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A rare pat on the back

15th February 2007
Page 9
Page 9, 15th February 2007 — A rare pat on the back
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

It is a tragedy that drivers died in the recent storms. But LGV driver L Radley suggests that we should also applaud the drivers who used their skills to get the job done, It's a iew weeks ago now, but the whole wind thing is still in the news and it's a subject that has me raging β€” so let me get this one off my chest once and for all.

OK, so 35 wagons went over that day. From what's been said in the press and what I saw myself, the vehicles concerned were pretty much all empty, light, or curtainsiders that hadn't been strapped open. I think it's fair to say that the drivers of those trucks made a bad call when they decided to continue β€”one which in some cases cost them their lives.

Please don't misunderstand me; a death among our ranks is always a cause for great sadness. What isn't right, however, is for the rest of us to be criticised when we clearly made the right decisions, as is confirmed by the fact that we and our vehicles are still here to tell the tale.

I ran right through the worst of that weather: it was extremely hard going. But I accomplished my task successfully despite the most adverse of circumstances. I used my experience to take into account the type and weight of load I was pulling; how it was affecting the vehicle; and where my own limits lay.

I decided for myself at what points in the journey I needed to leave the motorway and use more sheltered back roads β€” and that wasn't when someone decided to flash instructions up on matrix signs. I did my damned job, as did hundreds of thousands of others β€” all of whom seem to have been forgotten in the wake of the 35 who screwed up. Afterwards, all we heard was how stupid we all were and how it shouldn't be allowed.

I'm proud of the determination that got us through that day. I'm proud that so many of us made good decisions. I'm proud that there is still some spirit in this industry, and that we haven't all succumbed to believing people who tell us how to do our jobs without giving credit to those who are out there doing them.

This is the pat on the back that so many drivers deserve. Make the most of it, because they don't come our way too often.

"I did my damned job, as did hundreds of thousands of others all of whom seem to have been forgotten"

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