R&J Transport
Page 22
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Iwish to complain about the contents of your report on R&J Transport Ltd (CM 6-12 March). First, the court was cleared of everyone except Mr Seymour, the Clerk, Mr R McGowan and Mrs J McGowan.
Second, the hearing was solely to investigate their financial standing. The licence was granted to R & J Transport Limited and not as incorrectly headlined in your report as licence for Hurdsmans'. I agree that their CPC holder is Jayne's father Geoff Hurdsman. However. I cannot understand why by implication you suggest he is a man of controversy. His good repute was never lost. His good maintenance record was never lost. His pleas in court and at the Traffic Commissioners hearing were not guilty.
He was proved not guilty. The case did collapse, but that was the fault not of Mr Hurdsman but of others.
Please do not pillory this young couple who are starting out in this business with their own finances and motivation. Help them all you can by being supportive. If there is fair and accurate criticism then they will accept it, but do be considerate, compassionate and caring when you publish your reports.
We are surely in the business of serving the nation by safe and honest methods not to get a quick sale by exploitation of young hauliers just rising from the ashes of devastation.
RJ Taylor,
PR Security Service, Osuestry
Overloads—a simple solution?
yet again I come across a rare read in prison—a copy of Commercial Motor (6-12 March)—and, yet again, I read with continued dismay that drivers, operators and owners are still being stopped and fined for overweight axles/trailers after many, many years of this practice, either accidentally (weighbridge code of practice) or deliberately.
Now we read that the highest judges in our country are stating that the haulier knows, or ought to know, when his vehicle is overweight.
So why, with today's technology and electronics, hasn't someone like Lucas Kienzle and Avery (scales) come up with a pretty simple solution like having a digital potentiometer attached to the axle air suspension units, or the load sensing lever/valve, with a digital display in the cab showing either one, two or three or total axle weights as the vehicle is loaded?
A set of Avery kitchen scales—digital screen type— adapted on a percentage of x1,000kg would give a readout. Computer analysis would give each axle reading plus the vehicle total weight loaded.
'rhere is an easier way: as a vehicle is loaded its chassis sinks lower and lower on its springs/suspension. For each type of vehicle or trailer manufactured, take one tape measure, and when the vehicle/trailer is plated, take the measurement from groundlevel up to the underneath of the trailer/unit at each axle point, and record the measurement!
Sidney C Hart (eximechanic)
Her Majesty :s Prison Brixton
Why should we
suffer?
After reading today's issue relating to the blockade of Dover by JS Cook and the comment from Brian Weatherley, I can only say I totally agree with Clifford Skingley.
Why should the French, Greek and Spanish be allowed to get away with this while the UK haulier suffers? It's about time we stood up for ourselves and about time the Government, RHA and FTA backed UK European hauliers.
Craig T Colledge Gutsborough, Cleveland.