Weights report 'spur for whisky transport'
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T IS almost inevitable that arguments in favour of heavier orries from the Scottish Freight Transport Association should * equated with the benefits this would bring to the country's owhisky industry.
Whisky is one of Scotland's most important exports and the more she can sell the better.
At the Scottish campaign to launch the case for the introluction of a 40-tonne weight limit the whisky argument came from Scottish regional controller Jack Welsh. He pointed out that a 32.5 tonne vehicle could only carry 1200 cases of whisky, the equal of a 75 per cent load of a 40 tonne trailer.
Although the journey to port might only be 50 miles the whisky container may then have to travel a further 5000 miles 25 per cent empty. If the weight limit was increased, a further 400 cases could be carried and the container fully laden.
A Ford Transcontinental used by a Glasgow district council for land reclamation would be able to carry 18 bails of waste to the dump instead of the present 14 which in turn would save ratepayers money.
Mr Welsh pressed home the message that heavier did not mean bigger.
In support of these —14 tonne lorries, he said that Scotland moved a tremendous amount of materials by road within the UK and to ports for export. Any move toward greater efficiency would mean significant journey savings for exports.
Mr Welsh said the association had come to the conclusion that a heavier lorry was essential. He hoped publication of the report would act as a spur for the much needed debate on the issue and this in turn would lead to the specification for an acceptable heavier lorry.