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FOR YEARS—too many years—goods vehicle drivers have been dubbed, with their vehicles, as anti-social. Operators have been accused of overworking both men and machines. There was undoubtedly some substance in the accusations.
Those days we feel are gone. There is not enough traffic available to encourage overloading. The tachograph will ensure that neither man nor machine is abused.
The recession has all but rid the industry of the substandard operator. Operators' licences, the Certificate of Professional Competence and MoT tests have raised standards across the board.
The responsible approach of trade associations to problems of the day has influenced those in seats of government. Moderate wage settlements demonstrate the unions' awareness of the industry's problems.
Road transport has clearly demonstrated that it is a responsible element of society. The anti-lorry lobby should now be silent.
Certainly they should cease pushing the rail versus road argument. It never made commercial sense and in today's atmosphere it has even less credence. The conservationists who claim that operators buy vehicles for fun show how thoughtless they are.
Road transport need not over-react or take unfair advantage of the rail sector's problems. The anti-lorry lobby will yet prove to be the road sector's best friend. Their arguments are transparent.