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Commercial Motor over the past few weeks complaints concerning Tesco. I find it hard to believe some owner-drivers' complaints regarding delays they supposedly had to endure while delivering to various depots, especially as they were not prepared to give their name/company.
As a proprietor of a haulage company and a managing director of an associated trolley company, and having carried out work for Tesco since 1966, I can only say that Tesco is one of the fairest companies to deal with.
When I have had any grievances against a depot or individual (which have been very rare), I have received courteous consideration and have been satisfied with the results from the manager or director concerned.
Don Symonds, Rogerstone, Gwent.
• I have to look after servicing, inspecting, paperwork and repairs as well as runing a fleet of vehicles.
The workshop I work in has a ramp but only enough space for one vehicle under cover.
I look after some Transits and three Roadrunners. I have been told I have to take on more work from a local depot, but I will not be allowed any overtime.
Do you, or any of your readers know, if there is a set ratio of how many vehicles can be looked after by one person?
Name and address supplied.
• I refer to your editorial comment (CM 21-27 Nov). You are absolutely correct when you state that being a "professional haulier" entails knowing how to keep a load on the back of a lorry.
All the codes ever printed will not solve the problem of shifting loads. Only training on a fully laden vehicle with the driver trained in load security will begin to get to the answer.
However, there is yet one more step, which in my view is essential. Drivers should be tested in loading and securing loads during their driving test. The law is quite clear on this issue. The driver is responsible for both the vehicle and the security of the load. Any driver incapable of roping, sheeting or securing a container should not be on the road.
I can almost hear the screams now from operators about the cost of the additional training involved. Too bad. If they can't afford it they should not hold an operator's licence.
lain Sherriff, Joyden's Wood, Kent.
• I own and drive a Volvo F7 six-wheel tipper. While driving into Manchester early last month I was stopped by the police and the weights and measures people on the Princess Park Way Road.
They were using the portable axle load control system for weighing my vehicle. The load of building sand weighed in at 24,300kg, which I had on my weight ticket from the sand quarry. The weight they gave me was as follows: axle one 6,340kg axle two/three 14,610kg total gross 20,950kg To me the gross was incorrect by at least 3,350kg. I showed the police my ticket, but they ignored it. I received a certificate of weighing showing these weights and I proceeded to the nearest public weighbridge where surprise, surprise, I weighed in at 24,280kg.
I tipped my load and stopped to confront the weights and measures people with my new weight
• The opposition to a 50mph speed limit which has been shown in recent issues of CM is only to be expected. But I believe that it will eventually have to be accepted, if only because a large section of the public is in favour of such a move.
If the haulage industry had shown more responsibility over the past years this state of affairs would not have arisen. But as they seem quite unable to control the undesirable elements in their midst it must be left to some authority (our government does not appear to be willing) to act in the interests of safety.
have worked in transport, in one form or another, since the age of 17. Recently I was driving a new Transit van down the Al from Huntingdon doing about 50-60mph when I was passed by an ERF pulling a bulk powder tanker. In my estimation it was doing ticket. Their reply was "sometimes these things happen" and they were very sorry.
The whole incident has upset me and made me very wary of the enforcement authorities. I'm not really complaining about the weights, but having spent nearly one hour with the police I can't understand how owner-drivers and the like can make a living out of this type of job. Time to us means money, and in this day and age we can't afford to lose.
K Littler, Castle Northwich, Cheshire.
20mph more than I was, and, I suggest, far more than this vehicle is capable of — unless the fuel system has been doctored.
Just to read the legal pages of CM each week is enough to convince anyone that the industry needs to pull itself together.
While journey times would be increased by a lower speed limit, surely in other ways economies could be gained, for example, vehicles could have smaller engines, simpler transmissions, could be lighter, and could probably carry a greater payload. E Corke, Ealing, London,