u/optimisticjaguar

Hello everyone

Normally a confident female late 40s driver who loves driving

Today, heading to Brisbane from the Gold Coast… Somewhere past Logan motorway exit and around Slacks Creek on M1 —- driving on the M1 - minding my own business…

And suddenly - from the left most lane - this huge double train semi trailer truck out of my peripheral vision - I saw it angling towards me in the middle lane… Way too rapidly… (it wasn’t even bad weather like yesterday)

(just an FYI, this truck was a bland brown double trailer truck… like the ones u see going to construction sites - It wasn’t one of those ones which had the banner or the company name printed all over the sides)

I honked my horn —- but he didn’t stop and seconds later… I felt his truck hit my passenger side…(I had luckily dropped my son to work half an hour ago…) and drag along the passenger side… And then I realized that it wasn’t just one semi trailer. It had a trailer attached to it with the second equally large truck load… Dragging against the body of my car… it was all I could do going at 100+ kilometers an hour… Gripping onto my wheel… And not being pushed into the right lane and onto other cars

The truck didn’t stop… It bolted ahead and I tried my hardest to memorize the rego number…before the truck went to too far ahead for me to see clearly

I tried to look for a shoulder to stop, but apparently Brisbane M1 doesn’t have much of a shoulder… And so I had to get into the left lane… And look to exit… All of this happening within seconds a car came past me two guys in there… Waving and pointing to the truck in front thumbs up… And zoomed ahead next to the truck… Possibly to grab a picture of the Driver maybe I don’t know but I had to exit right there as soon as I saw the exit… And stopped the car because I could smell something burning and didn’t know what extent the damage was.

I called my brother. My fingers were shaking… he was just about to leave the house for work and he was about eight minutes away thank goodness… And I just sat there completely shaken and bawling my eyes out. I don’t think I’ve cried like that since I was a baby… I was near hysterical by the time he got there… And he helped me call the police… and they put me through the ambulance… Who then came and checked me over… I didn’t even know where I was ..my brother had to tell them where my location was… There was a police report done pictures taken…

Incredibly because it’s a BMW - and a small one at that… It looked from outside, like not much damage… For the size and speed with which double truck was barreling through my passenger side

I was on the phone with insurance for three hours this afternoon

They said as long as you don’t have the full name - drivers license and the address of the driver, we can’t supply with the loan car… I also had to pay a full excess… To lodge the claim and get my car towed … cause they said once we establish that it is a no fault… Which can take weeks by the way… Is when I will get my excess back…and then maybe I can get a loan car… But what am I gonna do in the meantime?

I have to go to work… How will I earn a living to pay the amount of excess… somehow my fault because obviously being barraged by a gigantic double truck I should have been able to take a picture somehow of the driver who was meters above me - and also stopped to ask him his full name and address, right which of course he would’ve given so willingly… While he was bolting away on the M1

I need your advice:

- how likely is it that the company that the Rego belongs to…(which I’ve submitted to the police and the insurance company -as well as photos of the damage) how likely and common is it that the company denies that the driver or the truck was even on that highway at that time ? Surely they have to log every journey… And the roster of each staff member?

- I’ve been told there are cameras on the M1… But surely they’re not in every spot… And he possibly knew there was no camera there? And even if there is a camera further ahead or just before… How often do they delete? How easy easy to get access to the videos and with the police do that or would they just blame it on privacy laws?

- I’m really nervous and very anxious… very grateful that I was on the driver side, and my son had just been dropped off for work… Very grateful that I had held on very strongly to the steering wheel… And hadn’t veered into the right (fast lane) -

since this incident this afternoon… All I’ve been reading is the post about the poor woman who passed away on the M1 crash… And that could’ve been very very closely me… or sustaining very serious injuries for life - I’m incredibly grateful for the angels that have protected me

But I’m not sure where I stand and I’m hoping for any advice or guidance

Thanks

Hello everyone

Normally a confident female late 40s driver who loves driving

Today, heading to Brisbane from the Gold Coast… Somewhere past Logan motorway exit and around Slacks Creek on M1 —- driving on the M1 - minding my own business…

And suddenly - from the left most lane - this huge double train semi trailer truck out of my peripheral vision - I saw it angling towards me in the middle lane… Way too rapidly… (it wasn’t even bad weather like yesterday)

(just an FYI, this truck was a bland brown double trailer truck… like the ones u see going to construction sites - It wasn’t one of those ones which had the banner or the company name printed all over the sides)

I honked my horn —- but he didn’t stop and seconds later… I felt his truck hit my passenger side…(I had luckily dropped my son to work half an hour ago…) and drag along the passenger side… And then I realized that it wasn’t just one semi trailer. It had a trailer attached to it with the second equally large truck load… Dragging against the body of my car… it was all I could do going at 100+ kilometers an hour… Gripping onto my wheel… And not being pushed into the right lane and onto other cars

The truck didn’t stop… It bolted ahead and I tried my hardest to memorize the rego number…before the truck went to too far ahead for me to see clearly

I tried to look for a shoulder to stop, but apparently Brisbane M1 doesn’t have much of a shoulder… And so I had to get into the left lane… And look to exit… All of this happening within seconds a car came past me two guys in there… Waving and pointing to the truck in front thumbs up… And zoomed ahead next to the truck… Possibly to grab a picture of the Driver maybe I don’t know but I had to exit right there as soon as I saw the exit… And stopped the car because I could smell something burning and didn’t know what extent the damage was.

I called my brother. My fingers were shaking… he was just about to leave the house for work and he was about eight minutes away thank goodness… And I just sat there completely shaken and bawling my eyes out. I don’t think I’ve cried like that since I was a baby… I was near hysterical by the time he got there… And he helped me call the police… and they put me through the ambulance… Who then came and checked me over… I didn’t even know where I was ..my brother had to tell them where my location was… There was a police report done pictures taken…

Incredibly because it’s a BMW - and a small one at that… It looked from outside, like not much damage… For the size and speed with which double truck was barreling through my passenger side

I was on the phone with insurance for three hours this afternoon

They said as long as you don’t have the full name - drivers license and the address of the driver, we can’t supply with the loan car… I also had to pay a full excess… To lodge the claim and get my car towed … cause they said once we establish that it is a no fault… Which can take weeks by the way… Is when I will get my excess back…and then maybe I can get a loan car… But what am I gonna do in the meantime?

I have to go to work… How will I earn a living to pay the amount of excess… somehow my fault because obviously being barraged by a gigantic double truck I should have been able to take a picture somehow of the driver who was meters above me - and also stopped to ask him his full name and address, right which of course he would’ve given so willingly… While he was bolting away on the M1

I need your advice:

- how likely is it that the company that the Rego belongs to…(which I’ve submitted to the police and the insurance company -as well as photos of the damage) how likely and common is it that the company denies that the driver or the truck was even on that highway at that time ? Surely they have to log every journey… And the roster of each staff member?

- I’ve been told there are cameras on the M1… But surely they’re not in every spot… And he possibly knew there was no camera there? And even if there is a camera further ahead or just before… How often do they delete? How easy easy to get access to the videos and with the police do that or would they just blame it on privacy laws?

- I’m really nervous and very anxious… very grateful that I was on the driver side, and my son had just been dropped off for work… Very grateful that I had held on very strongly to the steering wheel… And hadn’t veered into the right (fast lane) -

since this incident this afternoon… All I’ve been reading is the post about the poor woman who passed away on the M1 crash… And that could’ve been very very closely me… or sustaining very serious injuries for life - I’m incredibly grateful for the angels that have protected me

But I’m not sure where I stand and I’m hoping for any advice or guidance

Thanks

So now, I’m keen to hear from people

IF this has ACTUALLY happened to anyone

(because I actually have a job offer in my hand… A letter …written job offer… not verbal only…

Of course, my mind is turning to other things

So last night I got thinking)

With the amount of time and the length of time… It took from my application in October… To getting this actual job offer… In May… (And this is even without the other organization that’s offered me a role that needs to do negative vetting … which might take another few months)

If I was applying for APS jobs and got pregnant about that time… I’m thinking has anyone been in a situation… Where this has happened… And by the time they actually get approved cleared and a job offer in hand… They’re about to have the baby?

And if it has happened… what has been what steps what processes are in place… Because it really wasn’t the applicants fault that the length of time was so… lengthy?

So with great excitement and anxiety, after a lot of back and forth, I’ve finally received the formal letter of offer for an APS6 role with the ATO.

I’m super excited yet at the same time, I’m also nervous as I’m returning to accounting/tax after a long time away from the industry. I’ve spent the last few years in education, so returning to my original passion - tax - this feels pretty surreal.

I am so grateful …with all the redundancies and hiring freezes everyone has been talking about… I made it! Yay! 🎉 I can finally breathe a sigh of relief and look forward to starting within the next few weeks.

I had the following questions - which I would appreciate guidance on:

Superannuation:

• If you already had an existing super fund like QSuper/Australian Retirement Trust, did you stay with it or move to the APS preferred fund or another option? Any suggestions are welcome.

Other questions:

• What helped you most when adjusting to APS systems, processes and ways of working in the beginning?

• If you start at the lower end of APS6, how does progression usually work point by point within the level? Is it generally one point per year?

• I understand EL1 is a much bigger jump and probably something that happens much later on, but generally …how many years does it usually take for people to move from APS6 to EL1 if that’s something they want? What are some of the things to focus on and some of the things to be wary of?

• Also, for people who seem to progress more quickly than average, what qualities or behaviours tend to make leadership see them as someone ready for higher responsibilities sooner? Any tips or strategies on how to build those skills and demonstrate them professionally?

Really looking forward to starting this next chapter and keen to hear any advice people might have.

Thanks!