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S ii fl clay by IAIN SHERRIFF MITA The Lorry Driver of the Year competition is more than just a pot-hunting exercise. It is training—and on Sunday the country's top men will display their skills at Bramcote in this competition sponsored by 'Commercial M °tor'.
THIS SUNDAY 289 drivers and about 15,000 spectators will converge on Gamecock Barracks, near Nuneaton, Warwickshire, for the 17th Lorry Driver of the Year final. Commercial Motor sponsors this event and it has the official recognition of the Road Transport Industry Training Board and the support of the Ministry of Transport.
The competition has been described as the biggest of its kind outside America and already a number of African states are following the pattern set by this event. The competitors will be travelling from towns as far apart as St. Austell and Aberdeen. There are 20 drivers from Belfast and Londonderry and one man is flying from Majorca to compete.
This is not the place for forecasts—colleague Jim Millen is sticking his neck out elsewhere—but indications are that the competition is going to be tough. Drivers have been treating it as a training exercise this year and some have seen it as a run-up to the heavy goods vehicle driving licence test.
In qualifying for Sunday's event, the competitors had to win their class at one of the 29 eliminating centres. A blameworthy accident in the 12 months prior to the eliminating round or the final excludes the driver. Two men who had qualified for the final have been excluded.
This year's final differs from those of previous years in that it is in three parts. To find the 10 class winners on Sunday there are four manoeuvring tests, a High way Code test and a fault-finding test.
The manoeuvring test is in four sections and comprises reversing into a loading bay, driving centrally between two pairs of off-set pylons, parking close to a kerb, and finally placing the front and rear nearside wheels of the vehicle in the centre of two targets.
Drivers will be asked to recognize road traffic signs and will also face questions on legal requirements connected with their hours of work. The fault-finding test is designed to ensure that drivers know how to examine a vehicle for mechanical fitness and legal requirements before it goes on the road, After the 10 class winners have been found they will compete against each other on four secret tests, each one taken on a different vehicle. Prior to this they will be called upon to make a physical assessment of vehicle fitness.
The vehicles for the final run-off have been supplied by Howes Motors Ltd., and the vehicles for the fitness test by Vauxhall Motors Ltd.
While the main interest will centre on the test area there are to be a number of side events to interest and amuse the spectators.
Almost as popular as the driving event is the sheeting and roping contest organized for the third successive year by British Ropes Ltd. This is a test of skill and speed in covering a vehicle with a tarpaulin and securing it with 1 in. diameter natural-fibre rope. Sunday's winner will receive a cheque for 15 and there are prizes for the runners up.
Sure to attract a large number of operators are the two advisory bureaus. East London Hydraulics Ltd, will be there to show how to care for brakes. The RTITB will meet the operators to discuss their training problems.
The Road Haulage Association will be playing host to its members and meeting those who want to know more about the Association's activities. Next to the RHA tent one of its associated organizations, the Vehicle Observer Corps, will put on the largest side attraction of the day. In a 50ft marquee the VOC will be displaying and talking about vehicle security services with experts like Mr. Jack Brown, a director of Atlas Express Ltd., and Mr. George Burrows of RHA, in attendance.
Once again the Hope Anti Jack Knife device will be on show with Mr. F. Hope and staff in attendance to talk about it.
Protective Footwear Service Ltd, is presenting a display of its products, Last year's class winners have been wearing protective footwear presented to them after the final by the company.
The Association of Industrial Road Safety Officers, the League of Safe Drivers, and the Institute of Advanced Motorists will all have stands where operators and drivers will be able to learn of the developments in road safety techniques at all levels.
A film show organized by CM will run throughout the day. Sure to attract a lot of spectators is the Ford film of its gas turbine "Big Red" which was first shown in this country at CM's Fleet Management Conference last year, The LDoY final always attracts women and children and they have not been forgotten. The Daily Mirror has promised to bring along its Children's Gala which has toured holiday resorts in England.
Woman magazine, another IPC publication, will be represented by Ruth Morgan, Helen Temple and Jean Barrett. These ladies will meet the female spectators in the hangar to answer questions on cookery, beauty and motoring.
In addition there is a prize-winning competition. Woman is looking for the perfect wife for a lorry driver.
More likely to attract the men is the Daily Mirror-sponsored test of strength sideshow and the roller cycle racing.
The British School of Motoring is organizing a mini-type LDoY for spectators using four light vans. It is expected that some 300 drivers will take this test. The highlight of this event will be when Jean Barrett of Woman challenges the transport managers who are in attendance. Another BSM attraction is the brake reaction test. If your time lag is more than 7 seconds, I understand there's something wrong.
Teams of marshals from Birmingham, Leicester, Kent, Ruislip, London, Torbay, York, Coventry and Liverpool will be marking the LDoY tests. This year in addition to the manoeuvring and Highway Code sections there is a section on fault finding in both the class championships and in the final run-off. This is completely new and could well upset the -experts' " forecasts.