WHO DARES WINS
Page 32
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Last year's Commercial Motor 38-tonne competition prize, a Renault G290, is hard at work with the fleet of Favor Parker, where winner Les Gaskin (below) works as a driver.
• When Norfolk driver Les Gaskin won a 38-tonne Renault G290 for a year, in the Commercial Motor Competition last November, his employer was put in a potentially-awkward situation.
Gaskin had no intention of becoming an owner-operator. After 16 years with Favor Parker, one of the largest independent animal feed producers in the country, he had a steady job, a good reputation and was certainly kept busy. "If being kept very busy keeps you sweet," says Gaskin. "Then this must be the sweetest job in the land."
Also, Favor Parker's 42-strong fleet is composed exclusively of ERFs (bar one Roadtrain) so what could it do with a Renault for just one year?
HARD AT WORK
Fleet manager Peter Burgess, however, had other ideas: "We could do lots. Because of the size of our fleet we were easily able to give the Renault a home. In this kind of business one has to move quickly and adapt to all sorts of situations. When Les told me he had won a truck we immediately went out and bought a bulk tipping trailer for it. By November 3 the 'free gift' was hard at work.
Although the shining white cab looks uncomfortably out of place, surrounded by the dusty green and orange ERFs, fleet engineer Derek Marrows is impressed with its performance. "The Renault is maintained by Reliance Garages in Norwich as part of the prize and we don't have to pay maintenance costs," he says. "Reliance also happens to be an ERF dealership, so we have no problem."
Favor Parker owns and maintains all its commercial vehicles — 10 32-tonne artics, two 38-tonners, 21 eight-leggers and nine six-leggers.
The 38-tonne Renault is Favor Parker's first, albeit free, contract hire vehicle. Burgess says it is too early to assess the pros and cons of contract hire, but remains confident that it makes more sense for his company to own and maintain, rather than choose contract hire.
"Because transport is such a core part of our business, it is much more favourable to keep all maintenance work inhouse," he says. "We get quicker results that way and we are much more in control." He agrees that contract hire has many plus points, "but really only for companies like Tesco or Marks and Spencer, where distribution is certainly not their core business," he adds.
As for the vehicle itself, Burgess seems cautiously pleased. He made a preliminary assessment of the Renault when it had covered 19,000kms (12,000 miles) and hauled over 3,000 tonnes. The G290 turns out-to be somewhat thirsty, he says. Motorway driving gives a low 38.9 litres/100km (7.26mpg), while driving across country, "is more disappointing" with the truck only managing 45.2 litres/ 100km, (6.25mpg). "This is not as economical as our ERFs which give us over 35 litres/1001on) (8mpg), but I must admit there isn't much wrong with the Renault apart from that," Burgess concedes.
Give away a free truck and most men would jump for joy. Give Burgess one, however, and he asks questions. But what of Les Gaskin? After all, he was the one who spent weeks piecing together the answers to the quiz questions. What does he get out of all this?
"More comfort, a better heating system and a lovely gear box," he says. Gaskin started in 1972, driving an A-series ERF, and has had ERFs ever since.
This is his first Renault. "I miss the heated mirrors — it sounds petty but it does make a difference when you think of the time wasted scraping ice and frost off them," he says.
"When I think of my old truck and this one to compare them, it is very difficult for me to judge one above the other, but when I think of what I did to win the Renault, then I would choose that."
He thoroughly researched the photoquiz to find the right answers, but in the end he could not make up his mind about two pictures. Was it an MAN door step and a Foden brake chamber, or was it the other way around?
PARKED FODEN
Gaskin explains how one day, close to the final entry date, he was driving along when he saw a Eiden artic parked in a truckstop. He pulled in, jumped out of the cab and, clutching the quiz pictures, checked the door step.
He still could not decide. The only thing left was to take a look at the brake chamber by the differential.
"I dived in underneath the Foden and began to study and compare the real thing with the picture. Unbeknown to me, the Foden's driver came out of the truckstop and walked towards his rig. When he saw me underneath the Foden's rear axle he went beserk.
"He shouted some unprintable curses, accused me of sabotage and God knows what before I could begin to explain. Even an hour later he wouldn't believe that I was finding the answer to the last Commercial Motor picture quiz."
Gaskin was eventually able to get away without being arrested. "It was worth it," he says triumphantly. "I got my answer and I got my entry in on time — and I got my truck."
0 by ions Minne