One voice, one purpose
Page 58
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Never has it been more vital for the transport industry to unite and counter the propaganda of the anti-lorry brigade, urges transport consultant Frank Tinsdale
-IE LABOUR PARTY has an)unced that it will fight the
rmitage proposals while in her quarters the sniping at eavy lorries continues un mited. The anti-lorry brigade's
ible Juggernaut (reviewed remtly in CM) is an example. The
tle alone tells us we do not ave to read the book to know 'hat it contains.
Considering that the choice of ansport is one freely made by le customer, it is truly amazing
at the protagonists of the case )rrailways, canals and even air -lips all miss the point that if
ther forms of transport were lore efficient or more econo lice!, they would be chosen by le people who make the deciions on which form of goods iovement suits them best.
Inevitably, criticism is made -let the heavy lorry does not pay
s fair and true share of road osts. Constantly, the point is lade that the private motorist is
,aying relatively more for his hare of the road network than he commercial vehicle. But who lecides what constitutes the 'true" cost?
Wasn't it Goebbels who aid "A lie told once is a lie ut told 1,000 times it becomes le truth"? What is road transort doing to nail the lies?
All of us involved with the Dad transport industry have a ested interest in furthering its ause, but this should not inhibit is in stating our case for the
prry. Manufacturers of commerial vehicles must not be seen to ,e taking the lead, for obvious
easons, but there is no reason yhy they should not follow a ead established by others. The cause of the haulage busiless has been championed by
:o”-rmercial Motor and it is right hat a journal which exists to ierve the industry should set a
;ourse for that industry to folow. However, the apathy which
las been shown by all sectors in :he past makes me wonder -sometimes if we do not suffer :00 much from the attitude that someone else will do it for us!
Unless all concerned can agree on a combined course of action, the recommendations of the Armitage Report might well be lost or, alternatively, become so watered down and changed as to become, not an advance, but a setback for road transport.
A strong advertising campaign is absolutely essential to get our case over to the vast, and generally adverse, British public. Contributions towards the campaign can come from all the various associations, trade unions and everyone concerned with the use of the heavy lorry. With all the talent available and the help and advice of the trade journals, a publicity campaign can be mounted to rival anything seen before.
Remember how Tate & Lyle publicised its stand against nationalisation of the sugar industry some years ago? The resources of the road transport industry are surely much greater than those of even such a giant as Tate & Lyle, Can anyone doubt that the heavy lorry is generally unpopular? Can anyone doubt that such unpopularity is to some extent justified?
How many of us have not cringed when driving down a crowded motorway in filthy weather to come across three or more 32-tonners tail-gating at 55mph with only a few feet between each and all throwing up a thick fog of spray making passing an extremely hazardous exercise.
Once upon a time, the heavy lorry driver was the knight in blue overalls, the gentleman who could always be depended on to give help and assistance to the stranded motorist at any time of the day or night. Not any more! And no blame to the drivers, for conditions have changed dramatically since those days. But is it any wonder that as commercial vehicles have become larger, heavier and more numerous, so the greater the antipathy in which they are held?
Certain sections of our industry will not hear any criticism uttered against the heavy driver. He is encouraged to bedeck his vehicle with flags, banners and stickers of the kind which the law sensibly rebukes in private motoring.
"Dolly-dangling" is rightly condemned in private cars yet society apparently sees nothing wrong in the practice when indulged by men in charge of large, lethal machines moving among the public at large. Citizen's Band Radio has undoubted benefits for many people but the promotion of the system with its emphasis on the hgv driver does nothing to promote the image of the driver as a responsible, conscientious specialist with skills of a very high order.
Employers, trade unions, driver's organisations and, not least, the vast body of responsible drivers can all do much to improve the public impression of the heavy vehicle by removing the "cowboy" image all too often imposed on the professional heavy goods vehicle driver.
Frankly, the thought of 32tanners, never mind 44-tonners, careering down the motorways with the driver babbling into a microphone while steering the rig with his free hand scares the daylights out of me!
Vehicles of the size and nature of maximum weight artics need the undivided attention of the man in charge, especially on our roads.
Road transport is a generally efficient industry. There is no over-manning in road transport as there is on the railways. There is not the same degree of trade union domination as affects
other forms of transport a most of all, road transport totally flexible,
Let the public know what ro transport does for them. Let t public become aware of wh the loss of road transport wou mean to their way of life. Let t public know how costs of ever thing would go through the ce ing if road transport were to t artificially restricted for politic or other reasons.
Only those of us involved i some aspect of road transpoi can change the public attitud towards the lorry. No one i going to do it for us and spou ing reams of statistics and cc lumns of facts and figures wi not accomplish a change in th public mentality.
Let us respond to the fear ar hate felt by mothers in the smi villages where heavy vehiclf daily mount kerbs to try to neg tiate narrow 18th centuf streets. Let us respond to tt folks afraid almost to come o of their front gates because the wagons roaring past or inches away.
Perhaps a determined effo on our part to explain the ben, fits of the lorry and our own d sire to avoid like the plagi those pretty little villages whe hgv drivers take their own Hy in their hands every time th( come through will help to esta lish a better atmosphere.
Let us try to explain that it the road system which is blame in congested areas al not the vehicles which have use those areas. Let us try to f something about the inevitat few who damage the status the many; the irresponsib operators and the irresponsit drivers who give the hardwa ing majority a bad or doubh reputation.
Let us, for one, get together fight for a fair deal for the mc efficient, most advanced a most economical transpc medium, the modern commi cial vehicle.
We have to educate the put and the task will not be an ez one but sooner or later it m be done. The longer it is I layed, the more the industry N suffer and the greater the evi tual cost, to both the indus andthe country.
Commercial Motor has giv( lead. It is now up to all secti of the road transport industr. follow that lead, and quic Time is noton our side!