Scarcity of Drivers with Local Knowledge
Page 31
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WHAT Mr. C. S. Dunbar states in your issue for vv January 16 regarding the scarcity of drivers with local knowledge is true, so far as the carriage of " smalls" is concerned. Furthermore, in my' opinion, these men have not been placed in the important category to which they undoubtedly belong.
I have done a considerable amount of driving in the black-out and quite candidly admit that I do not like it; therefore I can sympathize with ;the trunk driver, who, at this time of the year, performs much of his duty in the dark. On regular routes, however, he has now some places of call where he can obtain refreshment and rest or a chat with his confreres. Invariably his vehicle is loaded and serviced before he takes over and..on arrival at his destination his work is finished.
The driver of the "smalls" vehicle, however, to be efficient has to be a keen business man. He must possess a full knowledge of his particular district, so that, in the first place, his vehicle is loaded in sequence
of deliveries. . He is often in a position of trust, and responsible for the collection of large sums of money for c.o.d. items; also, he must obtain full and correct signatures for all that he delivers. He should be observant and so be able to obtain, directly or indirectly, more traffic for his employer, often from places of call where he may see parcels being prepared for dispatch. Quite frequently he is called upon to give rates and such other information as is desired by a customer or potential customer. Above all, courtesy is essential.
The " smalls " driver can, in an emergency, carry out a return trip as a trunk driver, but it is indeed rare to find a trunk driver successfully tackling the job of the man on "smalls."
Curiously enough, however, the driver-salesman usually gets paid considerably less than the trunk man, although he, too, often works in the black-out and in congested traffic. R. P. BOWYER. Watford.