Low bridges or high loads
Page 53
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WHILE FEELING reasonably certain that most operators ensure that drivers take the greatest care in dealing with high loads and low bridges, I have a sneaking feeling that more needs to be done to prevent the snarl-ups which inevitably follow this kind of incident. Nor is the problem confined to other operators and fellow road users caught-up in delays, missed appointments, missed sailings etc.
. The general public is made aware of the failure of some member of our fraternity to comply with the rules, and the current climate cannot be said to be entirely favourable where the use of heavy lorries is involved.
Recent business appointments have taken me regularly to a busy Home Counties venue adjoining a bridge with a clearance of 13ft. 3in. and I have been amazed by the number of indicents in broad daylight.
How drivers fail to know what clearance they have is a puzzle I am not likely to readily appreciate. Trying to get nearly 14ft 6in. through the opening listed above is just one case in point. So why does it happen?
The bridge is clearly marked to show the available headroom, although at night the indicator board is not too well lighted, but then one does not expect such traffic at night. I encountered one incident early one winter's afternoon, but an early dusk was responsible and one could not say that the driver was to blame, although the,fact remains that he was trying to squeeze a load through an aperture through which it was never intended to go.
Many operators do now indicate in their cabs the maximum
height of vans, headboards etc., but the eventual loading of flats is not always carefully controlled. One prime source of trouble is the conveyance of plant and equipment on low-loaders. Here, too often there seemsto be a spirit of "the sky being the limit.In some instances, authorities have erected dummy height indicators to the approaches to low headroom bridges, and very successful they are, but in the present economic climate one can hardly expect cash to be expended on further measures.
There is an over-riding necessity for everybody to be made aware of the problem of low bridges, and for the proper evasive action to be taken to avoid spills and hold-ups. This will often mean a diversion to a route capable of taking the high load. It may mean more fuel consumption, but frankly that's the only answer to this problem. Yours truly, NIGEL BREEZE.
They tell us your too young
SIX MONTHS ago I was looking through the TGWU Professional Drivers" handbook when I came across the young hgv drivers' scheme. I wrote away for information and when I received it I was advised to go to see my area training officer. which I did.
After obtaining useful information from him, I wrote to every haulage firm within my travelling distance. But every letter I had back said that there was no chance at all.
My area training officer told me that the firms had to have all classes of vehicles plus workshop facilities. And they must be passed by the RTITB. So as you may have gathered I have been unable to get fixed up with a job in the road haulage industry.
But what really annoys me is that I know someone on the scheme who lives with and is employed by his father, who only has class three vehicles and no workshop. So how was he passed by the RTITB.
I ant disgusted that there is no chance of me getting on to this scheme. My only ambition is to gain all classes' licences and finally do long distance work. But my only ambition looks as if it will have to come to an end as I will never be able to afford the hgv training and test fees.
S. M. STOCKMAN Devizes, Wilts.
Sour grapes sour bread?
THIS LETTER is not ''sour grapes". URTU is useless to an hgv driver in this business be cause he is always out voted by salesmen who form the bulk of the membership. We cannot swop to TGWU, because, of various reasons, one of which is a no poaching agreement between URTU and T&G we hear.
Last week a fitter took a fourwheel rigid to Wales for bread, a different fitter went to Bristol; twice: a packer foreman is doing an overnight shops run; the forklift driver is doing night shop runs, although he is a union member.
Nobody thinks it strange that for five nights last week an artic left Plymouth at midnight to arrive in Birmingham at 5.30am to tip and load by 7am, return to Bristol, There a fitter took it over to get to Plymouth by 12.30pm, the original driver returning in the Marina van that the fitter had been driving. That's 430 miles a night, and probably illegal.
It is bad enough normally to drive 200 miles a night, six nights a week (two trips a night load and unloading) on some of the worst roads in Cornwall in worn out trucks (10 years life expectancy for a unit — 20 years for a trailer) but when someone starts extolling the virtues of our union as well that is too much.
Perhaps Mr Bailey (CM April 5) would be interested in our experiences with URTU.
This union fought so very hard at the annual wage negotiations that they managed to win a princely £61.72 for 40 hours for a Class 1 driver.
Not long ago, we called in our regional officer to try to stop the use of non-union drivers because we have a closed shop agreement; the union's solution was to sell the company four' blank union cards. We now have .fitters, bakers, packers, etc, driving lorries — artics as well — and this without consulting us!
So you could be right Mr Bailey, unlike the TGWU, this union is not interested in "'screwing the gaffer for another £1 note", but we feel your
assumption that it seems -to be interested in lorry drivers" is a little suspect.
In our industry the bread salesman calls the tune.
THE TRUNKER DRIVERS, Mothers Pride Bakery, Plymouth.