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21th July 1972, Page 38
21th July 1972
Page 38
Page 38, 21th July 1972 — letters
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We welcome letters for publication on transport topics. Address them to Commercial Motor, Dorset House, Stamford Street, London SE1 9LU

'UK leads Europe on training'

In my capacity as a member of the National Advisory Committee composed of chairmen of Group Training Associations, I have been privileged to attend the Third European Study Session on "Vocational training in the transport industry" organized under the patronage of the International Federation of Forwarding Agents' Associations and the International Road Transport Union, and held at the "De Doelen" Conference in Rotterdam. Representatives of European countries were in attendance and these included the Chef de Division a la Direction Generale des Transports des Communautes Europeennes, the President de l'Union Internationale des Transports Routiers (IRU) and our own directorgeneral of the Road Transport Industry Training Board and members of his staff. The session was fascinatingly interesting in that the representatives of the various countries outlined the progress which their countries had made in the field of training of both drivers and management in the road transport industry.

A point which very soon emerged was that the role of the transport industry had become accepted, particularly in the European cornmunity, as a pillar of industry rather than a servant of industry.

The most remarkable and, indeed, welcome fact to emerge, however, was that the standard of training in the United Kingdom was far in advance of the standards applying in other countries of the European Community, and the excellence of the contributions of the members of our own RTITB to the conference far excelled the contributions of the representatives of the various training organizations of the other European countries.

So noticeable was this that at the official closing session under the chairmanship of M Gerrard Dupont, president of the Association for the Development of Vocational Training in Transport (AFT France), Mr Roux, the general delegate of the European Institute for Vocational Training and director at the Department of Techniques and Pedagogy of the Association for the Development of Vocational Training in Transport (AFT France), specifically welcomed the entry of the United Kingdom into the community of the European Common Market by saying that the dynamic representation of the progress of transport training in the United Kingdom would undoubtedly be of great help in formulating methods of training throughout the other member countries.

I feel that the work of the RTITB in the field of training in the transport industry has been, in the past, greatly undervalued and the expertise of their approach coupled with the undoubted talent of the members has not been sufficiently valued by the transport operators of this country, and even less by the general public of the United Kingdom.

The very fact that their verbal explanation of the work being done in the United Kingdom so impressed the leaders of vocational training in the transport industry in other European countries was, in itself, a proof of the hard work which had gone into the setting up of our training systems and was a great compliment to their thorough understanding of our transport needs.

Let us show our own awareness of the value of our Road Transport Industry Training Board by bringing their prowess not only before the Secretary of State for Employment but indeed before the general public of our great country who. I feel, do not sufficiently realize the part played by the road transport industry in the welfare of our major industries and the general welfare of the country.

FRANK W. L. ELLIS, Chairman of the North Notts Haulage Group Training Association, and member of the National Advisory Committee of Group Training Association Chairmen.

Jack-knifing

In Commercial Motor June 30 I note that you have quoted Mr Eldon Griffiths as saying. "No anti-jack-knifing device has yet been found which will be reliable, safe and effective on all types of goods vehicles".

You also quote from the proceedings of the FISITA conference, from a paper by Muller and Czinczel entitled. "Electronic anti-skid system-performance and application", a warning that applying a low-cost design of antiwheel locking system to a vehicle could create worse hazards than conventional systems.

Following many years of handling of complex mechanisms in aircraft I also had come to the same conclusions in respect of the applications of similar mechanisms to road transport vehicles, bearing in mind that the latter do not get the same high degree of servicing as does an aircraft.

I have, however, a few suggestions whereby this kind of hazard, viz braking, skids, jackknifing, etc, can be kept to a minimum. Observations of the servicing standards of vehicles in general indicates to me that an appallingly low standard of maintenance is sustained and I believe that much of the trouble in the operation of articulated vehicles, particularly in regard to the problem of jackknifing, could be eased if much closer attention were paid to attaining a higher standard of maintenance.

The following is a list of some of the items which I think require special attention:—

a) Careful check on tyre pressures at more frequent intervals and that dust caps are fitted.

b) Condition of tyre treads to be more carefully controlled and matched.

c) Triangulation of trailer mainstructure to be checked more often.

d) Brakes to be more carefully matched and some method of controlling the rate of application of the brake retarding torque to be established.

e) Shock absorbers to be evenly matched in regard to shock-absorbing characteristics. f) Check on wear of the fifth-wheel kingp and mechanism and the use of heavy grea: avoided.

g) Brake and electric connections betwer trailer and tractor to be clean and free fro corrosion.

hl Springs on each side of the vehicle to I changed at the same time whenever it is four necessary to replace a spring.

i) Steering mechanism, including kingpin on the tractor must be maintained in fin class condition.

j) Load tb be disposed so that the mome arm is a minimum.

The above items are those pertaining to tl vehicle itself, but it is equally important th the driver should also play his part. It essential that he should be fully trained al have accumulated a vast experience of drivii under the most adverse conditions. It preferable that he should have travelled ov the particular route before whenever tl conditions are suited to skidding and jac knifing.

Were all the above conditions met and believe they are all within the nornrequirements of everday driving conditions al servicing requirements, then I am sure that ti problem of jack-knifing would be reduced a minimum.

I consider that these simple rules shou be instilled into all drivers. and servich personnel on every possible occasion and or in this way will a reduction in the rate accidents from these causes be achieved. H. J. WEBB B.Sc. (Ertl Clevedon, Somersi Try-again hgv driver

In answer to the reader who wrote (C 0 and A Bureau July 7) that he did not he an hgv driving licence, and having unsucces fully applied for a position as a trainee driv wanted to know whether he had to finan, his own training. I can tell him that I paid tl sum of £94 last year and never made it. will not find any employer to give him a jc because I've tried and without succes. They don't give anyone the right to wo today and I'm saving up to try again this year G. CASHMOR Swindon, Will

No channel

Commercial Motor July 7 states that Monad television system will be installed Victoria coach station this autumn. This is r true.

We hava obtained details from Mon Television Services Ltd of their system but ha made no decision on the question of inst lation.

B. A. ANDREIA Publicity Offic Victoria Coach Static [The information contained in our story w supplied to us by Monad Television Servici —Ed.]


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