Just a Trucking Nightmare
By Noel Causer
Published 1 January 2021
Australia grew on icons
That inspired the nation’s heart,
And it’s hard to really fathom
Where this tale of woe should start.
So put aside the golden fleece
That made this country great:
It was the trucking legends
That got us through the gate.
Cowboys of the highway,
Was the way they were described,
Gangsters running roughshod
And doing it with pride.
No government had the answer
To curb this terror cell;
They were the best at what they did,
And they managed rather well.
Every government tried its hardest
To make these truckies wilt.
Hit them with so many charges
And taxed them to the hilt:
Road tax, fees on mileage
Were a clever way to go.
Hit them if they’re overweight,
And maybe the will slow.
But not these truckie icons –
They had a trick or two:
One called “Green Dog Stephens”
Was stirring up a brew;
Had all his trust mates state wide
Convinced that he was right
To break every rule before them
And conjure up a fight.
Well, it happened down on Razorback,
When they blocked the Hume at night.
Thousands were left stranded,
‘twas not a pretty sight.
Semis stretched for miles each way
As drivers pulled the pin;
Whilst Wran and all his bureaucrats
Thought it a ghastly sin.
Ten days the blockade lasted,
‘til the government gave some ground.
To come up with a compromise,
a new strategy was found:
We’ll rid you of your charges
And make it fair for all concerned;
Give you back a living
That you have rightly earned.
Well, road tax, it was gone for sure,
But what they did instead
Was tax every other item
‘til each rig was in the red.
Taxes went on tyres and fuel
And every part they bought.
Every time they turned around,
There was another rort.
Truckies have fought long and hard
To make their lot worthwhile,
Stretched every boundary known to man
As they pushed that country mile.
But every time they checked their bank
And thought they’re on a winner,
The only thing that hit them
Was their balance getting thinner.
What’s on a truckie’s mind
As he tracks that dotted line?
Will he reach his destination
Or end up with a fine?
Will the RTA, the scaleys
Or the cops be on his tail?
Will the finance company grab his rig
And have it up for sale?
Next time you pass a truckie,
Please consider where he’s at,
The problems he endures each day –
It would be nice to tip your hat.
Let him know you care a bit
About what he’s going through;
That he’s the backbone of this nation
And considered Aussie through and through.