RTO planning is all well and good yet some days just don’t go as planned when you are working with RTOs. There are days when things are just not meant to happen. The other day I was asked to sit in on some assessments in the truck driving arena. I have been working with the industry on various aspects, and as always I find it best when I see the tasks being performed, so I can get a really good perspective of what is required. The day was planned and I was looking forward to a fun day ahead.
How the day started
The day came and it was wet and cold, so I packed my hot lunch knowing we would be traveling all day. I was excited to be in jeans and boots, rather than high heels and skirt. So off I went rugged up, and ready for what I was to learn.
The day started early and all looked fabulous. I was allocated the passenger seat in the truck, and off we went. The first hour or so was getting out of the city, so that interesting being up so high and seeing the perspective of a truck driver. Most cars kept out of our way, so it was pretty uneventful.
Then we got to the country outskirts and we decided to stop in a road bay for a pit stop. Once everyone was back in their respective vehicles we pulled onto the road to find one of the truck tires/ wheels had seized. So we dutifully pulled over and fixed the issue. An hour or so later we continued our journey. By this time two other smaller incidents had happened in the process of changing over etc.
Things come in 3’s
From my perspective things came in threes and we had had them. So continuing the journey was the planned outcome and off we went. We had continued for only another hour when we came to an overtaking lane and moved the truck to the side of the road for vehicles to pass. A truck that had been following us went past at great speed, and took out the side of the truck! He was called on the radio, but kept going. I made a comment to the driver that we are being told to stop by the universe, and he agreed, but almost immediately another incident happened and we blew a tire. This time there was no going forward. By this time we had travelled a fair distance and we were in the country, stuck on a bend of a main arterial single lane road with large commercial trucks heading past. The situation was somewhat pleasant; being in the bush and not interrupted by phone or computer. However being mindful of the incidents already occurred throughout the day I was very conscious of personnel and equipment safety. By this time I was wondering why I took up the offer. Luckily for me I had my hot soup with me, so could eat it on the side of the road.
Safe and sound
Safely back in my office I pondered the situation and wondered if we should have stopped when the first incident happened. This wasn’t a call I could make, and really did we expect the rest to come? Obviously not. The universe has an interesting way of saying when enough is enough. Needless to say I now have plenty of material for my development needs.
Being an RTO consultant does bring fun and lots of enjoyment, however this day it was adventure and lots of pain for the RTO concerned. Perhaps I will stay in the office and conduct validations and internal audits.
