• COMMENT TRUCKERS IN TROUBLE
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• The BBC is currently trailing a new drama series called Truckers. It is, according to the BBC's own advance information, about a cowboy haulage firm. The trailer for the series depicts trucks trying to force each other off the road. Its stars are portrayed as ruthless, bizarre people. It all sounds like exactly the sort of thing that the industry and the country need like a move back to 32 tonnes.
Predictably the RHA and FTA have been quick to condemn the BBC for having devised what sounds like an extremely silly and irresponsible series. If the BBC is accurate in its own description of this series, they are right to do so because the sort of publicity which such a series will bring to our industry can only be bad publicity, and its effect can only be to reinforce the public's prejudice against a vital sector of the economy.
It might be argued that the BBC — on the strength of previous programmes — knows so little about the road haulage industry that this one is likely to be so laughably stupid that people will not take it seriously. That is an engaging thought, but perhaps a little optimistic.
It is much more likely that viewers will be led to believe that life in the haulage industry is as Truckers portrays it. After all, millions of viewers actually believe that life is lived as it is seen in soaps like Coronation Street and EastEnders, so why not believe that Truckers is true to life?
If that happens the BBC will have done yet another grave disservice to this country. It is, of course, within its rights to show the haulage industry in whatever light it chooses. After all, it is no worse to show the road haulage industry up badly in Truckers than it is to show the oil industry up badly in Dallas, or to show up big business badly in The Power Game — except for one thing: the viewing public has to live every day with the truck. It depends on the truck for most of its supplies. It has to drive alongside the truck on motorways. The truck is as essential to modern society as electricity. To present the truck as a dangerous and irresponsibly-operated device is as silly and as irresponsible as showing electricity to be a threat to life. Everyone knows there are risks associated with the use of electricity, just as there are risks associated with the use of trucks — but there is a world of difference between a necessity with risks attached, and a danger with benefits attached.
To present the truck as little less than an outright danger to civilised life is to plant in people's minds a fear of something which should be seen as a servant. That is just creating trouble for society. It is also making life harder for those of us who are trying to promote the safer and better use of that servant. What good will the FTA/AA publicity campaign to get ordinary motorists to be considerate to the lorry be if the BBC is working to present the lorry as an out-of-control monster?
In short, it looks as though the BBC has once again exhibited its ineptitude. The only saving grace of this particular instance is that there are still nearly three weeks left before the first scheduled screening. That should give enough time for even the BBC to scrap it and replace it with something socially responsible.