Far out Friday: One in twelve truckies on drugs at work

Recent reports have put a spotlight on the dangerous extremes Australian truck drivers are going to in order to manage their gruelling hours.

BY Chloe Taylor 10 Apr 2015

Reports emerged recently which alleged that truckies in Victoria are dealing and using drugs while working.

The Herald Sun reported that Victoria police revealed there is a distribution network of speed, meth and marijuana operating in the trucking industry; and shockingly, one in every 12 truckies tested positive for drugs while out on the Australian roads.

A former Melbourne truck driver told The Herald Sun that his coworkers regularly took drugs, and meeting areas were set up using codes over radio, where drugs would be handed out.

He blamed the industry’s long hours for the “rampant drug use”.

“Do you think these people are dancing and raving in their trucks?” he said. “No, it's not for fun they are using; it’s as a tool to do their jobs.”

In the past year, 156 truck drivers tested positive for drugs on Victoria’s roads.

“There are various ways these distribution networks are working,” said Bernie Rankin, head of Victoria Police's transport investigations unit. “Often it's from a geographical location, they might know a driver who is involved in the industry, a pick-up point or there might be a loading area where there will be someone with illicit substances.”

In February, footage emerged of a truck driver snorting drugs from behind the wheel of his truck before taking to the road.
Channel Nine also revealed footage of another driver who filmed himself smoking methamphetamine from a pipe before driving his 40 tonne truck on the Hume Highway.

He was embarking on a twelve hour shift which involved an 807km drive between Melbourne and Sydney.

“Fatigue about to be managed,” the driver said in the clip. “Get it into you.”