road conditions are up ahead and help them around road trains and things like that.”
Gaye said there is a dedicated radio channel for caravaners, and of course one for truck divers, which she typically stays on “because the truck drivers know more about what’s going on than anyone” on the road.
“I’ve been behind trucks as well and just said to them, ‘I’m behind you, can you let me know when it’s clear?’ and they’ll get me around them when it’s safe to do so.
“Or if they’re behind me I’ll just call them up and let them know that I know they’re there and once they pull out, I’ll slow down and get them around quicker.”
It can also come in handy if there is something going wrong with your vehicle that you can’t see while driving, she added.
“Once I lost the aerial off the top off my camper and a caravan behind me let me know it had blown off.”
Gaye said it’s “really nice” to be able to communicate with others on Australia’s expansive road network. “It makes you feel good to know that even though you’re alone, you’re not alone,” she told Yahoo.
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