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DEAR

8th November 1990
Page 46
Page 46, 8th November 1990 — DEAR
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

SIR

FED UP WITH CRINCISM

• I am fed up with people criticising unlicensed operators in your magazine, such as JB of Birmingham in your last Any Questions? column (CM 18-24 October).

I have operated as an owner-driver for the past three years without an 0-licence despite several attempts at obtaining the Certificate of Professional Competence.

Even though I have no 0licence my vehicle is maintained to the highest of standards, regardless of cost, and I receive many compliments about its condition.

It is garage checked every four weeks and tachos are checked by a local firm on a regular basis and are always found to be in order. I have sub-contracted work from big hauliers in the past, but now have my own contract.

In my opinion they work for stupid rates and are the culprits behind rate cutting. I have pulled their trailers and found maintenance to be nil.

Truck driving is my job and I take pride in maintaining a smart, roadworthy vehicle which is legal in every other respect.

So why should a small piece of paper called a CPC be allowed to stop me trading? It only shows an academic approach towards the running and maintaining of a transport business, when at the end of the day it is the practical interest that maintains the safety of the vehicles and gets the job done.

The above letter was sent to CM without a name or address — Ed.

WATCHDOG REVISITED

• Like your editor I saw the Watchdog programme and must compliment him on his restraint (Editor's Comment, 25-31 October). Frankly I thought the entire programme was utter nonsense.

However, possibly we shouldn't be too surprised by

media attacks on road haulage. I happened to bend a couple of friend's ears about the shortcomings of the Watchdog report on cowboy operators (not defending any individual operator of course) and they both had similar stories to tell.

Not about road haulage as neither of them are in the industry, but they are both in the construction industry and told me that they feel just as angry at the way their industry is misrepresented as cowboys out to "make a fast buck". C Myers,

Purley, Surrey.

KEEP UP vani THE JONES'

• I join you in supporting the move of Alan Jones to improve the qualification standards for access to the haulage industry (CM 11-17 October). It represents another positive move aimed at upgrading management quality along with other initiatives such as the RHA's Young Executive Section Mas

ter Haulier scheme and the NVO standards.

Commitment from one other organisation is needed to support Jones. That organisation is the Department of Transport.

The CPC has many benefits to offer the start-up operator with regard to the legal and business management aspects of a small transport company.

An extension of the multiplechoice standard requiring written answers should become part of the statutory requirements to gain a CPC. Then Jones' idea will have a real and significant impact.

DF Somers,

Northern Transport Training, Yeadon, Leeds.

Commercial Motor welcomes readers' letters, which can be phoned in on 081-661 3689 (24-hour service). Letters may be edited for length and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor.

Tags

People: Alan Jones
Locations: Birmingham, Surrey, Leeds

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