Drivers show staying power
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by Rob Willock • Half of Britain's truck drivers have been with their current employers for six or more years, and nearly a third have been in the same job for more than 10 years, The 1998 Lex Report on Motoring also found that 54% of truck drivers work 40-50 hours a week vith 13% working more than 50 hours. Over 60% of the truck drivers questioned were men aged between 35 and 54: only 3% were under 24—and just 2% were women.
As many as 80% said they enjoyed the responsibility of representing their companies. "Most are professionals who are proud of the work they do and present a good corporate image," says Lex.
The survey found truck drivers to be more "far-sighted" than car drivers in their suggestions for curbing congestion and pollution.
Nearly all of them supported variable speed limits, and most would like high-tech data systems in their cabs providing traffic and weather news.
Not many drivers believed that more investment in road building and widening schemes would cure congestion; there was also little support for road pricing—and only 16% agreed trucks should be banned from city centres.
Lex reports that over the past 10 years the number of cars on the road has increased from 21 million to 26 million while annual car mileage has risen by 15%.
It predicts the number of cars on UK roads will rise by 10% over the next five years, helped by an expected growth in the number of women licence holders. "lf women approach men's current level of licence holding, the growth in the number of drivers will be 34%," says Lex, "equivalent to 11-million extra drivers."