The Road Ahead is a state of the art semi-trailer with a suite of interactive hands-on exhibits and presentations. The exhibition travels throughout Australia promoting messages about sharing the road safely with trucks, trucking technology, the crucial role of road transport in a healthy national economy, and career opportunities in the sector. The Road Ahead has a focus on schools, but also visits conventions and shopping centres in order to share our messages with parents, teachers, career advisers, industry members and the wider community.
The exhibition offers a structured program for class groups that incorporates a discussion about trucking before students explore the semi-trailer.
Displays
The semi-trailer is fitted out with videos and panels to educate and inform visitors about the trucking industry. You can learn about road rules, fatigue, technology and the environment, careers, types of trucks and the contributions that trucking makes to Australia.
Rail Crossing Safety: The Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board (part of the Australasian Railways Association) created a display incorporating animation to explain the correct behaviours required at level crossings. To find out more about RISSB and rail crossing safety, click here.
Gear changing: A game where you can feel like you are driving a truck by changing gears as it accelerates. At the easiest level, the driver receives visual cues when it is time to change gears. At the hardest level, the driver needs to listen to the sound of the engine in order to change gears correctly. This shows the difficulty (but enjoyment when you get it right) of operating a big vehicle.
Loading a truck: Using a touch screen, you will load a truck with freight before driving off. At the hardest level, you have a difficult job of loading a 60 tonne semi-trailer ensuring the space is fully utilised while distributing the weight correctly. How will you arrange the various items including a car, bricks, 200 litre drums, hay bales, computers and pot plants? Loading a truck for balance, efficiency, fuel economy and safety is certainly a job for the professionals!
Safety Table: These games can include up to 8 people at a time, who compete against each other to show off their knowledge about sharing the road safely with trucks. The games are based on the ‘Truckie’s Top 10 Tips’ and provide insight in to:
- cut out, cutting in
- lights at night
- do not overtake turning vehicle
- towing caravans and boats
- maintain your speed
- overtake with care
- 100 kph speed limiting
- roundabouts
- road positioning
- road courtesy
Click here to find out about the history of The Australian Trucking Association’s education programs.
