DEAR
Page 36
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SIR
• Your article "Nine Below Zero" published in the January 21-27 edition we found very interesting and we find no fault with any of your comments or findings, although we would suggest that any future survey you carry out should be based on more than one sample in order to give a truly representative result.
With your assistance we have been able to track down the one location from which you drew the "representative" sample of Q8 derv. Regrettably, as a result of recent reorganisation, you sampled a location that had not been supplied with product emanating from Q8 sources or exchanges — a situation that has now been rectified.
We would, however, wish to advise you and your readers that this was an abnormal circumstance and wish to confirm that since November 1987 any direct customers of Kuwait Petroleum (GB) Limited, Kuwait Petroleum Fuels or of our international diesel sales network certainly received dery fuel that met, and was better than, the current industry winter norm of —15°C CFPP, and they will continue to do so.
C M C Colvin Smith Kuwait Petroleum • In a recent test of the Sherpa 350 LWB (CM, 30 January-3 February) I see that your tester likes the position of the handbrake next to the gear lever.
No doubt this is because it is out of the way when leaving the driver's seat. However, after reading that a driver was dismissed after leaving his tractor before setting the handbrake and thus causing an accident, it occurred to me that if the handbrake lever was on the right side, pushing the lever forward for "on" and back for "off", forgetting to set the handbrake before leaving the vehicle need never happen because it could be arranged that in the "off" position it would be in the way and barring the exit. I must admit that being able to engage gear and almost at the same time release the brake with the right hand seems quicker and spreads the load between both hands.
J B Cheverton Brighstone, loW MORE ABOUT THOSE HEADHUNTERS • I refer to your article "The Headhunters" (CM 26 November-2 December 1988) which was found to be interesting and frustrating.
Two of the backdrop headings for positions vacant I had applied for and was not considered for interview. Two other positions which have been advertised in Commercial Motor I have also applied for. One organisation took 10 months to reply to invite me for interview — three months later I still await results. The other took four months to reply and invite me for formal interview, five months later I still await result. All four positions I would consider senior appointments in the motor industry.
I have been employed in the motor industry for 30 years — as an apprentice, vehicle technician, workshop foreman, vehicle examiner and transport manager.
My absence record from work during that time has been 21/2 days sickness and two days snowbound. I am qualified by examination to technician engineer, member of the Institute of Road Transport, member of the Institute of the Motor Industry, City and Guilds Full Technician Certificate.
So what, may I enquire, are "Head Hunters" looking for when they review an application form?
John McCallum February). However the accompanying script left out one sentence which was quite important to us as a charity. It is; "The charity is actively seeking sponsors and spares for its other trucks."
The mobile workshop is one of five trucks that are destined for a community well drilling project in Sudan. The flagship of the fleet is the water drilling rig, mounted on a 4x4 Bedford RL diesel. The truck was overhauled by Wincanton Garages in Helston, who have always been of great support to us. The rig also uses a Listei SR3 diesel and a Ford 2.7 Industrial diesel. Spares are welcome.
Another interesting vehicle is the RL water tanker. The ex-Army chassis cab was donated by Cornwall County Council. Redruth Skilicentre completely rebuilt it as a training project for unemployed technicians. They fitted a new cab (donated by LW Vass) as well as a 330 diesel engine. Fitted with taps, the tanks came out of old fire engines, and their sides are ideal for advertising.
An AEC 6x6 was also donated by the council. It has an AV223 diesel and when finished will carry the heavy hardware. We have no spares for this vehicle, as well as needing 1,400 x 20 tyres.
Cornwall Fire Brigade have donated a Leyland Laird Water Tanker. It has the 698UBAK 5.7 engine and a Coventry Climax-powered pump: again, we have as yet no spares for this vehicle. All these trucks are just about ready to start their new life in Sudan. But as yet we do not have enough money to pay for the shipping, so at present fundraising is our main activity.
Any help will be very welcome; phone (0209) 890353. Neil Battersby Action Water TIDO STRONGBOX JUST AS LICHIT • I read, with great interest, Alan Bunting's article on the Hoynor double-deck trailer currently in operation with Fashionflow, but there appear to be some errors in the facts as stated.
The trailer is reported to be, constructed using 30nun-thick Glasonit glass-reinforced plastic and plywood sidewalls, but to the best of my knowledge, this material is only manufactured up to a nominal thickness of 23mm, which is in fact the material currently used on the double-deck trailers manufactured by Tidd Strongbox.
Since the trailer is basically constructed in a very similar method to the Tidd trailer it would follow that the unladen weight would also be similar, and therefore, I am most surprised to read that the unladen weight of this trailer is "around 6400 kilos", which is in fact similar to the weight of a tandem-axle GRP straight frame trailer.
During the development of the Tidd Strongbox range of double-deck trailers, we have done a great deal of work in trying to keep unladen weight as low as possible, while also building a trailer which will operate at the maximum permissable plated weight.
Tony Barber UK sales manager Tidd Strongbox LITTERS BROUGHT RESULTS • A big thank you to Commercial Motor for forwarding the letter you received from a Stoke on Trent company as a result of your publication of my previous letter, "Job centre for traffic manager" (CM 10-16 December).
I have also been contacted by another company from the Manchester area for the same reason.
I have had more response because you published my letter than from the many job applications I have written. A Robertson Bentley, Surrey.