Express Dairy Driver of the Year
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THE Express Dairy Co. premises at South Ruislip, Middx, were again the scene of a lorry driver competition last Sunday, This time it was not an eliminating round of the national L.D.O.Y. event but the final of the company's own Driver of the Year competition. Drivers taking part were selected after preliminary tests at Express depots and subsidiary companies throughout the country. Six of the 27 drivers taking part were finalists at the recent national final and included J. Dakin and D. J. Hughes, winner and fourth respectively at Coventry.
The Express competition is an annual event, with the final following the lines of the national L.D.O.Y. final. There were four driving tests—reversing into a corner, kerb parking, width judgment (driving between angled posts) and vehicle positioning (running a front tyre over a series of disc)—the finalists driving identical Austin 7-ton boxvans. Except for the last test, each had a time limit of 60 seconds with penalties for exceeding this allowance, Maybe it was because of the time limit, maybe it just wasn't their day or perhaps they were not making the same effort as at the final, but neither Joe Dakin nor Johnny Hughes repeated his Coventry success. Joe Maker, of 'ravistock Services, was the winner with 318 penalty points, only six less than the second man, K. Dargue, of Appleby. J. Dakin came sixth with 360 penalties and D. Hughes was placed fifteenth.
Before the prizegiving—all 27 finalists got an award—all six Express Dairy national finalists were presented with cheques for 15 from the company's insurers—a measure of the value put on the lorry driver competition from the point of safety—and in addition, J. Dakin and D. J. Hughes were 'given cheques of £50 and 110 front their employers.
A.J.W.
COMPETITION RESULTS 1, I Maker (Tavistock Service5), 31.11 Penalties; 2, K. Dargue.(Appleby), 324: 3, L Hudson (Sher.
lield), 34); 4, E. Eaves (T.W.D.). (Plucinas Cur third and fourth decided on timeS -taken or the four tests); 5, D. Colvin (Smith Morden), 310; 6, L Dakin (Tavistock Services). 3641.