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00:00This week on Rides Down Under,
00:29Aussie Truckers. Work continues on the SAR project.
00:34Jesse and the boys start building this massive 550-horsepower Cummings engine.
00:40It's an early morning start for Don and the crew,
00:43as they take another wide-load delivery, this time from Berwick Fabrications in Dandenong to Tourac.
00:50TCB head to the Victorian Drag Boat Club Championship with Rocky Princey
00:54and check out his top alcohol hydro drag boat.
00:58For an action-packed day by the water.
01:01First up, Don stops in at the CFMEU Training and Education Centre
01:05to check out their world-class training facility.
01:09Well, the CFMEU is a construction union predominantly.
01:23We're the biggest construction union in Australia,
01:25and we represent all the way from traffic controllers, crane drivers, crane crews.
01:30It's all predominantly to do with the construction industry and the supply chain.
01:33Trucks supply everything that goes on the building side.
01:37Whether it be concrete, whether it be delivery of steel, pre-cast panels,
01:41everything comes via transport, comes on the building side.
01:44So the two are interconnected.
01:46So like I've said, if the transport stops, that's it.
01:49No material's coming in, so it's pretty important.
01:51And some of the loads you see some of these trucks cut.
01:54Let me tell you, I'll take my hat off to some of their drivers
01:56and the way they take some of them curves and they turn around
01:59and what they do and securing their loads and they come on there.
02:03They've got to work together with the crane crew and a lot of the site.
02:05They interact with them on how to get the load off safely and all that.
02:08So it is fantastic.
02:10And I'll tell you what, in some of the trucks you see,
02:11hey, pretty sexy trucks, let me tell you.
02:14Sometimes people come into the union office,
02:16look, I want to get a job.
02:17Some it's through who you know.
02:18Someone knows someone, how did you get me a job?
02:20They'll get told what they've got to do,
02:22where they've got to get their white car done,
02:24where the training's got to happen.
02:25They sort of obviously tell us what they'd like to do,
02:28where they'd like to start.
02:30Some want to just work as labourers.
02:31Some would like, I want to drive that crane.
02:33We'll say, hang on a second, there's a career path to that.
02:34We've got a training centre in Port Melbourne, which is fantastic.
02:37It's a state-of-the-art training centre
02:38where you can get your crane driver's ticket,
02:41you can get your doggie's ticket, you can scaffolding.
02:43How to drive an Allymac, their internal lifts on the building site.
02:46Any ticket virtually they want,
02:48they can go to our training centre
02:49and they can get their ticket, they'll be trained
02:51and it doesn't cost them anything
02:52and that's where they get their skill set from.
03:02So my name's Greg Sansom,
03:03I work for CFMEU Education and Training.
03:06I'm a senior trainer teaching mostly rigging and cranes.
03:11I love working and it is very rewarding
03:13and I get to see so many different students
03:15from all different walks of life
03:16that want to get into the construction industry.
03:19It's nice that there's a lot of females
03:20now coming into our industry as well.
03:23It's probably still about 80-20 with the girls
03:26but it's getting better and better.
03:28But it is extremely rewarding when they pass
03:30and they're usually pretty happy
03:32and then they come back to get the next ticket.
03:33So yeah, no, it's great.
03:35So while we're working at the moment,
03:36we've got basic rigging,
03:37which is the next step up
03:38after you've done your doggers ticket
03:40and there's a fair bit involved.
03:42At the moment we're working with a winch
03:43and how to lift an object with a winch.
03:45So they've got to lift a one ton load
03:47using a winch that's set up for 400 kg.
03:50So they've got to run through a purchase system
03:52and work out the math.
03:54So we use Mechanical Advantage
03:55through a series of sheaves
03:56to be able to lift heavier loads.
03:58That's pretty much what happens with our cranes
04:00on a general daily basis.
04:04We've got a dogging assessment going on at the moment.
04:07So these boys have been trained for six days
04:09in dogging over about three or four weeks
04:12till they come down to their last two days,
04:15which is a practical examination
04:16where they have to lift five loads.
04:19And then tomorrow they will sit there written exams,
04:22which I think is 87 questions, I think,
04:24in the dogging by memory.
04:25So a dogman's basically, they're a crane chaser.
04:28So the crane operator sits up in his ivory tower
04:31and the dogman basically is running the show on the ground,
04:34directing the crane where to go,
04:35making sure every load comes up beautifully,
04:37making sure it's slung correctly.
04:39So it's a very important job, extremely important.
04:42Safety's paramount.
04:44In this day and age, we can't afford anybody getting hurt.
04:46We're all of the view that you should come back from work
04:49smarter and richer, not being hurt.
04:52We've got all the systems in place.
04:53It's just a point of people bypassing systems
04:56or just cutting a corner and cutting a corner
04:59will end up in disaster.
05:01So we, like all of our people, train very well
05:03and make sure they know what to do, know when to say stop
05:06and everyone should be healthy at the end of the day.
05:09We have a lot of facilities here.
05:11We've got a lean craneage.
05:12We've got a 15-tonne front-of-type crane,
05:15which is a non-slew crane.
05:16We've got a 55-tonne Lieber, which is an all-terrain,
05:19which is just coming back from service.
05:21We've got a 100-tonne crawler crane, which is a beautiful addition,
05:24Sumitomo.
05:25And just behind me, we've got our 12-tonne towel crane,
05:28which is Lieber.
05:29And that's fully electric, which the greenies will love.
05:31And very quiet, so the crane operator can hear pretty much
05:35what's going on the ground anyhow.
05:36We've also got an immense amount of rigging equipment.
05:39We've got three forklifts.
05:41We've got about six or seven EWPs.
05:44And we've got a great big scaffold department as well,
05:47including we've got a carpentry department.
05:49And we're just going into demolition and we're going into civil.
05:52So it is growing exponentially.
05:55It is rewarding when you sit there and see the next generation
05:57and they're learning from you
05:58and not learning from someone that just read a book.
06:01Everybody that works here is experienced and good at what they do.
06:04That's why they work here.
06:05I've always loved the union.
06:06I've always been a unionist.
06:07Everybody's there to help each other.
06:09And everyone that works here, we have a great work group.
06:12It's a very happy place to work.
06:14And like I said, everybody here is well-trained
06:16and everybody's on the same page.
06:18There's power in unity.
06:19So the more people that stand up and sit there and stand up together
06:22and work with each other, it's a great thing.
06:25Like I said, I've always been a unionist.
06:27I don't understand people that don't like the union
06:28or don't want to be in the union, but that's their prerogative.
06:31We don't force people to do anything.
06:33But I think it's in their best interest to be in the union.
06:35If you're going to be in construction, be in the union.
06:38You're going to be protected.
06:39There are unscrupulous employers out there
06:41that will take advantage of people that aren't in the union.
06:50Coming up next, Jesse and the boys from Diesel Doctor
06:53get their hands dirty building the 550 horsepower Cummings engine
06:57for the restoration SAR project.
07:00We have some great merchandise here.
07:07In fact, it's trucking good.
07:09See what I did there?
07:10Yeah, it's pretty smart.
07:12We have T-shirts, we have hoodies, we have bar mats, caps.
07:16Special trucks were built over the years.
07:18I noticed that you've also got the Italian-themed one
07:20showcasing your heritage.
07:22How cool is that?
07:23I absolutely love it.
07:24Plus, like you said, every size possible.
07:27And I like an oversized hoodie.
07:29And I was lucky enough for Don to actually give me one.
07:32Did I?
07:33Yes.
07:33So today, Jesse and the boys in the workshop
07:51are going to work on the SAR motor,
07:53give it a full refresh, ground up,
07:55and hopefully put it back in and get it running.
07:57It's a Cummins diesel engine.
07:59She'll be pushing at about 550 horsepower.
08:00Ground up, rest all on it, take it all apart,
08:04see what's wrong with it, freshen it up,
08:05and give it another birthday.
08:06Yeah, so you've got to source all the parts,
08:08and these days here, you've got to try to chase what you can get,
08:11and parts are hard to come by.
08:13We know a few contacts, and just get onto the boys
08:15and get their parts in and start building it up again.
08:21So to build a motor up, we allow roughly 40 hours,
08:25and that gives them enough time to give it a full rebuild,
08:28get it running, check the fuel pressures,
08:30and everything else, and all the electronics on it.
08:33So these engines are a funny thing.
08:35Like, you can have a really good run,
08:36and you can have a really bad run.
08:38So I'm hoping to get over a million kilometres out of it,
08:41but sometimes it doesn't work out that way.
08:43Sometimes I'm going to get 300,000, 400,000 k's out of it,
08:46but some motors we've got 1.6 mil,
08:48so it's just the luck of the draw.
08:50Look, you've got to keep up your servicing for the life of these motors
08:59and make sure they're maintained,
09:01and, you know, just check all the nuts and bolts and pulleys
09:03and stuff like that, make sure the oil's right,
09:05service them as 20,000 k's.
09:08So we're trying to do all the right things
09:09to lead up to good kilometres.
09:11It all depends on what capacity you do it as well.
09:22Like, if a truck's just cut in a single trailer,
09:25you'd hope it'll last a lot longer,
09:26but, you know, what we do at the moment is
09:28we're doing a lot of road train work,
09:30and they're pulling the weights across Australia,
09:33or the red dirt, and, you know, you've really got to maintain them.
09:36Even just the dust, you know, the red dust going through the air cleaners,
09:40you've got to maintain them and make sure you clean them regularly
09:42and make sure you keep that maintenance up,
09:45because if you don't, you're in for disaster.
09:52Yeah, this particular truck, SAR, we're rebuilding.
09:55I just want to keep it nice and local around Melbourne
09:58and just do what we do around here,
09:59just cut panels, steel, and everything else.
10:02So, fingers crossed, she puts in a good life.
10:06The SAR, we're waiting for a lot of parts coming from the States.
10:09We just organize a lot of goodies for it,
10:12and we're just waiting for them to come in
10:14and start building the truck up.
10:39Well, they're doing a few motors at the moment,
10:50so we're not having one of those good runs at the moment,
10:52but anyway, that's the way it goes,
10:54and there's about, I think, seven, eight motors in there
10:57waiting to get rebuilt,
10:58but one at a time, they'll tackle it and move on.
11:01The size of our fleet, there's always something going on,
11:04breaking down, and what it is at the moment,
11:07we're having a bit of a bad run.
11:09There's a few motors out here and gearboxes
11:11and a couple of diffs we have to do,
11:13but that's the nature of this business, you know what I mean?
11:15You know, you have your really good months
11:16and you have your real bad months,
11:18but that's reality.
11:19This is what happens.
11:20Like, you might have a really good month
11:22and all of a sudden you've got three on the back of a tow truck,
11:24so you've got to take the good of the bad.
11:26Well, the engine's sitting on the ground now.
11:27It makes the workshop look pretty good, doesn't it?
11:29There's a lot there, but, you know,
11:32and there are all different types of motors as well,
11:34so, you know, it keeps the boys busy,
11:36and that's what they do.
11:37They've got to get one in at a time,
11:39just go over it and see what went wrong.
11:41That's the main thing I want to know
11:42is what went wrong and why,
11:45and try to fix that problem.
11:46Next up, we head to the Victorian Drag Boat Championships.
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13:01When you purchase a machine
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13:07Today's a really cool day.
13:25We've got a good friend of mine, Rocky Princey, coming down.
13:27He's got a top alcohol boat.
13:30It's an awesome motor in it.
13:31Sounds awesome.
13:31So he's going to come down
13:33because this weekend we're going down
13:35to carry him down to race it.
13:37So he just wants to bring it here,
13:38show us the boat,
13:39give it a fine little tune
13:40and ready for Sunday.
13:48The motor is unbelievable.
13:50I saw it the other day
13:50and I saw the size of the heads.
13:51They're the same size as me truck.
13:53So it sounds great.
13:55Like, it's just sweet to the ears.
13:58He's going to bring the boat here
13:59and go over the boat,
14:01make sure everything's right.
14:02You know, just,
14:02there's a lot of maintenance in these things.
14:04So we'll just do all that
14:05and have a great day Sunday.
14:06Hopefully the weather holds out
14:07and watch him race up and down the water there.
14:10I love all this sort of stuff,
14:12you know,
14:12like it's down my field,
14:13engines and noise.
14:15It's just great.
14:15Just great feeling,
14:17great day out.
14:18Hopefully your family's come along
14:19and enjoy it all.
14:20Rocky's asked me to bring
14:21a couple of trucks down on show,
14:22so I might just do that
14:23and have a little display there.
14:24It should be a good day.
14:26Don came at the race meeting,
14:28the last one we did down in February.
14:30He was interested
14:31and thought he'd just come down
14:32and said he can help us out a bit
14:34and be part of the team
14:36and help us out a bit, yeah.
14:37So we're here and help him out
14:39and he can help us out
14:40and have a good old family reunion.
14:45It's a top alcohol hydro.
14:47It's a 501 Curtis built.
14:48It's a mid-size.
14:49It has a 8.3 Ares engine in it.
14:52It's a blind alcohol engine
14:54with a Whipple PSI blow in it.
14:57It's run alcohol,
14:58twin chutes,
14:59two-speed Lanko,
15:00air bottles for the masks
15:02and everything else that goes with it there.
15:04This engine I've already had
15:05at Australian titles.
15:06I won a day
15:07and I've got the Australian
15:09to read record
15:09at 297.36 kilometres,
15:13which is about 187 miles an hour.
15:16You can do anything from about
15:17150, 60, 70 mile an hour,
15:19depending on the day,
15:20who you're racing for
15:21and the weather.
15:22The weather takes a big part of it.
15:24It's got to be pretty much smooth water.
15:26A little bit of chop won't hurt,
15:28but the smoother the water,
15:29the better.
15:30You can just hit the pedal
15:31and just go, you know.
15:32I do get a little bit nervous
15:33and a bit sort of jitty,
15:35but once you're up in the caption,
15:36locked in,
15:37and I take off,
15:38I just pedal to metal
15:39and just, you know,
15:42at six, seven seconds,
15:43it's all over and done
15:44and out at the chutes
15:45and the boys on the outer end
15:47picking us up
15:47and back to the pits
15:48doing the work
15:49and back out in the water again.
16:15So today it's a nice sunny Sunday morning.
16:27It's the Victorian drag boat racing
16:28down here at Carrum Downs.
16:29So it's Victoria versus New South Wales.
16:31So it should be a good heat, I reckon.
16:33So it's a great day.
16:34It's about 22 degrees,
16:36so it's perfect weather for the boats.
16:37We've got the trucks here as well
16:39and merchandise.
16:40Should be a great day out.
16:41Looking forward to good racing
16:43and TCB and there's a doctor here
16:45to support Lee and Rocky
16:46if they're boats.
16:47Hopefully they have a good turnout.
16:53We have three blown alcohol hydros today.
16:56Reflection Thunderbolt
16:57and Distance Thunder.
16:59Blown alcohol hydro
17:00capable of speeds of 200 mile an hour.
17:02We have a full range of ET class.
17:05I think we have about 25 boats here today
17:07ranging from a 60, 65 mile an hour boat
17:10all the way up to about 120 mile an hour
17:14and then you move into the blown
17:16or the professional categories
17:17which is the blown alcohol hydros.
17:19They're a very good sight and seeper.
17:20They shoot a huge rooster tail.
17:25When you're called up for a racing,
17:27the boat will move to the holding rope.
17:29The holding rope is just a rope
17:31that's strung across the river.
17:32You'll hold onto that rope.
17:34You'll wait for your call up
17:36and then the light will go solid yellow.
17:39Solid yellow means, okay,
17:40you can now start your boat.
17:42Then the timing clock will start
17:44which will go within half a second intervals
17:46and they will count down from,
17:49I think it's 12, okay,
17:51all the way to zero.
17:52Once the countdown starts,
17:53you can leave the rope at any point in time.
17:54Whatever suits you.
17:56So it's a slightly moving forward start.
17:58So lasers are at the beginning of the quarter mile.
18:01Wheel trip off at zero
18:02and your ET starts
18:04and your mile an hour will start from there.
18:06Should be a great day.
18:07The sun comes out a little bit,
18:08maybe the cloud moves off a bit.
18:09I wish you had a very good day
18:10and a great day of action in drag rope racing.
18:15So we're primarily ski racers
18:17and TCB support us with ski racing.
18:19We just thought we'd come down here,
18:20give the boat a bit of a run
18:21and get out there and amongst it with all the boys.
18:24It started off as just an all LSA
18:25and then we built it up a little bit,
18:27put some Blackwell heads on it
18:28and we've done a fit-out
18:29with Swan Racing Development
18:30and it's sort of snowboarded a little bit
18:32but we're happy with the result.
18:34It is a light little hull
18:35so we've had to put a little bit of weight in it.
18:37With me running by myself,
18:38we usually run two people in the boat
18:39so we'll go out there,
18:41feel the water's like
18:41and try and run some good times.
18:46I'm Tony Williams from New South Wales
18:48and the boat's name's Reflections.
18:51It's a Curtis Craft.
18:52I guess it's a top alcohol hydro,
18:54similar to the car guys.
18:56We sit on the line,
18:57we bring it up to about 6,000 to 7,000 RPM
18:59and then we just flick it into gear
19:01and go and hang on.
19:03It's sort of like coming out of a cannon, I guess.
19:05And then we get so far down the track
19:07we hit second gear and hang on again
19:09and you manually shift it.
19:11A special type gearbox
19:12but it's air-operated through CO2.
19:15When you take off,
19:17you're sort of heading one way
19:18so you're pulling it one way
19:19and then you straighten up
19:21and then as you get further down
19:22it's sort of pulling the opposite way.
19:24By then you're hopefully finished.
19:26Yeah, it's a pretty stable sort of craft.
19:29We can't run in wind and things like that
19:31but yeah, it's pretty stable.
19:39My plan today is to have as many parts as I can,
19:41have a safe day
19:42and go home.
19:44The rival, Tony Williams,
19:46as in Inflections,
19:47he's been macing with me
19:49since 1993 to be exact.
19:51It's good fun.
19:52It's no fish fight or anything else.
19:54It's all fun.
19:55It's all, he goes, I go.
19:57The sport is for everyone.
19:58We're all here to help.
19:58We're not here to hold
19:59grudge against anyone.
20:01It's a family sport.
20:04We give Judas the first run
20:05but once we put the boat
20:07into the loading ramp,
20:09the jet ski takes us
20:10to the holding rope
20:11and then we sort of get the thumbs up
20:13and saying,
20:14yeah, you guys are ready
20:15if you're paired up
20:15or I'm doing a bye.
20:17Are you ready?
20:17I say, yes, I am.
20:18The Christmas tree starts.
20:20It starts 25 seconds flashing
20:21and then it goes solid amber
20:23for five seconds
20:24and after five seconds
20:26the countdown starts
20:27987 all the way down
20:29to whatever time
20:30you pick to take off.
20:32As soon as you cross that buoy
20:33and it's got a timer on it
20:34or it clicks to the time take off
20:36your ET will start
20:38from that point
20:38or it'll pick up
20:39the point of your boat
20:40and that will give you
20:41the ET time
20:42and the reaction time.
20:44When it comes to the finals
20:45or nitty-gritty sort of
20:47everyone's equal
20:48and the day's over
20:49the one who's done
20:50the fastest time
20:51the better ET
20:52and the one who gets
20:54to win the day.
21:02What a day today
21:03at the Victorian Drag Boat Club
21:042024 Nationals.
21:06We had some great
21:07fast boats here.
21:08What an event.
21:09It's been an awesome day
21:10down here
21:10at the Victorian Drag Boat Club.
21:12We have our annual Nationals
21:13on today.
21:14We had 22 boats show up
21:17which was absolutely awesome.
21:18Three of them being
21:19lone alcohol hydros
21:20and two of them coming down
21:21from New South Wales
21:22which has been absolutely sick.
21:24We ran a couple of classes today.
21:25We had some jet skis
21:26so the 12 second Modstock bracket
21:28got taken out by Shane Fletcher
21:30in the red jet ski.
21:31Our 11 second Superstock bracket
21:33got taken out by George Bustus
21:35in Pro Flow Yammy.
21:37Then we had our 13 second
21:39Stock Eliminator
21:40taken out by Dwayne Rimmer
21:42in No Friction.
21:43Our 12 second Modstock
21:44taken out by Chris Boyle
21:46in Gremlin.
21:47Our 11 second Superstock class
21:50taken out by Bodie Howie
21:51in Disturbed.
21:52And our 10 second Supercomp
21:54was Richard Jones
21:55in Pump Action.
21:56The main event here today
21:57was definitely having
21:58the hydros down.
21:59We had, yeah,
22:00as I said,
22:00two of them from New South Wales
22:01which is absolutely amazing.
22:03Our last run there
22:04was Tony Williams
22:05in Reflections
22:05versus Rocky Princey
22:07in Distant Thunder.
22:08So Tony Williams
22:10took out our
22:11Top Alcohol Hydro
22:12title today.
22:13He also was the winner
22:14of the Bill Davis Memorial Trophy.
22:16That last run was,
22:17I think,
22:17154 mile an hour.
22:19So, yeah,
22:20absolute insanity.
22:21Yeah, those boats are
22:22very loud and very fast.
22:24Next up,
22:36we head to Berwick Fabrications
22:37to load up
22:38three oversized trailers
22:40for an early morning delivery.
22:47Hi, I'm Colin.
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22:49mechanical service
22:50or just general advice,
22:51come on down to
22:52Moonee Ponds Tyres.
22:53We offer a full range
22:54of servicing
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22:56to all sorts
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23:01the vehicle is safe.
23:02In terms of tyres,
23:03we do a large range of tyres
23:04from the smallest
23:05lawnmower tyre
23:06right the way up
23:07to the largest
23:07earthmover tyre.
23:09We do wheel alarmants,
23:10we do batteries.
23:11Anytime you need any tyres,
23:12just come and see us.
23:23So we're at Berwick Fabrications.
23:33We're doing some window frames
23:35for the college in Turak.
23:38These window frames
23:39are a little bit awkward.
23:40They're a little bit bigger
23:41than I thought.
23:42They're just over five metres wide
23:43and left of the trailer.
23:46So it's going to be
23:47an interesting one tonight.
23:51So there's three of us
23:52going out tonight,
23:53three semi-triallers
23:54and there'd be four
23:54escort vehicles.
23:55So we'll just push them out
23:57and we'll have a bit of a convoy
23:58on the freeway tonight,
23:59hopefully,
23:59and get a Turak.
24:01I'm not really sure
24:01what Turak's like.
24:02I had one of my boys
24:03scope it last week.
24:04So hopefully he's done
24:06his job right
24:06and we get in
24:07nice and safe.
24:11So basically we do
24:12architectural middle works
24:13and light structural,
24:14setting from
24:15stainless steel handrails
24:16to balustrading,
24:17all the unique work
24:18where no one knows
24:19who to come to.
24:20We sort of do a lot of it.
24:22There we've got probably
24:22about 18 staff members.
24:24Pretty good facility here
24:25with a purpose-built
24:26stainless steel room
24:27for fabrication
24:28as well as the
24:28mild steel shop here
24:29is what we see.
24:31So these are a
24:32heavy-duty
24:3410mm mild steel
24:35window
24:36surrounds.
24:37So they're pretty huge.
24:39They're probably
24:404.5 metres
24:41by about
24:427 to 8 metres.
24:44Approximately weighing
24:45about 2 tonne each
24:45for a high-end school
24:47down at Turak.
24:48Initially we didn't think
24:49we'd have too many
24:50problems with getting
24:51transport and then
24:52unfortunately our supplier
24:53who was going to do
24:54the job
24:55ran out of time
24:56and a friend of a friend
24:58put us on a Don
24:59TCB
25:00and he was here
25:01the next day
25:02and sorting that out
25:02and here we are
25:03getting it on site
25:04and hopefully get them
25:06all installed
25:06without any issues
25:07so it'd be good.
25:09The manufacturing
25:09as you can see
25:10we had to get it all
25:11lasered up
25:12and get it all level
25:13and doing the
25:14manufacturing
25:15and welding them out
25:16and all in situ
25:17was very important
25:18to get them
25:19leaving here
25:20plumb and straight
25:22and then
25:22when we go to site
25:23we've done the best
25:24of our ability
25:25and then the install
25:26should go a lot
25:26more smoother.
25:27We do some architectural
25:30window frames
25:31like this
25:32all the weird
25:32and wonderful things
25:33some people don't know
25:35who makes them
25:35we do a lot of them
25:36anywhere from gas cages
25:38to stainless steel
25:40brass handrails
25:41to copper
25:42a lot of work
25:43for schools
25:44shopping centres
25:44a lot of design work
25:46where no one knows
25:47what the background
25:48what goes into it
25:49we have to engineer
25:50and really get the project
25:52in line with
25:53what the customer wants
25:54and get the end finishes
25:56correct
25:56when you're this wide
25:58we like to travel at night
25:59curfews and stuff like that
26:01that way it minimises
26:02the traffic
26:02and traffic flow
26:03on the freeway
26:04and the tight areas
26:05you've really got to
26:06concentrate what you're doing
26:07so we'll take off
26:09roughly 1-2 in the morning
26:10and we'll have to be
26:11off the road by 6
26:12so we've just got to
26:14make sure we're off the road
26:14and everyone's safe
26:15at the school
26:16the reason we're using
26:18two escorts
26:18one at the front
26:19one at the back
26:20is just got to make sure
26:21everyone's aware
26:22and safe
26:23because these are wide
26:24and travel at night
26:24as you can see
26:25the steel is
26:26it's dark
26:28so it's not real good
26:29visibility at night
26:31hopefully the weather
26:31holds out
26:32because if the weather
26:33doesn't hold out
26:33it makes it more dangerous
26:35we'll put our lights on
26:36and all the equipment
26:37that we need
26:38but we've got to be
26:39so careful
26:39especially cars
26:41come up to the left
26:41and just make people
26:43really aware
26:44yeah that's why
26:44we put the lights
26:45on the TCAV trucks
26:46so we stand out
26:47but no no
26:49on a serious note
26:49jobs like this
26:50you've got to put
26:51your thinking cap on
26:52and really be aware
26:54of all your surroundings
26:54because when it takes
26:56one thing go wrong
26:57and it could be
26:58a disaster or so
26:59we'll be right tonight
27:00we'll be right
27:01so these are taking
27:02a little bit longer
27:03than I thought
27:04to load up
27:05because when they're
27:06so wide
27:06you've got to get them
27:07spot on
27:08even with the trawler
27:09and even each side
27:10you don't realise
27:11when you're going
27:12that wide
27:13if you're not even
27:14you put it a little bit
27:14crooked
27:15well five metres
27:16might become 5.2
27:18so you want to try
27:19to minimise that
27:20as best as you can
27:21and we might have
27:23a little bit of
27:23problem getting out
27:23the door
27:24because I think
27:24the door's a little
27:26bit tight
27:26so we'll see
27:28how we go tonight
27:28not our issue
27:32there with the door
27:33being so small
27:34unfortunately
27:34it's just a tight fit
27:36and as usual
27:37the architects
27:38come up with
27:38weird and wonderful
27:39ideas
27:40and think anyone
27:41can do everything
27:42yeah it's going
27:43to be a tricky one
27:44we'll slide it out
27:46hopefully without
27:46too many scratches
27:47and as long as
27:48the weather stays
27:49good tomorrow
27:49we should be good
27:50to go
28:19so we're here at
28:23the client now
28:24at 2 in the morning
28:25we're just setting
28:25the boys up
28:26putting the oversized
28:26gear on
28:27and I've got my gloves
28:28on
28:29helping all the boys
28:30out
28:30get them hooked up
28:31and try to get out
28:32this door
28:33because there's not
28:33much room
28:33so I've calculated
28:34probably that much
28:36so we'll get on the
28:38way hopefully soon
28:38so basically what we're
28:39doing at the moment
28:40is we're just putting
28:40just tying all the
28:41load down
28:42restricting it all
28:43putting the oversized
28:44gear on
28:44Australian requirements
28:45is you've got to have
28:45your flags
28:46your lights
28:47your banners
28:48it's just all about
28:49safety on the road
28:50so just make sure
28:51all the cars
28:52and the general public
28:53are alert
28:53what we're doing
28:54on the road
28:55so when we're out
28:56there we've got to do it
28:57since we got here
28:58we've pretty much been
28:59putting all the
28:59clearance lights on the
29:00side
29:00making sure that we're
29:01visible at all times
29:03making sure all our
29:04signage is out
29:05the trailers are up to
29:06spec
29:06obviously everything's
29:07tied down
29:07everything's nice and
29:08tight
29:09nothing's going to
29:09come loose
29:10just final checks
29:11before we hit the road
29:13yeah
29:13hopefully we'll get
29:14out of here at 3
29:14and we should get
29:15there hopefully
29:16just after 4
29:17I always try to
29:18give myself an hour
29:19just a bit of time
29:19grace because you
29:20just don't know
29:20what happens
29:20you know what I mean
29:21on the road
29:21could be a tyre
29:22could be anything
29:23so just give it
29:24a bit of time
29:25up our sleeve
29:26and if we get there
29:27early hey
29:27we enjoy it
29:28we have a coffee
29:28and wait
29:29it's obviously best
29:30doing it at night
29:30you know if anything
29:31does happen on the
29:32road there's less
29:33impact to traffic
29:34and yeah hopefully
29:35we get out of it
29:36unscathed
29:37and everything's all
29:38good
29:38these are nearly 5 metres
29:40wide
29:40and trying to do that
29:42in peak hour traffic
29:42in the morning
29:43or you know
29:44when their mother's
29:45trying to take
29:46their kids to school
29:46or something
29:46it's mere impossible
29:48a lot of people
29:49don't understand
29:49these loads
29:50they don't understand
29:51the width
29:51they don't understand
29:52the planting
29:53into corners
29:54you need to take
29:54and just some
29:56of the precautions
29:56so this morning
29:58we're basically
29:58going to St Kevin's
29:59College in Turak
30:00if anyone knows
30:01what Turak's like
30:02there's a lot of
30:03trees and stuff
30:03that will scope
30:04the roads
30:04but you know
30:05trees and cars
30:06we're not really
30:07sure what's parked
30:08out in the road
30:08so we'll just
30:10wait and see what
30:10happens
30:11so basically
30:11what we've got here
30:12today is three loads
30:13and I've got four cars
30:14so we'll put two trucks
30:16in
30:16one car each end
30:17and then the last truck
30:19we'll put one car
30:20at each end
30:20so we'll follow each
30:22other and communicate
30:23and hopefully it's a
30:24smooth run
30:25today we've got a bit
30:26of a team here
30:26I've got all the office
30:27staff out
30:27I've got Brett Barnes
30:28out of the office
30:28I've got Craig out of
30:29the office
30:30myself
30:30and the drivers
30:32you know
30:32we've got young Jakey
30:33his uncle Damo
30:35and Cam
30:36and we've got Angie
30:38and the other escort
30:39so we're all doing it
30:40as a pilot
30:41my main job
30:42is to make sure
30:42the trucks are safe
30:43they're clear
30:44at all times
30:45and there's no one
30:46cutting up the sides
30:48of them
30:48it's another day
30:49in the job
30:50you've got to love it
30:51so as a truck driver
30:53I've got to look out
30:53for cars
30:54obstructions on the road
30:56and all other sorts
30:57of things like that
30:58and I've got to listen
30:59to what the pilots
31:00are telling us
31:00and what not
31:01and what's going on
31:02down the back
31:02because we can't see
31:03what's going on
31:04down there
31:04because how wide they are
31:05so I've known maybe
31:07one or two this wide
31:08so it's been probably
31:10a second or third
31:11I reckon
31:11giving me some more
31:12experience at it
31:13so yeah
31:14coming up next
31:25the TCB big rigs
31:27are on their way
31:28to Toorak
31:29with a wide load delivery
31:44ATX Detailing
31:50is your high-end
31:51car detailing
31:53and premium
31:54pain protection service
31:55in Melbourne
31:56we do mostly
31:57high-end cars
31:58your Ferraris
31:58Lambos
31:59European prestige cars
32:01as well as
32:01a lot of Japanese cars
32:03Australian muscle cars
32:05you know classics
32:05we do them all
32:14we're at St. Kevin's
32:24College
32:25in Toorak
32:26just got here
32:27not long ago
32:28things went well
32:29roads are pretty quiet
32:30actually
32:31I thought it'd be
32:31a lot busier
32:32this time of the morning
32:32but it's actually
32:33pretty quiet
32:33but there was a
32:35couple of hairy spots
32:36there
32:36very tight around
32:37the corners here
32:38very low trees
32:39and it's like
32:40driving a go-kart
32:41going in and out
32:41just trying to miss
32:42all low trees
32:43but pretty successfully
32:44so we're just waiting
32:45now for 7 o'clock
32:47in the morning
32:47until the gates open
32:48then we'll get the boys
32:49in unloaded
32:50and on our merry way
32:51and it's been
32:52another successful job
32:53the boys done really well
32:54the team really put in
32:55and we all communicated
32:56well and it was great
32:58it was actually a good morning
32:59this morning we did
33:00an oversize load
33:00to St. Kevin's College
33:024.9 metres wide
33:03we arrived at the site
33:05safely
33:06no incidents
33:08or accidents
33:08which is a bonus
33:09and we're all here
33:10waiting to be unloaded
33:12at 7 o'clock
33:12when the crane arrives
33:13the traffic was
33:15not much on the road
33:16which was always handy
33:17a few tight quarters
33:18and bends
33:19but the drivers
33:20got around them
33:22with no problem
33:22a few low trees
33:23around this lovely area
33:24but we've done well
33:25the boys extremely well
33:26I did a route survey
33:28probably a week ago
33:29and took a few measurements
33:31so I knew
33:32and was very confident
33:34that we'd get here
33:35and we did so
33:36it's yeah
33:36it worked out real well
33:37everything went pretty smooth
33:39no major issues
33:41the route went quite well
33:42we had plenty of access
33:44width wise
33:45height wise
33:46was quite good
33:47the fellas done a good job
33:48nothing was hit
33:50damaged etc
33:52we're here now on site
33:54parked up
33:54traffic management's here
33:56and we're waiting for
33:57the crane lift
33:58at 7am this morning
33:59there was a couple of times
34:00there this morning
34:00where cars come to head on
34:02don't want to
34:03obey by us
34:04so we make sure
34:05we just let them know
34:06we're there
34:07and push them to the side
34:08a little bit
34:08because being this wide
34:10you've got to take up
34:11the whole road
34:12so there's no room forever
34:13my job was a pilot
34:14for this morning's role
34:15so look on the eyes
34:17and ears communication
34:18by a two-way
34:19to get here safely
34:20everywhere you go
34:21around these older areas
34:22the streets are narrow
34:24cars are parked up on night
34:25because there's no garages
34:26you've just got to
34:27communicate with the driver
34:29look how much room
34:29you've got on both sides
34:30and check it out
34:31and pick the best route
34:32through the road
34:32we had enough pilots
34:34available this morning
34:36so we kept our
34:37and maintained our
34:38safe distance
34:39and we did do it
34:40early hours
34:41simple reason
34:42there was basically
34:42no traffic on the road
34:43so and that makes
34:45a big difference
34:45you know we've got to
34:46look at the safety
34:47of the public
34:47as well as the drivers
34:48and the infrastructure
34:50as well
34:50it was a great morning
34:51the ride safely
34:53no damages
34:54and it's all good
34:55for TCV
34:56yeah well once you get
34:57there early
34:58you've got a couple
34:58of hours to kill
34:59so the drivers usually
35:00get around
35:00and there's a lot of
35:01banter between
35:02everyone else
35:02and that's the fun
35:04time actually
35:04and we just sit there
35:06and talk
35:06and hang it on
35:07each other
35:07but it's all good
35:08that's where we
35:08really bond together
35:09and that's a little
35:10bit of a personal
35:11time between the
35:12drivers and myself
35:13and it's great
35:14so basically we wait
35:15for the sites to open
35:17generally they open
35:18about 7 o'clock
35:18by the time they
35:19do their pre-start
35:20toolbox meetings
35:21and stuff like that
35:22we just have to sit
35:23and wait
35:24and listen to where
35:25they want us to go
35:26and have a look at
35:27the tracks
35:27and just make sure
35:28it's right on site
35:29to get the trucks in
35:30because when they're so
35:30wide
35:31sometimes you've got to
35:32pull down fences
35:33whatever you've got to
35:33do to get in
35:34but the boys usually
35:36put in all together
35:36get things happening
35:38and guide each other in
35:39the streets are tight
35:44cars are parked
35:45on both sides
35:45doesn't matter how many
35:46times you've dropped
35:47things in the mailboxes
35:48and things like that
35:49but it is what it is
35:50but that's what the
35:51escorts do
35:52they guide the trucks
35:53through
35:54but that's what we do
35:55every day
35:55so we've just got to
35:57make sure it happens
35:57everyone's safe
35:58don't knock mirrors
35:59off cars
35:59and things like that
36:00because it won't make
36:01the residents real happy
36:02but get in there
36:03and hopefully
36:04we can back straight in
36:05without destroying anything
36:06so the trucks are actually
36:08in order
36:09it's like a jigsaw puzzle
36:10these window frames
36:11so you've got to make sure
36:12the right truck goes in
36:13in the right order
36:13and the drivers do
36:15help each other out
36:15and make sure
36:16there's no obstacles
36:17in the way
36:17and once they do that
36:19they help each other
36:20unchain
36:21unload
36:22and communicate
36:23the crane crew
36:24the good thing about
36:25having a team
36:25together to work
36:26and bond together
36:27we all know
36:28what we've all got to do
36:30so it just happens natural
36:32really it's just another
36:33job for us
36:33but you've got to be careful
36:34to make sure things are right
36:36and things don't go wrong
36:37on site
36:38so everyone goes home safe
36:39this particular job
36:40once the crane crew
36:41hook up the loads
36:43they lift it
36:44and we make sure
36:46everything's out of the way
36:47and we just pull forward
36:48so it gives them more room
36:49because these are big window frames
36:51but as I said before
36:52they all communicate together
36:54make sure everyone's right
36:55unload
36:56hook up out of the way
36:57get the next truck in
36:58and do it all again
36:59we'll be right back
37:00we'll be right back
37:01we'll be right back
37:02we'll be right back
37:02we'll be right back
37:03we'll be right back
37:04we'll be right back
37:04we'll be right back
37:05we'll be right back
37:06we'll be right back
37:06we'll be right back
37:07we'll be right back
37:08we'll be right back
37:08we'll be right back
37:09we'll be right back
37:09we'll be right back
37:10we'll be right back
37:10we'll be right back
37:11we'll be right back
37:12we'll be right back
37:12we'll be right back
37:13we'll be right back
37:14we'll be right back
37:14we'll be right back
37:15we'll be right back
37:16we'll be right back
37:17we'll be right back
37:18we'll be right back
37:19we'll be right back
37:20we'll be right back
37:21we'll be right back
37:23Coming up next, we head back to the CFMEU Training Centre, where Don meets Stephen
37:35Deer and learns all about the state-of-the-art training facility.
37:45You imagine winning the bike of your dreams.
37:48Cam from Snaz, we love giving away dirt bikes and motorsport gear.
37:51So go to snaz.com.au, or scan the QR code in the corner of the screen and check out some
37:57of our crazy, crazy giveaways.
38:12So today we're at the CFMEU Training Centre, and today we have...
38:17So my name's Stephen Deer, I'm the manager here at CFMEU Education and Training.
38:21This is all new to me, but I'm looking around and I see a lot of equipment here.
38:25I see a tower crane, I see a pin jib, scaffolding.
38:29Just explain what this whole facility is about.
38:32This is a world-class training centre.
38:33We look after everything here from white card through to open cranes.
38:37The goal of the training centre is to look after everything that's needed within the
38:40construction industry for all of our members.
38:43So in this facility, does everybody on the site come here and get trained first, or...?
38:47Normally the way it works is someone wanting to come into the construction industry or come
38:51in and do a white card, which is their induction into the construction industry.
38:56And from there they'll go on and depending on the career that they want to take, they might
39:00become a dogman and do a dogman's course.
39:02If they're looking to get onto a crane crew, then they'll go on and do riggers and crane licences.
39:07We have people come in and do scaffolding.
39:09There are different areas, isn't there?
39:10And even the equipment, as you just relayed them, there's so many different areas to work
39:14on, so...
39:15There is.
39:16It's all about safety, isn't it?
39:17It is about safety.
39:18Our number one goal is for our members and the general public to go home every day.
39:21That's all we want.
39:22I'm in the transport industry, as you probably know.
39:24I cut a lot of panels.
39:25That's dangerous.
39:26When we get the site, you've got to have that whole area designated because when you lift
39:30a 10-tonne panel 20 stories high, you've got to barricade the area.
39:34Is that right?
39:35You do.
39:36And we actually have panels here that we've had specially made up to simulate those concrete
39:39panels.
39:40Obviously concrete panels are not designed to be lifted five or six times or a hundred
39:44times.
39:45We've got panels that have been made out of steel with still the concrete fittings in
39:48them so that we can actually teach people how to lift those panels.
39:51In this facility here, it's obviously theory and prac?
39:54Yeah.
39:55So nearly all of our courses have a theory component and a practical component.
39:59So we have classrooms here where they go through.
40:01All of our trainers have come from industry.
40:03So every one of our trainers has spent 20, 30 years in industry so they know their field.
40:08They'll take all of our learners through the theory component and then they'll come
40:11out onto the hard stand or into the shed to do the practical side of it.
40:15So if someone comes off the street, wants a white card or a crane ticket or a doggy ticket,
40:20how long is this training?
40:21Is that a week, two weeks?
40:22It really depends on the course.
40:23So white card is the first step.
40:26That's a one day course.
40:27A dogman's course, for example, might take eight days.
40:30Scaffolding might take six days.
40:31So it just depends on the course.
40:33So each course has its own timeframe.
40:35And we do things a little bit longer here because we want to make sure that when they
40:39leave here with a ticket, they're fully qualified.
40:41And they're comfortable.
40:42And they're comfortable.
40:43On site, they won't be operating any of the equipment unless they've got a ticket.
40:46So we're comfortable that when they leave here with a ticket, they're qualified to do that
40:50job.
40:53We've got a world class facility here.
40:55This tower crane is so well maintained that we could take this off the training site, put
41:00it on a job and there'd be no issues.
41:02And I notice you've got a pin jib crane at the back here.
41:04We have.
41:05It's just added to our fleet.
41:06The biggest crane we had before that was a 55 ton Lieber.
41:09So it's 100 ton.
41:10So I notice you've even got Allimax here.
41:12So is that part of the training as well?
41:14It is.
41:15It is.
41:16There is an Allimax course, which I think is a three day course.
41:18Again, before they get on site, they can come here, do the course, get the ticket.
41:23They're fully qualified to work.
41:24Silly question.
41:25Does anyone fail?
41:26We do have people fail all the time.
41:27The thing with us is we're not just here to tick and flick qualifications.
41:31People have to study and they have to study hard.
41:34None of these courses are unobtainable.
41:36If you study and listen to the trainers, you'll pass every time.
41:40This facility is a big part of the MFU Foundation, isn't it?
41:44Yes, it is.
41:45What a lot of people don't know is it's open to the general public as well.
41:48It's not just members that can come here.
41:50Obviously, our members are our priority because they're the ones that are out on site.
41:54But courses like White Card are non-members, so we're open to the general public as well.
41:58We do a lot with the young generation.
42:00We run a pre-apprenticeship here for potential carpenters.
42:03So they do a nine-month course here in a pre-apprenticeship and then they go on to become carpenters.
42:08So that's one field of entry that they can come into the construction industry.
42:11We've also got, as I said, the crane crew.
42:13So they'll come in and do a dogman's ticket, maybe a rigger's ticket and then look at being a crane operator.
42:19But certainly every area of the construction industry needs people.
42:23We have a skill shortage in Australia.
42:25In Victoria alone, we've probably got another 15 years of infrastructure work to handle.
42:29So we're always looking for people that are keen to get into the construction industry and do it properly.
42:34And we don't discriminate in any way, shape or form.
42:36That's a union thing.
42:38Everybody comes in.
42:39Today we've got here a female crane operator who went through the traineeship process,
42:44which was two years, became a fully qualified crane operator.
42:47And she's so good we bring her back to do our operations for us.
42:51We're now running four different traineeships to try and get the young people in.
42:55So we're looking at a traineeship in mobile cranes, one in demolition, one in civil and one in scaffolding.
43:01And the wonderful thing about the union is there is no discrimination.
43:05Everybody comes in, whatever job they do they get paid for that job.
43:08Doesn't matter whether they're male or female.
43:10They're not extremely intimate.
43:15Next week on Rides Down Under, Aussie Truckers.
43:20TCB driver Kevin gears up for a huge load heading from Melbourne to Brisbane with his triple trailer combo.
43:26We meet Glen Martin from Martin Crane Group at the CFMU Wellness Centre.
43:32You'll be blown away when you see what it takes to disassemble this monster crane perched
43:36on top of a building.
43:38Selection Steel have a big order for Eureka garages and sheds being delivered to their
43:44facility in Campbellfield.
43:46We check out the CFMEU East-West Big Build, an infrastructure project currently underway
43:52to get trucks off main roads and promote safer travel for truckers and motorists alike.
43:58The TCB crew head to Freccia Azura Italian Club to celebrate the Festa della Repubblica.
44:05This of course is a celebration of the Italian community.
44:09All that and more next time on Rides Down Under, Aussie Truckers.
44:14Our crew stays at Quality Hotel Robertson Gardens, Brisbane.
44:25This program is produced by Fuzzy Media.
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