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00:00Music
00:23This week on Rides Down Under, Aussie Truckers, it's all about the ladies.
00:28That's right, you can take a break this week, it's all about the ladies.
00:31We meet Nicole, who heads up the Diesel Doctor business.
00:34This lady can do it all, metal fabrication, welder.
00:38Oh, and did I mention, she's a pole dancer too.
00:41The SAR, chassis and cab get a lick of paint in Don, my dad's favourite colour, red.
00:48We meet Shannon, who heads up the TCB operations and assists Don in running the show.
00:53But first up, we meet Tanya Bodzik, CFMEU shop steward and mother of three boys,
00:59and safety officer on one of Melbourne's biggest building sites.
01:13How I got into the building industry all began back in 2016, probably towards the end of 2015.
01:20I became a newly single mum, three little boys.
01:24Pretty sure the twins would have been about four.
01:26Older son would have been five.
01:28Starting prep, that was probably the hardest thing I've probably ever had to have gone through.
01:34So at that point of time in my life, I hadn't worked for seven years.
01:38Obviously I was a stay-at-home mum, so it was very difficult for me to get back into the workforce.
01:45Clearly I needed to get a job and provide for my three boys.
01:48So my brother is currently in the industry and he got me a kickstart into construction cleaning,
01:54so which is high-rise cleaning.
01:56Had no idea what it involved, what I was doing, let alone really being surrounded by so many people.
02:02I'd been quite isolated for so many years.
02:05Women on building sites can do any job they want, and there's no barrier to any of those jobs on site.
02:11And in fact, we encourage women to take part in all facets of the building game.
02:16Tanya's a great example for any woman who wants to come onto a building site.
02:20Sure, it's daunting, but once you get in there and you prove your bona fides that you're a genuine person,
02:26and, you know, you'll go well.
02:28And she's a perfect example of that.
02:30Someone who turns up, has a go, does a job, you know, universally liked.
02:36I remember the first day was pretty intimidating, seeing so many people.
02:42Obviously it was more males back then.
02:45It took a while for me to overcome that feeling of intimidation.
02:50As time went on and progressed, you know, you got to meet many different people on site,
02:56gain a lot of new friends.
02:58Yeah, just progressed from there and probably spent a fair few years cleaning
03:02until I realised that I don't just want to clean anymore.
03:05You know, there was a lot of things that I'd seen on site that wasn't brought up,
03:09that wasn't, you know, no-one had the voice to speak up about.
03:11And I'm quite a protective person.
03:14I do speak my mind if something's not right.
03:17And I just realised that that's not what I want to be.
03:20I want more out of what I was doing.
03:23We've got lots of opportunities.
03:24We've got lots of women that have changed their lives
03:26coming into the industry, for example,
03:28where they didn't know the segue of how to get into it.
03:30And, you know, you've got someone like Tanya
03:32who's a single mother of three children and all that.
03:34I mean, she's fantastic.
03:36She looks after the members.
03:37She represents them.
03:38She's a fantastic story.
03:39We've got lots of women like Tanya there, you know,
03:41who love the building industry.
03:43And we've come a long way.
03:45Like, we've got this reputation as a Neanderthal industry.
03:48And I've seen on the news they were talking about,
03:50banging on about inequality in the workplace,
03:52how women get paid less than men.
03:54Well, that's not the case in the building industry.
03:55We're one of the few industries where you get paid
03:58exactly the same as the man.
03:59There is no, you know, everyone's treated equally.
04:01You know, I've got a daughter who,
04:03if she ever one day ends up in the building industry,
04:05my job at the moment and the path that we've set is,
04:08she will have no obstacles in her way.
04:10She can do the same as my two sons can.
04:12You know, one of them's already in the industry,
04:14but if the other one ends up in it,
04:15she'll have the same opportunities as them.
04:17And that's what we're doing.
04:18We're opening it up for them to have the same opportunities.
04:21They are good workers.
04:23They're a valuable asset to us.
04:25They are union through and through.
04:27And they are loyal.
04:28And I think it's refreshing to see so many women
04:30and the way it's going.
04:31We've got three female organisers here,
04:33and they do a fantastic job.
04:35Some have had some of the biggest battles of all time
04:37and won every one of them.
04:39They're very efficient.
04:40I go, Jesus, if I ever piss you off,
04:42please give me a heads up.
04:45Having more females in the workplace
04:47has definitely progressed over the years.
04:50When I did first start clean,
04:51there was women that I was working with,
04:54mostly women, more than male in the cleaning industry.
04:58So having more females on site definitely was a bonus,
05:01especially when I started
05:03because you obviously felt more comfortable.
05:05But, yeah, from 2016 to now,
05:08there is a lot more women
05:09and it's fantastic seeing more women on site.
05:11I think as the industry progresses
05:14with having more women on site,
05:16everything just becomes equal.
05:18Like, you know, the industry sees more women on site
05:22and you just become treated as an equal on site.
05:26The girls now are doing rigging, dogging.
05:29They're going for it.
05:30Seeing more women in trades is what I would love to see.
05:33I wish that when I first started in the industry,
05:36I didn't know about getting into any other trade.
05:38I just needed a job.
05:39I didn't know what it involved
05:40or didn't know about becoming a chippy or a plumber
05:43or a sparky, you know,
05:46so I had no idea about what else I could get into
05:49because I didn't know what I liked.
05:51So there's a lot more women doing different roles now
05:54and I think if I could go back in time
05:57from when I first started
05:59and I'd known what was out there,
06:01I definitely would have done a trade.
06:03So I think that it's important for more women
06:06to get into a trade
06:07and have something to back them,
06:09have something behind them.
06:10Girls can do anything that guys can do.
06:13You put your mind to it.
06:14If you like something,
06:15I believe you just go for it.
06:17I first started as cleaning,
06:26then I got onto labouring.
06:27So once I was made redundant through COVID,
06:29it was a difficult time for everyone,
06:31I became a labourer.
06:32And labouring involved using hand tools, drills,
06:38saws, everything.
06:39It was all different sorts of things.
06:42I was shoveling concrete,
06:44I was raking asphalt,
06:46doing anything that I possibly could do.
06:48I felt that I had to prove that I was a hard worker
06:51to be where I am today.
06:53You did feel like you had to prove more
06:56because you were a woman.
06:57And some of the time you felt like,
07:01you know,
07:02you weren't treated as well as you,
07:04you know,
07:05that people would think that you can't do that role
07:07until you can prove them wrong.
07:09And like I said before,
07:10I became, you know,
07:11I was using all the,
07:12all the power tools and things like that.
07:14And I've learnt all that myself.
07:16And I love that.
07:17I felt,
07:18I just felt like I gained that confidence
07:20by doing all those things
07:22and learning all these things.
07:23You know,
07:24the building industry,
07:25it's an endless choices
07:26that you can choose to do,
07:27anything that you want to do
07:28if you put your mind to it.
07:29My last builder that I worked for,
07:31I was nominated
07:32Trader Lady of the Year,
07:33Australia Wide,
07:34which is,
07:35that was like winning bloody a,
07:37a Globie award.
07:39Didn't expect to win or anything,
07:40but just to be nominated by my peers
07:42and to be recognised as a woman
07:44in the building industry,
07:46was,
07:47I'd won already.
07:48So it was,
07:49it was a great experience.
07:51Most definitely anyone can do it.
07:52And if, you know,
07:53the young women are watching,
07:54watching me today
07:55and, you know,
07:56watching this video,
07:57you can do anything you put your mind,
07:59you can do it.
08:00I mean,
08:01I thought that I wouldn't be able to do it,
08:02having,
08:03being a single mum,
08:04having three boys,
08:05working all these hours.
08:06But if you really want something in life
08:08and you're passionate about something,
08:10you can go for it
08:11and, you know,
08:12there's nothing stopping you.
08:13coming up,
08:27we catch up with Nicole,
08:28manager,
08:29welder and fabricator
08:30from Diesel Doctor.
08:31Did I mention,
08:32she's into pole dancing for fitness.
08:34We have some great merchandise here.
08:44In fact,
08:45it's trucking good.
08:46See what I did there?
08:47Yeah,
08:48it's pretty smart.
08:49We have t-shirts,
08:50we have hoodies,
08:51we have bar mats,
08:52caps,
08:53special trucks were built over the years.
08:55I noticed that you've also got the Italian themed one,
08:57showcasing your heritage.
08:59How cool is that?
09:00I absolutely love it.
09:01Plus,
09:02like you said,
09:03every size possible
09:04and I like an oversized hoodie
09:06and I was lucky enough for Don to actually give me one.
09:09Did I?
09:20My dad had three girls
09:21and I think I was his tomboy.
09:24My first recollection of really building something was
09:27when I helped dad put together a whole bunch of fluoro lights
09:30for a pub
09:32and it was just very repetitive,
09:34very starting from scratch
09:36and making every component
09:38and then doing the installation
09:40and it was something a little bit different
09:42but I just loved it.
09:43Dad and I were both probably a little bit crazy.
09:47We tend to sort of push things,
09:51push boundaries pretty hard
09:53but I think we have fun.
09:54We do what we love to do
09:56and I've definitely taken that from my father
09:59and I'm always learning new things,
10:00always trying new things.
10:02So, Dad passed away 22 years ago
10:06and I really hope that he watches me
10:08and he's just like,
10:09that's my girl.
10:10I have been very lucky to have some very influential men in my life
10:16and very supportive men in my life
10:18and I did once remember saying,
10:21I never want to be a truck driver
10:23and the more and more I was in trucks
10:25and around large machinery,
10:27the more and more I wanted to do it.
10:29So, I got given the opportunity from my ex-partner
10:32and he really encouraged me
10:34and he helped me to grow
10:36and yeah, that's sort of how
10:38my love for the things bigger started
10:41and I suppose for me
10:42it was that element of,
10:43it was really scary.
10:45These things were big
10:46and they were dangerous
10:47and you hold a lot of responsibility
10:50when you're operating or driving them
10:52and when you achieve a big day
10:54and you, you know, did great things,
10:57it just made you feel good.
11:04I've got a lot of things that I do in my life.
11:07So, I do have a little farm
11:09where I run sort of 20, 22 head of cattle.
11:13I breed Black Angus.
11:15I also have a couple of horses and some goats.
11:18It was one of those things where
11:20I needed to know.
11:22I just needed to know
11:23and so I thought the only way
11:24you're going to learn is by doing
11:25and that's where I go with everything in life.
11:28I need to know.
11:29I'll just do it.
11:33A couple of years ago,
11:34I got given a 1.7 tonne excavator bucket
11:36and I wanted to turn it into a letterbox
11:39and the only way I could do that
11:41was by welding it
11:43and I didn't know how to weld.
11:44So, probably about three years ago now
11:47and so I thought I'll pick up a welder
11:49and I'll just give it a crack
11:51and they said no.
11:52Someone said to me,
11:53don't MIG weld,
11:54go and learn how to TIG weld
11:56because once you MIG weld,
11:57you'll never TIG.
11:58And so, I spent the last two years TIG welding
12:01and only picked up a MIG welder
12:03sort of seven or eight months ago.
12:05So, yeah, it's sort of been that progress.
12:07I still haven't made my letterbox.
12:09So, I had been driving trucks
12:13for about three years
12:15and I'd got to that stage where my mind was active
12:19but I wasn't learning anything
12:20and I had that skill of welding in my back pocket
12:25and the opportunity came up here at TCB.
12:28So, I couldn't think of a better combination
12:32of me being a truck driver
12:34and also then now having to, you know,
12:37put the pretty shiny stuff on the trucks
12:39but with the knowledge of trucks in the background as well.
12:42I like to tell Don to get out of my shop
12:44when he comes in
12:45only because mostly it's his trucks that are in here.
12:48We have a list of stuff for me to do
12:51and every time he comes in
12:53that list gets longer and longer and longer.
12:55I've thrown all the texters away
12:57and I hope that, you know,
12:58one day he'll just walk in
12:59and go good job and walk out.
13:01But no, he's good fun.
13:03He's very supportive.
13:05He definitely invests in the shop.
13:08He invests in me
13:09and I just, I feel really,
13:11I'm very happy working here.
13:13Maria is adorable.
13:16I have a really good relationship with Maria.
13:19Don and Maria, the combination of the two,
13:21they make working here a lot of fun.
13:23Maria said to me a little while ago,
13:26she said,
13:27I just want this to be a place
13:29where people want to be
13:31and I want to make it that,
13:33that's the environment I want to create for my employees.
13:36And when she said that to me,
13:37my respect for her
13:39and for this company grew a lot.
13:41But it wasn't just that she said it,
13:43it's that there's actions
13:45and there's processes
13:48that are all aligning with what she said.
13:51Yes, I have four beautiful kids.
13:55I have a 20 year old,
13:5719 year old,
13:5815 year old,
13:5914 year old.
14:00They are very self efficient,
14:02which I am very grateful for.
14:05So it's,
14:06but it is hard because I do spend 10 hours here a day,
14:09most days.
14:10So, but we manage,
14:11we manage at home
14:12and we also manage to spend time together.
14:15We do lots of sports together.
14:16Yeah.
14:17It's just,
14:18sometimes I feel like I'm doing the wrong thing,
14:21but ultimately my job is to be their mother
14:24and I can't be their mother unless I can provide for them.
14:27And I feel like if I'm doing what I love
14:29while I provide for them,
14:30it's a win win.
14:34I believe that,
14:35you know,
14:36in order to do any job effectively,
14:37you've got to maintain your health.
14:39Health and fitness has always meant a lot to me.
14:42I eat well.
14:43I run two,
14:44three times a week over summer.
14:46It's even more.
14:47I'm also a dancer.
14:49So I do pole fitness and I do hoops or a lira.
14:53So yeah,
14:54I'm very active in terms of keeping strong and fit and agile
14:59because I do have to get in and around and under that truck.
15:02So when you come to pole divas or think about it,
15:05I think one of my most commonly asked questions is,
15:08I just need to get strong or fit before I start.
15:11But I always say the hardest thing is opening the front door
15:14because once you get in here,
15:15everything's quite easy from there.
15:17Yeah.
15:18So it's fitness in a fun way.
15:19We have fun lights,
15:21cool music.
15:22So you almost feel like you're entering this nightclub environment
15:25to have to do your exercise class.
15:28I always get alerted of some people that the girls really gel to straight away.
15:33And I'd heard all about Nicole through her vibrant personality
15:37and a vibe that she brings to the studio and including everyone immediately.
15:44I feel like things just work out for me.
15:46And I feel like this future, the future here and at TCB,
15:51it's only going to get bigger and better.
15:53And I'm excited about it because Don's excited about it
15:57and he's investing in it, continuously investing in it.
16:00And the stuff that we are now producing is, you know,
16:05it's first off, first kind.
16:07We've done stuff that I've never seen before,
16:09which, you know, maybe it has been done,
16:11but it's new to me and it looks good.
16:13So I'm hoping that we'll be able to replicate stuff
16:16and open up a store and there are plans for all kinds of things.
16:30Next up, TCB operates 24-7, 365 days a year.
16:34We catch up with Shannon, Operations Manager,
16:37as a last-minute, urgent delivery comes in.
16:47Can you imagine winning the bike of your dreams?
16:49Cam from SNAZ, we love giving away dirt bikes and motorsport gear.
16:53So go to snaz.com.au or scan the QR code in the corner of the screen
16:57and check out some of our crazy, crazy giveaways.
17:07The Flight Centre and Management
17:22My role here at TCB is Operations Manager.
17:23Essentially, I run all the daily bookings
17:24for both local and interstate jobs.
17:27They're travelling 24-7 here, so essentially I get a call at any time of the day, very
17:32early in the morning, very late at night.
17:34We find out what the job is, where it's going, what trailer they might need and essentially
17:41it's just trying to manage what equipment we have, what drivers we have available and
17:45where we can send them out.
17:46So for example, if I've got a customer calls, they've got some concrete panels, we look
17:51at the sizing, we suit a trailer with an available frame, we get them to go load, we get them
17:57to go out, we manage them via tracking and essentially phone calls throughout the day.
18:02We've got live tracking in all of our trucks, so at any point of the day I can see where
18:06they are, where they're travelling, if I see that they're maybe not where they're supposed
18:09to be or there's dramas, I can give them a call, find out if there's issues with trucks
18:14or issues on site.
18:15My phone's always on all day long, I get many phone calls so it's just sort of managing
18:20it as it comes.
18:22Hey Bobby, how you going?
18:23Good mate, can you give me Cassie's phone number mate?
18:26This truck's running hot.
18:27You're up in Donnybrook.
18:28Yep.
18:29I checked all the coolant and I've done all the oil and everything this morning.
18:34Yep.
18:35I've done everything I can but right now I've got it over and over and it's only sitting
18:38up on about 100 where it's supposed to sit but when I'm driving, the minute I put
18:42the accelerator up a hill, it just goes straight into the red.
18:46Yeah, okay.
18:47Alright, he's in the workshop at the moment so he should answer.
18:49Okay, thanks Luke.
18:50Alright, thanks.
18:51Some common issues that can happen on site or throughout the day in general, you get broken
18:56down trucks, major minor issues, might need a call out from our mechanic or sometimes
19:01the drivers just can fix it themselves and if you walk them through it.
19:04It could be tyre punctures on the trailers or the trucks themselves.
19:08Sites could be flooded or when you get bad weather with the wind and rain, they could
19:12just get called off depending on who's managing it.
19:16So Maria is a wonderful boss and person.
19:21She looks after all the accounts, HR, so whenever there's conflict between drivers and you know,
19:28it's not something that I can particularly deal with myself if they get a bit too heated
19:31or there's issues like that, she's very good at just dissolving those problems.
19:35But both Don and Maria are wonderful people, great to work with and you know, I wouldn't
19:39really be anywhere else.
19:40They're great here.
19:46Don is a very proud man when it comes to his business.
19:49He definitely advertises it very well in the state of his trucks.
19:53You know, he goes all out with his lights and the bling and the stainless.
19:57All of our drivers take care of their trucks very well and I think it really shows because
20:02the amount of calls we get to go, look, I saw your truck on the road, it looks unreal.
20:06And you know, I think that speaks a lot of volume for TCB and Don and itself.
20:10When it comes to making our trucks and blinging them out, we've got Nicole down in Diesel Doctor
20:15and I think it's absolutely fabulous having another girl in there, you know, girl power.
20:19She does a fabulous job and she's so enthusiastic about it, she's so talented and I think having
20:24you know, that woman on the force is just awesome and she's so proud of what she does
20:28and gets so excited and you know, she'll call me down to come look at certain aspects of new trucks
20:33and it's just unreal to see the work that she can physically do.
20:37I mean, it's very different to what I do here in the office and it's awesome to see it come to life
20:42from her little ideas.
20:45I've got a brand new T360, beautiful beast of a truck and I'm very excited to have my way with it.
21:02Don comes in, he's got a big list and sometimes he knows what he wants and sometimes he's undecided
21:07but we walk around the truck and he just comes up with ideas as he goes along
21:12and so far we've got a little list of things that he wants done to it.
21:17I need to hide the text now because he keeps coming in and he keeps adding to it but it's all good fun
21:23and it's going to look great once it's done.
21:25So it is a brand new truck and obviously working with stainless steel we're going to try and add a little bit of shiny elements to it.
21:40So it'll be a lot of tank skirts, we've got lots of lights going in, we've got grill designs.
21:47It's all very custom made, some new toolboxes, some step lights, you know, all of that stuff.
21:53Yeah, it gets the pin striping done, it really complements the stainless steel but it also makes all the trucks look like they all belong to the same people.
22:03So yeah, it works well.
22:04I try to keep Don on a budget but that doesn't always work
22:19so at the moment I'm just purchasing some of the stuff and we're planning some stuff at the moment
22:24but I think the first thing that we're going to try and get done will be the tank skirts.
22:27They are pretty simple and straightforward, easy to get on and they have a big impact
22:32so at least that way then Don feels like there's lots of work getting done on his truck, which there is.
22:37But I've got a lot of trailer repairs to do so I'm out there welding up some toolboxes on the bottom of trailers.
22:55We're fortunate enough that we can make a lot of our own thing in terms of we make our own brackets
23:01and supports for the stuff that we use on the trucks but there are a few things that we do need to buy in
23:07and there can be in excess of two or three weeks' wait.
23:10Certain things like the reverse camera, finding labour and people to come in and install that, it takes time.
23:16So we want to get this done as soon as possible because obviously the truck needs to be out earning money.
23:22I'm used to Don changing his mind and to be fair, it makes me excited as well.
23:29I think I'm just as bad as him sometimes.
23:31I come up with ideas and I'm like, well, I just want to make that work.
23:34How do we make this work?
23:36But Don's ideas give me ideas and it makes me want to be here even more.
23:41Up next, we see Don's new truck build which is named Increase the Pressure and the pressure is on Lou to do a perfect job as the SAR hits the spray booth.
24:07Hi, I'm Colin. If you're looking for tyres, mechanical service or just general advice, come on down to Moonee Pons Tyres.
24:19We offer a full range of servicing from tyres to brakes to all sorts of general mechanical repairs.
24:25Every vehicle will get an inspection to make sure the vehicle is safe.
24:28In terms of tyres, we do a large range of tyres from the smallest lawnmower tyre right the way up to the largest earthmover tyre.
24:35We do wheel alignments, we do batteries.
24:37Any time you need any tyres, just come and see us.
24:40So it's morning we're at Gleeson Cranes. The SAR's here to get a makeover paint job.
24:45So gonna start painting the chassis. They're still preparing, run a little bit behind but we'll get there.
24:54So this SAR we bought at an auction. I always had the vision of this truck to do it a full makeover, go to full resto.
25:01So a couple of ideas in my head. So when I saw it, I thought, that's the one. So we bought it, purchased it, brought it back to Danong, stripped it.
25:08Now it's at the stage of painting. So hopefully we'll get it out of here and start putting everything together.
25:15So this truck here, we thought we'd do a couple of things different. So I've got a lot of parts coming from the US which will arrive soon.
25:22And, you know, different things like bumper bars and have rams on it, airbag front end.
25:28Just, just, I don't want to give away too much at the moment, but it'll be a little bit different.
25:33Gleeson's has been operating in Australia for over 50 years. They sell quality cranes at an affordable price.
25:38They're the certified dealer of Zoom Lion. Gleeson's started the machinery painting side of things because they found it hard to get out of here.
25:43So this truck here, we thought we'd do a couple of things different.
25:46So I've got a lot of parts coming from the US which will arrive soon and, you know, different things like bumper bars and have rams on it, airbag front end.
25:52Just, I don't want to give away too much at the moment, but it'll be a little bit different.
25:57We've found it hard to get cranes painted over this side of the city.
26:00Not many people have the kind of booth that we have, big truck booth.
26:04And truck places don't really do them. They've got all their trucks they've got to worry about.
26:08So we've decided to use machinery painting and anything that's a machine, we can paint.
26:14From forklifts to scissor lifts to your big 150 ton crane.
26:19So today we're focusing on getting the chassis ready to paint.
26:22We mask off the airbags because they're rubber and the paint will just come off that
26:26and where the wheel nuts go.
26:28Because if the paint gets in there, it might play with the strengthening of the wheel nut.
26:32Obviously mask off the cabin and then mask off anything that doesn't need to be painted.
26:36So everything can go back together perfectly.
26:38For this particular one we're doing a base coat.
26:40So we'll cover the whole thing with the base, the base red.
26:43And then once that's all nice and done, we'll use the clear to let it all pop up and shine.
26:48And that takes care of most of the paint work, you know.
26:51Getting the colour on is easy, but getting the clear coat, that's the tricky part.
26:55Luckily we know what we're doing.
26:57For a bloke like Donnie and the company he has, we've got to make sure that everything is perfect.
27:01Because he's got a name to uphold and we want to make sure that he doesn't get discredited
27:07for something that looks crappy in a way.
27:10So we've got to make it look perfect and do everything in our power to make it schmick.
27:16With the chassis we've got here, there's all the hoses, all the lines underneath.
27:21And make sure you're getting everywhere.
27:23It's going to take probably about four and a half hours to paint that chassis by myself.
27:28Getting in all the weird spots that you can't really get to, it's a very fine art in a way.
27:33For Donnie, I'd love to help out a bloke like that with such a massive company.
27:37TCB, you know, we take care of business.
27:39I want to get this done for him and hopefully Lou will be back to paint the cab.
27:43If not, it'll probably be up to me again so I'll have to pull up my A game again.
27:55We've pulled Don's SAR apart, taken all the accessories off, all the hardware that doesn't get painted.
28:02We've done some repairs, got it all in primer, rubbed all the primer and we're just about ready to put some colour on it.
28:08We've gone clear over base.
28:12Once it's all primed and rubbed, we lay the colour on and then we put the clear coat over the top which gives its gloss.
28:23And hopefully it'll look a million dollars like Don's fleet.
28:27We put four coats of colour and we put about three coats of clear on it.
28:32It'll last as long as Don looks after it.
28:34I actually, yeah, I'm a classic car guy but I actually started my apprenticeship on trucks.
28:39I've done ten years of it before I went into the cars.
28:42I just love doing them, just striping and all that.
28:46It is a bit of a challenge getting around them but with all the scaffolding and that we're pretty right.
28:52The truck has come up a million dollars.
28:54Don will be wrapped when he sees it and he'll be itching to get it on the road.
28:59Coming up, we take delivery on the Kenworth T360 from Hallam Truck Centre.
29:09Of course, Don has big plans for this new addition to the Selection Steel fleet.
29:14Here in Forbes Machinery House are your Aussie-owned one-stop shop for everything workshop machinery.
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30:11Our staff are trade qualified and can provide you with the right advice.
30:15When you purchase a machine from Hare and Forbes Machinery House,
30:18it's not just a sale, it's a partnership.
30:21So currently I have a T360, it's one of Don's new trucks that he's got.
30:35We've got a lot of things to do on it.
30:50When it's finished, it's going to be a head turner.
30:52I'm very excited to sort of see that end product.
30:54I'm more excited to be a part of this process.
30:57Starting from the back of the truck, I've put some lighting in behind the TCB
31:02because obviously Don loves lights.
31:04I think lights make a truck shine.
31:06So we've got a little bit of lighting going in.
31:09So at the very end of the process of putting these covers on the back of this bar,
31:14we've done our welding, we've installed our lights.
31:18Jake, you want to come and give me a hand?
31:21We'll do the nuts up just so that the button's at the bottom.
31:27Don is so particular about what he wants on these trucks.
31:30I have a lot of templates so I can understand and get into his mind
31:34what it is that he wants exactly so I can then get his perspective on the overall outcome.
31:41So these are the templates that I showed Don when we were deciding on which tank skirts
31:46to go with for this particular tank.
31:49He decided on this design.
31:51However, it was quite a chunky look.
31:54So we did seam line it a little bit.
31:57You'll see that this is the skirt that we've made.
32:00It's a little bit more simple than this larger one here.
32:06But when it's actually on, it looks, once it's got its lights,
32:10it looks like it's supposed to be there.
32:12And that was Don's vision for this the whole time.
32:15So these are the step trims for the driver's side.
32:20Normally with the step trims, you just have them sitting underneath the step itself
32:25with a row of lights.
32:26But Don wanted to be unique and a little bit different.
32:30So the step trims that I've made here will fit there.
32:36But you've noticed that there's a cutout and a notch so that it actually aligns
32:39with the end of the step itself, which is a nice little, a nice little look,
32:44a nice little feature on both sides.
32:46The second step though, Don wanted to carry the arch of the mud guard.
32:54So we've designed it.
32:58That'll fit in there.
32:59And it's notched out so that it actually fits within sort of four,
33:04five mil of the wheel arch itself.
33:07There's no movement here.
33:08So it's pretty safe in terms of the functionality of it.
33:11But it looks good.
33:13The top step, he also wanted to make sure that it fit with the wheel arch.
33:17This is where I was a little bit sceptical.
33:19I didn't know if this was going to look any good.
33:22I just went through with the design process.
33:25It's one of those things, trial and error, to make it fit.
33:28We're in the same scenario.
33:29We're about four mil off the mud guard there.
33:32We're sitting flush on the step.
33:34And I think it looks amazing.
33:36So at the front of the truck, we've got a swing plate with some TCB mud flaps
33:41that have gone in as well.
33:43We've got a custom design grill that's being put in.
33:46It's going to have lighting that shines in and around it.
33:49Same with the two grills on the side of the bonnet.
33:51They're going to have the same lighting and the same effects going through.
33:54We're going to do an underglow throughout the whole body of the truck.
33:58Got a new toolbox going in.
34:00We've got pearl craft coming and doing some, you know, changing the grab handles
34:05and just doing some modifications to the inside of the truck.
34:08So as much as I just do fabrication, I also sort of project manage these things for Don as well.
34:15So I've managed the stacks I've brought in, the visors I've brought in,
34:20there's just bug deflector, all those things which, you know, I don't make, I don't need to make,
34:26that, you know, I just manage for Don.
34:28I'm also very particular. I like things to be done properly.
34:36If I've got a roll of lights, I like them to be in line.
34:39I like to use button heads throughout.
34:41So there's just a few little bits and pieces where I think I pay attention to detail,
34:45but it might take me a little bit longer.
34:47But this is why I'm more excited about this truck as well, because I know it's all me.
34:51There's the long lonely days in this shop. We need welders, obviously, we really do need welders.
34:57But if you're interested, come and have a play in the shop. I mean, you won't be upset.
35:03The stuff that we have here is amazing. So much fun.
35:07Coming up, proud CFMEU member Tanya Bodzik gives us a personal tour on her building site
35:19and shows us what it takes so every worker can go home safe.
35:23So my day starts basically from about 3.50am is when the alarm goes off.
35:39For me personally, from the very beginning, like when I went through my divorce and things,
35:44I was into exercise and I think that was a real stress reliever for me.
35:48So I'm very much about routine. Routine keeps me on track. It keeps my mental health right.
35:55It keeps my physical ability to be my role. It all comes back to that.
36:01So I start at 3.50am, alarm goes off, wake up, quick shower, head straight to the gym.
36:07Or if I'm running late, I train at home so I have everything I need at home, do my quick workout.
36:14And that makes me feel, that kick starts my day. I feel like Rocky after that.
36:18Shower, come downstairs, make my kids lunches fresh every morning.
36:22I always said to myself, I don't like eating a soggy sandwich from the night before, so I make that fresh.
36:27Leave home for work probably about 5 o'clock in the morning.
36:29Get to work by 6, have my first coffee.
36:33And then head out into the job site and make sure I do my walk before all my members head out on site.
36:39My three boys, so Mike and Tommy are twins, they're 12. Jake's just turned 14, sometimes turning 40.
36:47They're very self-sufficient now but I've taught them to be that way.
36:50So I have had a carer, a nanny since they were 5.
36:53So overall in the last 7, 8 years I've spent about $50,000 on carers.
36:59Which I think for me I'd spend a hundred times more if I am in the position that I am today.
37:05So now that they're at this age, yes it is a bit frustrating when they do fry eggs and splash oil over my splash back.
37:12But I let them go because it teaches them to be, you know, independent.
37:16So now they catch the school bus, I've finally gotten to the stage where I don't have to have a nanny,
37:21I don't have to have anyone taking them to school.
37:24They catch the bus now which is at the end of my street and then they catch the bus home.
37:28So it's such a reliever, stressful even knowing that I don't have to rely on anyone anymore.
37:37One of the great things about being a CFMU member is our training unit.
37:43We have a number amount of courses that you can choose from to do and be whatever you want to be.
37:49And that's all through our CFMU training unit and it's an excellent place for you to learn.
37:55To do a number of courses, whatever you choose to do.
37:58I'm still going to progress this year and do a few more courses.
38:01So if you are one of our members, a CFMU member, you can choose a course from there and go on from there.
38:07And you can have as many tickets as you like.
38:09So you need your white card to work on site.
38:12So once you've got your white card, you can progress from there.
38:15I've did a number amount of courses just to learn, you know, education and knowledge is the key.
38:21So to educate myself.
38:22And I mean it is quite hard to, you know, all these years later going back to school and learning.
38:28But our training unit is, it's excellent.
38:31The teachers are fantastic there so they make things easy for you to learn.
38:34And it's a great thing to have behind you.
38:36It's not just having your white card, you know, getting your traffic ticket, you know, your Alimac ticket.
38:41Your first aid ticket.
38:44All these, all these tickets.
38:45The more tickets you have, the more employable that you are.
38:48And it benefits yourself for your resume into anything that you want to be.
38:52Sometimes people come into the union office and ask for, look, I want to get a job.
38:59Some it's through who you know, someone knows someone.
39:01How did you get me a job?
39:02We're going to have a women's support centre in the building that's been built next door.
39:05Because what we've realised is a lot of women that want to get in the industry, unless they know someone, how do they do it?
39:10So they're going to be able to go to the women's support centre and put their names in and say, look, I'm so-and-so.
39:15I'd like to have a career in the building industry.
39:17We've got clauses in our EBA for job sharing.
39:20So a woman whose kids are already grown up can start early in the morning.
39:24And the other woman can then still get up, get her kids dressed, take them to school and then go to work.
39:30You know, because there's a lot of after care centres at school, not many before care centres.
39:33So we've done that clause in there for more women to make it accessible for them to start their career in a building site.
39:39And they can become, you know, we've got women as crane drivers.
39:42We've got them working as doggies, forklift drivers driving the Alley Mack, shop stewards.
39:47Anything a man can do, the woman can do.
39:49And in a lot of cases better.
39:54So my current role is a health and safety representative on site.
40:03So I look after all my members, make sure all the health and safety needs are met.
40:08Making sure I walk my job, making sure it's safe.
40:11Making sure that everyone goes home at the end of the day is very important to me.
40:15I'm very protective of my members.
40:17I'm the first person on site.
40:19Before anyone starts, I like to do my walk and make sure that the job is safe.
40:23And I'm the last person to leave.
40:25So I check every corner, make sure there's no one left in my job before I leave the building.
40:30The most things that I encounter on a daily, day-to-day basis with being a health and safety representative,
40:36people do get complacent.
40:37And so it's very important that I'm constantly walking my job and picking up these things
40:42because people forget they're in a rush.
40:45They're being pushed to hurry up and finish the job.
40:47They need to just take a step back and think before they act about potentially causing harm,
40:54not only to themselves but to their co-workers around them.
40:58So it's very important that I walk my job and make sure that I remind each and every one of them,
41:03you know, the standards that we set on site.
41:06So I make sure that I'm constantly walking around.
41:09You know, every morning I greet my members.
41:11You know, the majority know them mostly by name.
41:14So they're aware that, you know, I am always around.
41:17They can always come to me for anything.
41:25Making sure that your members see you walking the job.
41:28They know that you're walking the job.
41:30And having that relationship, you build that relationship over time.
41:34So it's great being on my job from the very beginning till now to the end.
41:38So I form that relationship with them.
41:40So no one gets upset when I say,
41:42oh, can you put your helmet on or can you do this or have you done that?
41:45There's not one person on site that I've had an argument with
41:49or they've, you know, gotten upset about not being told to be safe.
41:55The usual building site works four ten-hour days and two eight-hour days.
41:59So a total of 56 hours a week.
42:01That takes it out of you.
42:03And the rewards are many, especially now that we have double time for all overtime.
42:08So our members enjoy that.
42:10And what that does is that also creates, makes the job go a lot quicker.
42:14And therefore the developer is happier.
42:16He gets his building on time a lot quicker than he would have normally.
42:20And so everyone's happy.
42:22The rewards of being in this industry is, yes, you work very long hours.
42:27But it's rewarding.
42:28We work hard as construction workers.
42:30You know, some people think otherwise.
42:32But I work nearly 60 hours a week sometimes, if not more.
42:3560 hours a week and having your home life.
42:38The rewards are you're getting your wage every week.
42:41And if it wasn't for this industry, being part of this industry, I wouldn't own a home.
42:46You know, I wouldn't be providing for my three kids.
42:49The industry has given me all that.
42:51And it's got your back.
42:52You work hard, it doesn't go unnoticed.
42:54And I knew that if I worked hard in this industry, and yes, I got a kickstart from my brother.
42:59But I knew if I worked hard, I want to be known for my hard work ethic.
43:04And I knew that if I worked hard, that I would get somewhere.
43:07And I didn't stop.
43:08I didn't quit.
43:09There was a lot of setbacks, yes.
43:11But I just kept moving forward to being in the position where I am today.
43:14And I've said it before, I feel like I've won Tats Lotto.
43:17I've finally worked hard and it's been recognised as to where I am today in life.
43:23Next week, on Rides Down Under, Aussie Truckers.
43:41We check in with the CFMEU Blue Hat member about mental health in the workplace.
43:47We meet Howard, who heads up TCB Trans Brisbane.
43:50The crew at ICR Steel Fabrications have an early morning delivery as part of their factory build in Pakenham.
43:57Don has another project on the go.
43:59This time, it's his huge man cave.
44:01This will be a place for the TCB crew to hang out, grab a coffee and check out Don's collection of classic cars and collectibles.
44:09All that and more next time on Rides Down Under, Aussie Truckers.
44:14Our crew stays at Quality Hotel Robertson Gardens, Brisbane.
44:20This program is produced by Fuzzy Media.
44:27This program is produced by Fuzzy Media.
44:29Fuzzy Media.
44:30Theger Pedicions
44:31for the ICR Team.
44:36This program is produced by Fuzzy Sw Virgin for Dis�� Leave.
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