heels stil droppin s IRTE report arise
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Two hauliers have decribed this week how wheels explicably flew off their rucks at high speed — hours er they claim to have checkd them. In both cases the "ver involved narrowly scaped serious injury. Their claims come on the ye of a significant report – ' SHORT UFESPAN FOR IfGV DRIVERS? II1After reading your article and correspondence (CM 9-15 June and 30 June — 6July) relating to the shortage of heavy goods vehicle drivers and the apparent attitude that young drivers are inexperienced, it was refreshing to read the contribution by Jim Clarke on driver training.
But can someone explain the lack of response to job applications as experienced, for example, by J Martin in the issue (CM 30 June — 6 July)?
I myself have written to 60 local national and international companies for an HGV1 vacancy. Each application was accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope for reply. I was also willing to move house to any part of the UK or Europe.
At 44 years old, and with 22 years' HGV1 experience on all types of vehicles in the UK plus TIR work with first class references, 22 years with a clean licence and an accident-free record, only six companies bothered to reply.
Of these, four stated that at 44 years of age, I was too old to be of any use to them.
My only conclusion is that an HGV driver has only 18 years useful working life — ie from the age of 25 to 40.
It is no wonder there is a shortage of experienced heavy goods vehicles drivers.
Bob Quinn, 36 Hawthorne Drive, Stalybridge, Cheshire. BRITISH ENGINES FOR BRITISH TRUCKS IN It was with great sorrow that I read in Commercial Motor (14-20 July) that ERF will not be fitting the uprated Gardner 6LXDT engine in its current models.
It's not so many years ago that ERF advertised itself as: "ERF — the world's best oilengined lorries". This, of course, referred to the Gardner engine.
No doubt Peter Foden's Cummins policy reflects recent sales figures, but one wonders if the same results could have been achieved with the slogan: "The all-British truck with the