Marking the line

Published in the 'SRS Magazine' (Vic Roads)

Long Copy:

Marking a line.

7am Benalla - a bright early spring morning. Ideal weather.

Wayne Kipping and Andy Mammone with over 20 years of experience between them, start their day with a toolbox meeting. They brief the other 5 members of the crew and go over the day’s jobs. Today they’ll be busy with line marking, putting down cats’ eyes and reapplying the audio-tactile edges on a couple of sections of the Hume Freeway. The other members of the crew listen patiently to the briefing and wait for instructions.

Everybody is conscious of safety.

“I’d rather be doing this today than Friday” says Wayne. The traffic volumes on the Hume Freeway are expected to be modest but once the weekend begins, they will explode.

There are few questions. Everybody seems to be clear about what’s to be done and where. 

“We’ll meet at the servo at the Wandong Southbound exit”

The line marking season is short. It begins in September and ends in June. On this day Sprayline Road Services Benalla will deploy five crews operating across Victoria, one as far away as Horsham. It’s not unusual for them to be away for as long as 5 days at a time.

The convoy of five trucks, two of which are towing long trailers, are on their way 30 minutes later. In an hour they’ll arrive in Wandong.

The first job will be to apply edge markings on a repaired section of asphalt. The trucks will form up according to a strict traffic management plan and travelling at 12km per hour run for as long as required to mark the new work. Because the convoy will be moving slowly the line marking vehicles are a hazard to passing traffic.

While Wayne trusts his crews, he knows it’s an act of faith where the public is concerned.

“You just have to hope that everyone knows what they’re doing” say Wayne. 

“Communication is the key”

Sprayline's Wayne Tipping at the wheel of the Line Marking vehicle. He's paying close attention to not only
his work but to the passing traffic as well.

The trucks are arranged in a formation with two vehicles equipped with TMA’s positioned at the rear, acting in a tail-end Charlie role. A TMA is a ‘Truck Mounted Attenuator’ euphemistically termed ‘the big cushion’. If a truck equipped with a TMA is rammed in the rear (what the industry calls errant vehicle intrusion) the Truck Mounted Attenuator absorbs the shock. They are designed to withstand the impact of a B-Double travelling at high speed. In the recent past a TMA was rammed by a car travelling at 100km/h. The driver walked away with nothing more than a split lip. 

Normally only one is required but when line marking on a freeway two TMA’s must accompany any crew.

“It’s a dangerous job” said Colin Croxford, Sprayline’s Line Marking Supervisor in Benalla. 

“Everybody has to be on their A-game”

The convoy moves slowly out to the Freeway. The Line Marking vehicle is out front, the TMA’s deployed behind and the large speed restriction signs on the top of each truck are lit up. An onboard radio is used by a TMA driver travelling behind to regularly warn oncoming trucks.

“Line marking vehicles on the road northbound. Right-hand lane closed.”

Wayne watches his speed carefully and monitors the radio for any hint there’s an approaching ‘errant’ vehicle.

“You can’t expect semi-trailers and B-Double trucks to stop on a dime. The drivers behave better if you warn them.”

Once the job begins the noise inside the line-marking cabin is tremendous. Despite the clearly displayed speed restrictions, some vehicles race past. The CB radio inside the cabin is blaring and combined with the noise of the engine and the plant running the equipment in the back, the opportunity for distraction is high.

But Wayne, deep in concentration, is unfazed. When the new asphalt has been marked, he grabs the radio to talk to his crew.

“This job’s done. Let’s go around again”

The convoy pulls into the slow lane on the freeway, and travels up to the next exit. There’s still more line marking to be completed.

“People often say why don’t you do that at night? Or why don’t you do that during the day?”

Wayne shakes his head. 

“Sometimes you can’t win”

Colin Croxford, offers some perspective. “It’s all about safety. Line marking saves lives and keeps people on the road”