Conversations with Truckies: Looking at Life through Glass

Gaining entry to the long-haul trucking industry is difficult for an 'outsider'. In the case of truck drivers it is made more difficult by their mobility. Truckies are sometimes labelled as deviants, separate from the broader working community. This research, which focused on male drivers, resulted in gaining information around issues such as why they chose the profession, and economic factors. The research was conducted by building a relationship with the participants while riding along with them, and the 'data' was the collected information; hence the title of this paper. The value of the research collection was the breakthrough of stereotypes in order to present life and work as the truckies themselves see it. These Australian voices are found missing in research about the transport industry. The results of the research are a greater understanding of the influence of economic factors and industry regulations in the long-haul industry, particularly concerning health and safety. The aim of the work was to continue building an understanding of working people's lives and pass that understanding on to 'outsiders': essentially giving workers a voice.