"Artic " Driver Wins Again
Page 63
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
FOR the second year in succession. the driver of an articulated vehicle scored , highest marks in the Portsmouth round of the.Lorry Driver of the Year Competition last Saturday. life was J. Glaseby, -of Pease Transport, Ltd., the transport gubsidiary of Tate and Lyle, Ltd., who drove a Bedford and gained 442 3/10 marks out of possible 500.
He was one of seven competitors who earned full marks in the test on the Highway Code and he dropped only five' points on the road section (on which nobody scored 100). He also put up an almost perfect performance in test 2, .which involved reversing at right angles into a three-sided box, coming to rest centrally in it and as close as possible to the rear wall. .
M. Timmons (Elliotts of Aldershot, Ltd.), in a Morris pantechnicon, repeated his success of last year by again
winning Class D. He shone, particularly in test 3, which was to park at the kerb between two obstacles in three movements. This was the only timed test. Class A drivers were allowed 30 seconds, Class B 35 seconds, Class C
40 seconds, and so on. , J. Martin (G. A. Day. Ltd.), in a
Leyland eight-wheeler, rose from third place in Class E last year to first this year, and thoroughly deserved his success. His performance in the kerbside parking• test . Was brilliant and earned him full Marks'. It was .. lessen to many drivers of smaller vehicles, .0k, Lacked even a rtalimentary knowledge of how to perform this simple
manonivre. •
. This test Was the undoing of .1; Haskett, (Eoden..,. Southern Gas -Board), last year's winner in Class Ei who, after good performances in the first. two exerr cises. -struck a barrier in the third and
was disqualified. • •
Peter Privett (A.E.C. eight-wheeler), Lorry Driver of the 'Year in 1954-55, again competed, accompanied by his small son, but did not secure a place.
Marks generally were lower than last year, denoting.. a tightening-up of the tests. There were, however, some inconsistencies. For instance, shunting was, allowed in the right-angle reversing test. Moreover, in test 1, in which eon; petitors had to judge minimum distances thrdugh which their vehicles could pass. the pylons at right angles to the line of sight were riot placed to give a su Ci cntly oblique view. Consequently i,
was easier . than the corresponding test at Coventry, for example.
Some drivers of ." arties-!' had failed to black out the cab rear windows in conformity With the regulations, but were allowed-to -compete. Each of the'120 _vehicles taking part received . a .thorough mechanical exami-nation in the' Southern Gas . Board's workshops, Bower, Who was in charge of the inspection, told The ,Commerciat Motor that the general standard of maintenancewa.s high, but that there were wide variations in braking efficiency.
The .maintenance inspection, was :splendidlyorganized. Six , teams,. each :consisting of twOsergeants, -tivofitter's and an *pectins officer, 'examined _ vehicles' and bodywork. Separate teams inspectedtyres and checked' brakes against n Tapley meter., The following drivers' gi.) forward to -the final at Bramcote on September 23: , . Class A t Up to .15 ft.' 1.—Sgt. k. Payne, (Bedford, Royal Marines, Pormoirtht. 41•31.,; marks. ' Jury (Austin
A. and E. Chapman; Ltd.), 393l4 marks. .
Class 11.. Over 15 ft.. up to 19 ft. '
1.—E: C. Taylor (Morris, Southern loas Board). 431,!-• marks. 2.—C,Sgt. A, Groves (Redford, Royal Marines, Portsmouth), 390% -marks. •.
Class C: Over 19 ft., op to 22 ft:
L. Palmer (Austin, Jno. Croad, Ltd.). 435 marks. 2.—D. Gregory (Thames, Pease Transport. Ltd.), 41.18ii marks .. 3.—F.-• Dorey tDennis, National Benzo:e Co.. Ltd.), 400.)i (narks.
Cita D Over 22 ft.., up to 25 ft.
" 1.—M. Timmons (Morris, Eltiotts of Aldersbo. t, Ltd.). 423;4 marks. 2.—I. Batten (Morris, Ports. mouth and Brighton United Breweries), 419 9110, marks, 3.—A. Oldham (Morris, Ellious-. of -.Aldershot, Ltd.), 412,S marks. Class E : over 25 O.
1.—J. Martin' (Leyland, G. A. Day, Ltd.); tle marks. 2.--11. N. Briar (Seddon, Metal Box Co., Ltd.), 398M marks.
Class F : Articulated 1.—J. Glaseby ''ssdford. Pease Transport. Ltd.). 1423,10 marks. 2.-13. Malone (MorriS, George Cohen. Sons and Co.. Ltd.) 41194 marks.