Running CM LDoY Finah is a man-size Us'
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Denis Teer, clerk of the course, tells John Durant how he does it: with the aid of 160 marshals — all in aid of road safety
VOLUNTARY EFFORT is the key to the organisation of the CM Lorry Driver of the Year contest, and as Finals day — September 12 at Cranfield — approaches, the accent is on effort.
It will be a big day for 6ft 7in Dennis Teer, national clerk of the course. However, he is not the man to make a big production number out of it; when the chief organiser of the events is not in too obvious prominence, the day is likely to be going well — as it did last year, his second time in charge.
But there is plenty to be done before the Finals. On a recent evening, as he went out to a local road safety meeting, Denis said to his wife (CM was not there, but this is the gist of it): "Could you start addressing these 120 envelopes asking marshals to come, dear?" When he returned home after the meeting with a friend, they finished off the letters.
For organising the contest requires voluntary effort that involves family, friends and business acquaintances. However, there is a social side: meeting old pals and acquaintances in transport is a bonus. And they enjoy the rounds and the Finals.
Denis is centre secretary for the London and South Ruislip round, which was held on June 13. Venture Scouts from this area will be among those helping at Cranfield for the Finals. They will camp out — as part of their outdoor activity training.
But over half the marshals, he says, belong either to the Institute of Advanced Motorists or RoSPA's Advanced Driver Organisation (formerly the League of Safe Drivers). They all do an excellent job, he adds. Those who are asked to arrive on Saturday and stay the night receive no expenses; those who officiate on Sunday "only get a little bit."
How does one rise to become the national clerk of the course? In Denis's case he was in a car at the 1979 Finals with his father, A. E. Tear, who held the position for several years, Gordon Asbury, who at that time held this post, and Peter Drury, an entlsiastic road safety campaign' They told him: "You're the c vious choice." The LDoY coun obviously concurred; and Der accepted.
Denis is a vehicle accident al road safety manager for Ca bury Schweppes, based in St ) bans, Hertfordshire. His firm, says, has been very good helping him when possible. the job now runs in the fern (comes September it runs ti family). This will be the 12 Finals he has attended in oi capacity or another; his first w in the Fort Dunlop days.
As clerk of the course he h to devise the contests with colleagues on the regulatioi sub-committee and personal try all the tests before the Fine in order to obviate any sugge tion that the times are impc sible. He has an hgv 1 drivir licence. Before holding his pr sent position at Cadbury Sc weppes he was on the instru tional side.
The tests held on the Sund morning at the Finals are bas4 on the standard width (20ft) of road. More intricate tests c wider roads would take too lor then, he says, but are all right fi the afternoon.
While the CM LDoY ag discusses the regulations ar the tests, he points out that order to ensure maximu secrecy, hence fairness, m even the LDoY full council aware of the tests decided upc for each year's Finals.
The other members of the r gulations sub-committee al Ron Boyce, who owns and rur a transport business in Live pool; Peter Drury; Ted Tee Gordon Asbury, ex Road Tran port Industry Training Boar now with the Royal Society fl the Prevention of Accidents; Si Potter*; John Grimshaw, a roa safety officer with Wiltshit County Council; and John Well ex officio as national organisir secretary.
*Now retired after mar rears' service in the transport livision of BOC.
While the event now spans No days, the Finals themselves the driving — all take place on he second day. The marshals lumber 160 — the seniors and hief marshals receive a proper Iriefing and written instructions ,n the Saturday so that veryone is clued up for the big lay. Denis likes to to have the norning events finished in good Ime to allow for lunch with 2pm estart and prizegiving over by pm.
Last year Princess Anne did he honours and around a dozen the behind-the-scenes workers were presented to her. lenis says she was "absolutely harming, enthusiastic pbout the vent and asked knowledgeable uestions".
While on the subject of the uneen workers, mention should e made of the team from RAF It Athan which now attends very year. RAF NC0s, headed ly a Warrant Officer, handle the results in the scoring office — they also sort out paper work on Saturday. "Their expertise," says Denis, "goes a long way towards the prompt production of the results." Why RAF St Athan? Squadron Leader Williams is chairman of the South Wales LDoY Centre, and obtains 11 volunteers.
Denis himself has to get to Cranfield by Wednesday — with Peter Drury, who is luckily, almost a neighbour; they both live in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. At Cranfield — in Bedfordshire — 16 tests are waiting to be marked out.
Unfortunately there are no SAS volunteers — the bending and stretching involved in get ting the site ready is quite physical but Denis says he enjoys it. He meets old friends; but his major motivation is road safety. So long as he is involved that will be the emphasis behind the competition. "Some companies are losing sight of the reason for the CM LDoY — road safety — because of the kudos attached to winning the event," he says. Denis is vice-chairman of the Berkhamsted Road Safety Committee.
"While no one drives, thinking 'I must not have an accident, else I can't compete in the LDoY', this competition must instil a moderating effect, and more skill is equivalent to more safety," he says. The competi tion rule is that no entrant may have had a blameworty (that is the word quoted) accident in the 12 months up to and including Finals day. Or any licence endorsement.
Total entries at the rounds this year have been down — only London has had more than 100 entrants. But even so that means something over 2,000 drivers. And standards at the top have remained high. "I am pleased to see some Services entries are through to the Finals," he says.
"I must appeal to firms to resist the easy saving of a few pounds by not entering but to support the competition and road safety. At £12 an entry it is easy for a firm to save £100 — but spending the small sum on a driver is an investment in his future. On the other hand it could be a mistake at the moment to aim for 40 to 50 centres; this would swamp the Sunday event and most firms would not stand the expense of two days. Neither is reducing classes a good idea. But many centres could double their entry and cope.
"The competition does need a fillip, but in the current economic climate it is difficult to know what to do. We are getting conflicting reports from the centres. Some say that drivers have been put off by the consistent winners from major companies."
I asked: "What about suggestions that oil companies and large firms organise their own mini finals in order for their entrants to practise?"
"I find it hard to believe they can afford that," he replied.
"They don't know the tests, so cannot practise the Finals. Asking drivers about the Highway Code, C and U Regulations, codes of practice and Transport Acts can only be good for them, whether they swot up the right questions or not," I asked: "What do you think of commercial vehicle driving standards you see during the year on the roads?"
"The worst aspect of heavies driving on the motorway is that they drive too close together," he said, "whether at 35 or 60mph. The LDoY has questions on thinking, braking and stopping distances. We ask entrants to drive towards a vehicle and stop, say, 40 yards from it. The penalty points for stopping too close are ten times heavier than being too far away.
"I would like to see the return of the road route test, but it is impossible at Cranfield." His worst moment as clerk of the course? "The weather gives us our worst moments," he replied. "At Bramcote we saw £10,000 worth of marques going into the far distance one day. And one year at Cranfield we started with no marshals for three tests. But with our splendid volunteers we always cope."
What more could be done by others to help the competition? "There is scope for county organisations to give more help; some give none at all. Possibly also the Department of Transport should help, particularly by advertising the centre rounds and the main event generally."
From the point of view of safety he believes it is good for commercial vehicle cabs to be equipped with radios in order for the drivers to be able to listen to light music, to relieve boredom and traffic reports.
He is not in favour of Citizens' Band radio; his company refuses to cover sets on insurance and drivers are advised not to use them on the move. Cabs these days are more comfortable and this is particularly important, he says. Cadbury Schweppes recently spent £450 for a special seat for a car driver with back problems.
For the Finals this year he reckons he has enough volunteers. But would anyone like to run another centre? Or suggest a new venue? The North London Centre venue will, for instance, be needed for the Hayes by-pass construction. Any ideas?
While things are being tidied up nicely for the driving contests at the Finals, I should mention that for the other side to the event — the "sideshows" though that term does not sound grand enough to describe some activities, like a good number of new lorries available for test drives — there is still time to approach the organisers. But for this don't phone Denis, but contact the national organising secretary, John Wells — that's his job and the expense of his office with secretary is, incidentally, CM's major financial contribution to the organisation — telephone 01-661 3097.
FOUR ex champions will be amoung the 300 drivers contesting the CM Lorry Driver of the Year finals at Cranfield on September 12.
They are: Tom Kerr, who drives for Esso, LDoY in 1978, who competed in a Seddon Atkinson at the West of Scotland Centre (Class H). Lloyd Richards (Heavy Transport (ECC)), LDoY in 1972 and '74, from Torbay in an ERF (Class 0). C. G. Reilly (Petrofina), LDoY in 1969, from North Humberside in a Leyland (Class F).
And Roy Withers (Midlands BRS) LDoY in 1977, from Birmingham in a Scammell (Class H).
In addition, H. Marriott, from the Norwich Centre, is a registered Young HGV Driver, and as such also will be driving on the Finals days in a special contest for young drivers. He came through in a Fiat in Class D. Unfortunately, no ladies have come through to the Finals this year.