‹ Back

Excerpt from Kalari Chapter

Fire!

Robbie got a new Kenworth prime mover, coupled to his regular tankers. I stepped into a new complete road train with all air suspension. Every group sported Air-Weigh electronic scales which made loading - at Mataranka for example - so easy. No running back and forth to the weighbridge and trimming the load as I’d been stuck with doing on steel suspension for the past nine years.

The Air-Weigh comprised a series of minicomputer units with 10cm x 7.5cm digital displays, located adjacent to each axle group. They were powered by turning on the park lights, with the info passing back along the live park light wire for accessing at the cab unit if required. The understanding of that last bit was beyond me, but it was efficient, accurate and easy to master.

The Air-Weigh was supplied by a Sydney outfit, the name of which escapes me. They sent a likeable lad (whose name I also can’t recall), who was proudly and obviously of Croatian descent, to Darwin to fit the scales. He was competent and driven; perhaps a little too driven! His favourite catchphrase was ‘I’m on fire, Sir!’ He arrived in Darwin on Saturday’s 10am flight, picked up his hire car, and was in Western Diesel’s workshop by 11am. Sure enough, there was Kalari’s new Kenworth. He got straight onto it; he was ‘on fire!’

Of the two identical prime movers Kalari had ordered, only one of them, fleet 0560, was due to be fitted with Air-Weighs. The other, 0561, would have an air gauge behind the cab for loading - the same as fitted to its trailers - with a separate mechanical gauge for each axle group. My allocated prime mover, Fleet 0560 (technically the ‘first’ one of the two, with the lowest chassis number) was down the road at Tristar having the lazy axle fitted. Robbie’s 0561 was the truck at WD’s premises. I don’t know how, but no one from WD knew our guy was there until noon when they were closing for the day, by which time the job was virtually completed - including putting a hole in the dash for the display. Some red faces at WD that day!

I got an apologetic but unnecessary call from Dave Shaw, Kalari’s SA Fleet Engineer, to say that I would have to be reallocated 0561. The installation operative probably got a telling off and a suggestion to calm down a little, but if he did, I saw no evidence of it having dimmed his enthusiasm!

The ‘Fire Man’ had Sunday off. On Monday he arrived at the NCL yard - where our trucks were based when in Darwin - and began to fit up the tankers and dollies. I was there to provide NCL Site Security Escort for him, and any assistance required. By midafternoon the Fire Man and I, having Caught Fire numerous times, were just installing the last weigh unit when Pete Allenson pulled into the yard after finishing his deliveries for the day. ‘Old Pete’ as we knew him, was engaged as a local delivery driver when Titan took over as NCL’s transport provider; after the departure of Titan’s original Darwin yard manager, Jan Bennett, Old Pete took on that role as well. Pete, by this time pushing 70, was a former owner-driver general carrier and ex Esso fuel tanker driver of many years’ experience. After parking up, Pete saunters over (with that swagger particular to fuel company drivers) and mutters “Yeah, how’s it going?”.

The tech shoots out from under the dolly and excitedly replies, “I’m On Fire, Sir!”. I knew it was coming and managed to keep a straight face, but it caught Pete totally off guard and stopped him in his tracks. With a somewhat startled look on his face and a questioning glance at me, he reversed his direction of travel and retreated to the office.

End of Kalari Excerpt