Vital industry I t was interesting to read letters from
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Steve Gray, Paul Frampton and Peter Davies (CM 9-15 April), as in completely different ways they were attempting to defend or elevate the status of our industry. Heaven knows, we need all the good press we can get I have a special respect for the way in which Paul Frampton so graphically described how the road transport industry continues to undervalue its drivers in this country. "Being forced to spend one's leisure time in a tin box in a hostile lay-by" sums up the situation wonderfully. Is it any wonder we have a shortage of suitably qualified drivers?
Similarly, I have every sympathy with Peter Davies and understand how bitterly he resents the suggestion that truck enthusiasts are anything other than totally supportive of the industry and demonstrate that support by carefully recording information that, in most cases, would otherwise be lost forever. Thank you gentlemen, It is amazing that our own trade press often sees fit to carp at those who are doing their enthusiastic best for drivers and the industry in general.
A recent interview (not by CM) of an enthusiasts' video showing how tough the job of milk collection is in Sweden was referred to as "worthy" while another was reviewed as "showing lots of trucks doing not very much".
Hminn Had no one explained to the reviewer that trucks are not prone to looping-the-loop? They just perform the vital function of delivering the goods.
On another occasion a rare video depicting an unusual twin trailer operation in Israel was panned because there were no interviews with the Israeli drivers. Presumably the reviewer (had he or she made the video rather than some struggling enthusiast) would have paid their own way to Israel during their annual holiday, recruited the help of the transport company, filmed the operation, edited the film, written the commentary, and created a soundtrack only after having mastered Arabic and Hebrew in the first place!
Books too come in for their share of sour grapes and whoever reviewed the brilliant Trucks at Work, the Middle East, in another truck magazine (not CM) supposedly aimed at drivers and enthusiasts, should hang their head in shame for the comment that "if the book is a success, maybe they will be able to afford another lens for their camera".
Nice going chaps. It's encouraging to watch you using your lofty positions responsibly. Why not give credit where it's due?
Martin Phippard, Warminster, Wiltshire