I ndustr y Comment |
by Rory Schulz, acting managing director, UD Trucks Southern Africa
The Value of the Truck Driver
Role-players in the transport industry often spend a lot of time dealing with the purchasing, operating, servicing and support
of their fleet of trucks. In many instances, not a lot of attention is given to the people who are actually driving these trucks.
T
here are currently some 350 000 trucks operating on our
roads that are driven by the unsung heroes of the trucking
industry. To many road users, they are a mere nuisance
and menace on the highways, blocking traffic and causing
accidents.
If you have ever watched a movie out of Hollywood with trucks in
the storyline, it is amazing how they have the ability to romanticise
the image of the truck driver and making it look like the best job in
the world. Being your own boss, seeing the country, the wide open
road.
However, after a recent survey done in the USA, many commented
that truck driving should
be taken off the list as a
potential career for young
people.
People argued that the
long hours, weekends
away from home, the
loneliness and boredom
of the long road seems
to far outweigh the spirit
of adventure and the
joy of the constant road
trip, which previous
generations seemed to
embrace.
To be fair there are
still many such spirits
around and I am sure that
operators could testify to this all over the country. However, in
reality, driving trucks for a living is indeed a tough and arduous job.
goods carried by trucks, growing the region’s economy, as well
as a reduction in the unnecessary loss of life as a result of truck
accidents.
Is this a problem that can be solved by truck manufacturers, or
fleet operators or the authorities individually? No! This serious
issue must be the responsibility of all stakeholders involved in
the truck industry, and even includes those parties involved all
along the supply chain.
At UD Trucks, we support our dealers to offer driver training to
their customers. Be it that our focus is on teaching drivers to get
the best out of our vehicles but also to teach them to use the
equipment to operate
the vehicles in a safe
and secure manner.
The concept of
economic driving
enhances safe driving
and to put it simply,
the faster you drive
the more fuel you
consume and the more
dangerous and lethal
the vehicle becomes for
the operator and other
road users.
The correct use of
retarders and engine
brakes are also key, as
this normally requires
a slightly different technique and higher skill levels to operate a
truck safely and to the best of its ability.
If we are to build a country that prospers economically, the plight
of the driver is something that will need a lot of attention going
into the future. We will need to spend far more resources and time
enticing young people into the truck driving arena and make it an
attractive career opportunity in the process.
Another issue fleet owners face is to retain
drivers to ensure that a pool of experienced
drivers is built up that can mentor and coach new
drivers and pass on their expertise.
On the other hand we also need to continuously train drivers to
operate these highly complex and potentially dangerous vehicles
and the various vehicle combinations.
This also must include training on living a healthy
lifestyle as the dangers and temptations of a life
on the road can be devastating. In the end, it’s a
There are a few distinct areas that we as an industry need to focus
on and this include the safe operation of the vehicle itself; the
efficient use of the vehicle and lastly the risk management of the
truck, its load and that of human lives. In focusing on these we will
be able to enhance the safety of all road users.
tough job but for those who don’t want to be stuck
in an office it is a good and viable alternative.
We all need to do our part to support, teach,
encourage and reward the driver to ensure a
There will also be addition benefits to operators in respect of the
operating cost savings, the knock-on benefits to the consumers of
| logistics in action
better future for all.
104
october 2014