BRIAN MORETON, 55, and BOB WELLS, 37, say that their
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employer, United Transport, Southampton, scrapped an upper age limit of 35 because of the difficulties of getting tanker drivers qualified in ADR dangerous goods regulations. "They will take drivers on at 22 or 23—beggars can't be choosers," says Wells. Both men agree age discrimination should be banned. "Esso would not take me on because I am over 30," says Wells. But more worryingly the men believe that many tanker drivers either do not live till retirement age or die within a year of retiring. Their vehicles are carrying non-toxic liquid soap but Moreton says some ADR drivers die in their early fifties: "The fumes get into you and when you retire they kill you."