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Light van drivers deserve credit
Page 28
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I MUSTTAKE ISSUE with OS Boyes' letter and his belief that the up-to-3.5-tonne haulage sector needs increased regulation (C/14 22 March).
The first thing! have to ask is, where is the problem? As shown by your news story 'The truth about White Van Man...' in the same issue, light van drivers such as myself are far more professional than they are generally given credit for by the great British public.
While not required by law, daily/weekly defect sheets and driver's walk-round checks are common. The van is the driver's livelihood, whether he is self-employed or not, and it is therefore in his interest to carry out basic maintenance and report any defects which require attention by others. I believe that in the majority of cases this is done.
As pointed out by DS Boyes, much of the light haulage sector is dedicated to courier work or other 'fast' deliveries 'The fitment of a 56mph speed limiter to these vehicles would not only greatly increase journey times and therefore affect customer service, but would have no real road safety benefit. Indeed, it would be dangerous for such small vehicles to become stuck in among convoys of artics, where they could disappear in blind spots or be unable to overtake safely.
In addition, the boredom of having to sit staring at the back of the same heavy vehicle for mile after mile is likely to result in inattention and pose yet another road safety threat.
On the subject of drivers' overnight rest, DS Boyes states that no employer is willing to pay f50 per night for a motel room. Could he therefore explain howl spend at least two nights a week in a Travel odge, with room and meals paid for by my employer? There are enlightened bosses out there.
Letters like this only serve to highlight how good the UK haulage industry is at doing itself down. In an age where we are under attack from all sides, by everyone from jingoistic road safety groups to OUT green tax-obsessed government, it is about time people began to talk about what is good in our industry rather than picking fault.
Matt Weston Weiland, Worm