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For Pete's sake, give us a break
Page 34
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A GREAT DEAL has been written lately about the WorkingTime Directive, and rightly so. However, I am somewhat bemused and alarmed at the reaction of certain businessmen (CM 12 February). who seem to be able to hold forth on a regular basis about the pickle they are in and damn everyone else. I refer here to the lowest of the low, ownerdrivers—such as myself.
Geoff Martin says ownerdrivers will force many people out of business. Where on earth does he get that idea from? Neither myself. nor the few others I know still slogging on, are remotely interested in his,Framptons' or Barry Proctor's work.They have had a distinct advantage for many years that we have not.
I don't know of the others,but if Mr Frampton —with a big yard in Barca and other opportunities for his drivers to rest up on the way back,or to swap drivers— cannot make it pay. then how the hell can we be a threat to him? The eloquent Frampton and Proctor need to come down to Poole and see who's shipping in and out — their own drivers will tell them they don't see any of the old hands.
My insurance has just gone up £9,000 for one truck and trailer and I'm sitting here sweating, waiting for the French to give me back the VAT I have been owed for 13 months. Not a problem they suffer from I guess.
I load and go anywhere in Europe. I don't get extra for working weekends:I don't get night-out money or sickness pay or any of these benefits. I always put work first (more fool me) and unlike a lot of their drivers I never ask to he home for weddings, funerals, anniversaries or to take the kid to ballet lessons and so on and so forth.
After 22 years of driving trucks, loading fish, hay, straw and sheeting timber at Seaforth dock in a Force Nine gale, I think I deserve a break, no matter how brief.
Alastair Allan SwiftSure Freight Liversedge, West Yorkshire