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tiiii ik` • II
Page 9
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Despite the current economic woes, it's not all doom and gloom in the industry — as Rikki Chequer finds out.
So is it all that bad in the world of road transport at the moment? Its true that well-paid work is difficult to come by, and that drivers' wages are still being driven downwards by supply outstripping demand.
But the industry is being shown in a positive light by some. Data Academy, an HGV driver training school, recently held a free open day at an old airfield. This gave the public the chance to experience driving trucks, even if they didn't have a provisional licence. Advertised both locally and on the TruckNet UK forums, the slots for driving the trucks quickly became fully booked. Data Academy also arranged for experienced industry professionals to be on hand (some drawn from the TruckNet UK forums) to talk about various aspects of the job, such as ADR.
Data Academy freely admits that it hopes anyone who tries for their vocational licence as a result of the HGV driving experience chooses to learn with them, but also says the intention of the day was to give members of the public a better understanding of the issues around HGVs. Certainly, the feedback from those taking part suggests this was achieved.
The East Coast Truckers club receives a fair bit of coverage in this column, and for good reason. These guys spend a lot of their own time and money ensuring that disadvantaged children get the chance of a day out that they may never otherwise have.
The famous annual 'Children's Convoy' is the flagship event for the club's activities.
Recently, two coachloads of children were treated to a day out at the UK truckshow at Santa Pod raceway in Northamptonshire. The children were escorted for the day by club members, fed a BBQ dinner and light afternoon tea at the club trailer, and presented with gifts by truck accessories company CDC.
Both of the above are great examples of the positive things we as an industry can do given a little determination and desire.