Lorry load to Poland
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HEAVY goods drivers, particularly those on internaional hauls, are at last achieving recognition as top skilled tradesmen and are being paid accordingly, Mr Hains told the CIT. One of these drivers has some £30/40,000 value of capital equipment in his hands, plus a customer's cargo, in some of the busiest traffic conditions in the world, he said. It sometimes irks to hear the uninformed criticisms by arm-chair experts and weekend motorists.
Mr Hains then added a "Stop Press" item: a factual report of a recent round-trip journey by a P&O European Transport driver: — • Full load of edible oil to PIRAEUS, via Holland-Germany-AustriaItaly, and the ANCONA/PATRAS ro-ro ferry.
• Deliver PIRAEUS — steam-clean the vehicle and load 25,000 litres Greek wine from ATHENS.
• Ferry back to Ancona, and over the Brenner Pass to deliver MUNICH. *Having unloaded Munich receives orders proceed HOF {East German border) where another driver from his depot will bring orders, visas, etc.
• Both vehicles proceed across POLAND to JASLO {a small agricultural centre near the Russian border).
• Collect full load of redcurrant juice and return via Katowice, East Germany and West Germany to deliver AMSTERDAM.
• Two and a half weeks, 3,750 road-miles, twice across Poland, and twice the length of the Adriatic. "Not in a Jaguar but in one of those frightful 280 horsepower 'juggernauts'," added Ted Heins. "No medals, no ballyhoo, and no protest marches. Follow that."