They're driving a that hgv licenc
Page 22
Page 23
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Some people at least are looking forward t better times and paying to learn how to drive the heavy stuff at their own expense. John Durant takes a look at a firm which runs an intensive five-day course. How many take the course, what's the pass rate
TWO or three years' time, re could again be a shortage ivalified heavy goods vehicle vers. In a period of recession, t enough are coming through ! pipeline to replace those reng; probably a good number I be leaving the industry ver to return — but though iny are at present unem)yed there may come a time er trade has picked up for a Ole when drivers are at a ?mium once again.
Nhile many drivers are sent driver training by firms inape to the Road Transport Instry Training Board, some ople are looking forward to tter days and paying to learn drive hgv at their own exrise. This is the experience of le firm, S. Jones (Garage) Ltd, Anglian Road, Aldridge, WalII, West Midlands.
The cost for an intensive fively course, including hire of hicle and test fee, is £291.25, e went along to meet chief inructor, Ray Tams, in order to am n about the set-up.
Ray was a driver for many iars, and is in his 35th year ith Jones. He was dubious at oving into training at first, but )v., "lives" training — though e subject is banned after the -St couple of minutes when he leets his colleagues for a mid3y break.
Jones started the driving ;hool in 1968 (the hgv tests were brought in by the Ministry of Transport in 1969). One of the firm's instructors, Dick Jones, was the first man in Britain to pass Class 1 — at a test starting at 8.30am on August 4, 1969, at Featherstone. Ray followed at 10.45am (they keep meticulous records at Jones!).
Ray is the sort of man — friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic — to give pupils confidence. But he tells me he has a cross-section of different types of instructor and that each man goes about his job in his own way within the syllabus and that they make a happy team, which counts for a good deal.
While one instructor, for instance, is quiet and studious — if his trainees show a special interest in one particular part of the back-up to training then they find themselves with "homework" — Dick has a direct approach. His voice can always be heard above the engine roar at the other end of the training area.
Yet ex-trainees always ask affectionately after him when they meet any of the staff. These human aspects of training are important, since trainees take all shapes and sizes (in fact Ray's scrapbook shows that several attractive women have passed hgv1).
Said Ray: "The test is farmed out until the next week. That means we have a safety valve, so if a trainee has a fault, say on reversing, we can add one day to the course. Those companies that sponsor drivers request a progress report on the fifth day, "This arrangement means we don't waste a test; neither in most cases do they have to pay for ten days training, though there is also a 15-day course. However, few need that. "When they pass the test an we congratulate them and t them that if anything comes u in the future we'll help them, an I'm not talking about mone One trainee came back with problem.
"He was starting a job a: Monday and told the boss h knew how to rope and sheet. H had brought his own bit of rope a lovely piece, probabl scrubbed, four to five feet loric and asked me to show him th knots! We went out in the yarc found a vehicle and ropes and showed him dollies, double do lies, how to make a chain and s on, and after three hours he saic 'I think I'm confident now'."
So far, around 6,500 trainee have passed through this schoc — including, on October 1; 1969, the first woman to gain a hgv licence — Jean Cox, of Grei Yarmouth. Mrs Cox needed second attempt, but that, the reckon, was the school's fault they had alerted TV, whose prel ence made her nervous. JonE we her another course and she )ssed with flying colours.
Jones trains with Fords (and Ift trailers) — no complications :e a splitter or two-speed axle.
if, says, a trainee got a job ith vehicles with a rangeiange, then Ray says if he • ops in they will always be able show him oo a spare ERF ones is also a haulier and an iF main agent).
Of course, most trainees have )ne a bit of commercial vehicle 'lying before — perhaps ound a depot, or they may )Id a class 2 or 3 licence. What e their usual faults?
"Very often they don't underand block changes," said Ray, ind even on a modern vehicle ill always and unnecessarily ime down through all the :ars to stop because they have :quired this habit from an 'old Ind'.
"I ask them: 'If you were an mrator, would you prefer to ly for the downtime and parts a gearbox, or brake pads?' "The younger men tend to for d they have a trailer, and may scrubbing tyres on corners thout realising it."
The pass rate? It has been 75 80 per cent since the school arted.
Future career
JMBERS of trainees on driver iining are understood to have Ilen dramatically. The Road • ansport Industry Training mrd, for instance, told me that
e figures for those at Group aining Associations are down• r around a third. From August
April 1979/80 the figure was .,500; for the same period in 180/81, it's 9,200. "Eventually the economy will turn up and there will be opportunities for drivers with good training," Julian Ardouin, who is on the RTITB's market research side, told me. "In the short term, new trainees would probably find that companies may prefer experienced men, but in the long term there could be chances for unemployed men to find a career for the future."
Sixty-four GTAs undertake. driver training. Their addresses are available from the RTITB, Capitol House, Empire Way, Wembley.