Stand up for hauliers Make this your year
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WHATEVER ELSE the outcome of the Armitage Report and the subsequent debates in Parliament and country may have done, it made it plain that road transport is an unloved industry. It is at best tolerated.
Much of the problem lies with the industry. It shuns the limelight; backs off from publicity; fails to promote itself.
During 1983 CM is ready to support operators and manufacturers in presenting a new image to those who detract from its value to the nation. But words come easy, it is action that matters. We intend to act.
Already we have planned a series of events which are designed to show politicians and the public that road transport is a caring, careful and essential element of the community.
Our campaign will be successful, to what degree depends on how much effort goes into it. We are in for 100 per cent effort — what about you? Can we enlist your support?
If you want involvement in the campaign write to the editor with your offer and your suggestions. They will receive the attentive ear but not the silent tongue.
Now read on . .
THIS MONTH (January) in association with Leyland Vehicles we are hosting an Engineers' Workshop at Woodcote Park, Surrey. The subject is the 38tonne vehicle. This is restricted to 50 invited fleet engineers and will be fully reported in CM.
As the title implies, it is a working day, not a conference. Five knowledgeable transport men from across the industry will lead discussions on aspects of the heavier vehicle.
Former head of the Road Freight Division of the Department of Transport, R. J. E. Dawson will get things moving when he clarifies the legislation and guides the group through the maze of legislation which produced 38 tonnes.
Walter Batstone, chief engineer at the NFC, will keep the discussion rolling when he looks at the implications from a working engineer's viewpoint.
What are the cost implications of 38 tonnes? Terry Goldrick, chief engineer of the Freight Transport Association, tackles this important operational subject.
Leyland Vehicles will provide a discussion leader on the problems which manufacturers face to meet the legislative and operational demands.
Keith Buckby of York Trailers and Graham Thompson of Crane Fruehauf will be barraged with questions when they take up the cost of trailer building and conversion.
We hope the national press will see fit to report the proceedings. This is our first step in helping to change the public image of road transport. More, much more follows in 1983.
Mark Vane Memorial Trophy
MARK VANE (19) was the victim of a fatal accident in Kent in October 1982. He was a very popular young man with many friends in the area.
His many friends decided to establish a permanent memorial to Mark and a subscription list was opened. They then decided that it should have a road transport connection. Mark's ambition was to follow in the footsteps of his four brothers who are drivers and owner drivers. The subscribers and family ar proached CM asking us to accer the trophy for the LDoY compel tion. We believed that a MOT personal event was required.
It has now been decided thl the award should be made t "The Samaritan of the Road and presented annually. It is fc British drivers only.
What we are looking for is driver who demonstrates can courtesy or courage on the high way. He could be a man wh goes to the assistance of anothE road user in an accident or on who assists in a less dramati way.
We invite operators, driven members of the public to submi nominations for the award a any time during the year. Thl 1983 nominations close on Oct() ber 31.
What we require are details o the incident. The date, time location and anything which wit help us identify the driver: hi: name, his company or vehicle registration number.
The awards will be considere( by an eminent panel of judge: and the winner will receive ON award on December 12, 1983 Volvo (Great Britain) has offerec to take the winner each year tc the accident research unit o their parent company in Gothen burg. CM is adding to the sub scription to obtain a fittinc award. This will be a piece a Kent stone with a golden steer. ing wheel. The winner will re. ceive a replica of the award ir Swedish glass and the story ol his achievement will be placec on permanent record.
This is not a commercial venture; it is one with which CM is proud to be associated. We trust that operators, the technical press, the national press, emergency services and the general public will join us in looking for the British Samaritan of the Year.
Accessory and Component Exhibition
APRIL HERALDS the first ever Accessory and Compqpent Exhibition (ACE* for coAmercial vehicles. This is a CM-sponsored event and it is being organised by our associate company IPC Exhibitions Ltd. This event takes place in the Jest Centre Hotel, Lillie Road, ulham, London between April 7 and 29. Admission is free and ckets will be circulated with isues of CM between now and Exhibitors include: OAF 'rucks, SAB, Dana Corporation, kxoload, TI Tube Products, Beun Optical, Windfoil, Stylex, 'ork Trailers, BP, Vacu Lug "yres, Volvo, Weber Hydraulics, iberspacher, Scania, Bandag, Aajorsell and Hope Technical )evelopments. Other exhibitors ire being added to this list each veek.
ACE is another CM trump :ard. It will give our readers the )pportunity to examine in corn'tart a wide range of equipment Ind discuss the products and :heir problems with manufacturars and suppliers.
We are certain that this event Nill be well supported so to be certain of an admission ticket keep an eye on CM. Additional tickets for parties will be available after the CM announcement.
Fuel Economy Run
IN MAY this year we are organising the first 1,000 mile fuel economy run for vehicles operating at 38 tonnes. Most vehicle manufacturers have agreed to co-operate.
The run will be in four 250 mile stages. Each evening the vehicles will be on show to the general public.
This is an opportunity for all sectors of the industry to "sell" the heavier vehicle to the man in the street. We hope to have the support of the trade associations, the trade unions, manufacturers' distributors and dealers, the national and daily press and operators and the IRTE.
There will be an award for the best fuel performance over each stage and an overall award.
The vehicles will be standard specification and will be pulling trailers supplied by TIP. The route will start in North London, travel north to Scotland and back to North London.
Lorry Driver of the Year
POSSIBLY the biggest public event of our busy year in which we are promoting road transport is the "Lorry Driver of the Year" competition. We are pleased to be sponsoring this important road safetV event again. This is our 17th year as sponsor.
LDoY covers the entire UK with 30 eliminating rounds. It attracts 3,000 plus drivers who are eligible to compete and culminates in a final event at Cranfield, Bedfordshire. This year the final is on Sunday September 18.
The final is a family day. In addition to the 300 competitiors and their managers, there is something to attract the ladies and the children. A wide range of vehicles will be on show and there are lots of side attractions.
Peter Shilton, Barry Sheene, Rene Arnout and a host of other sporting personalities have all appeared at the event. This year there will again be loads of attractions to keep everyone of the thousands who attend interested and amused.
The event is a platform for road transport to sell itself to the public. It is an opportunity we cannot afford to miss.
Bus and Coach Fair
LATER THIS year we are sponsoring a Bus and Coach Fair at Syon Park, London. This will take. the form of a passenger Vehicle exhibition and demonstration drives, with a supporting one-day conference.
As with all of our other activities, this year we want to influence the public's opinion of road transport. The BC fair will therefore be open to the general public.
The conference will concern itself with Bus and Coach operation on stage, express, tours and package holiday services.
The programme is in the hands of our passenger transport editor Noel Millier, himself a former coach operator, and the organisation will be handled by IPC Conference Manager, Christine Jones who also successfully organised Fleet Management Conference.
Details of BC Fair will be published in CM at a later date.
Fleet Management Conference
THE 20th FMC takes place on October 13, 1983 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London. The programme has been arranged around the theme "The Next Five Years".
This year's FMC is very much an operator's conference. We have speakers from road haulage, own account operation, parliament, a government department and a licensing authority, all under the chairmanship of Sir Peter Mesefield.
Steve Abel, managing director of Roadline will present a paper on how he sees road haulage developing until 1988.
Malcolm Banks, transport manager of Littlewoods and an ex-president of the Freight Transport Association will be forecasting the future of the own account sector.
A. A.-Crabtree, Licensing Authority in the West Midlands, the first LA to speak at FMC, will address the conference on how operators may assist the authorities at public enquiries.
David Waddington, Parliamentary Secretary at the Department of Employrrent will be looking at the development of industrial relations under the Employment Act.
To finish the day's debating, Albert Booth, MP, the present Opposition transport spokesman will explain to conference how the Labour Party plans to reorganise transport when it is in Government.
Registration forms for FMC '83 will be published in CM in the near future.