Truck Driving: You Can’t Please Everyone All the Time

There is an old adage that says you can’t please everyone all the time. Proof of this time-tested adage is fairly evident when it comes to truck driving; an industry that everyone wants yet nobody wants to deal with. This is not a complaint; rather, it is simply a pragmatic recognition of reality.

A great illustration of the principle involves an HGV ban in Covingham, Wiltshire. Covingham Parish Council enacted a 7.5 tonne weight limit on a local road (Merlin Way) last year, after a fight by local residents that lasted more than 10 years. They recently expanded the ban for an additional six months in order to collect more data. Residents in nearby Wanborough are opposed to the extension. Why? Because the HGV traffic has been re-routing through their area for the last 12 months.

Data shows that the amount of HGV traffic in Covingham has fallen by 30% since the restrictions went into place. This is just what local residents have been looking for. Those in support of the restrictions are not only in favour of the six-month extension, they want to see it made permanent. They also want additional roads added to the ban.

As for their neighbours in Wanborough, ban supporters claim the opposition has been mainly from business owners and farmers rather than residents. What is interesting is the lack of regard for those business owners and farmers, as though increased traffic does not affect them.

Part of the Consumer Economy

It is easy to take sides in the debate between Covingham and Wanborough if you live somewhere in Wiltshire. Rather than take sides, it is important for everyone to understand that truck driving, and the entire haulage industry for that matter, is an indispensable part of a consumer economy. Many are quick to complain without realising that we owe the abundance of affordable consumer goods to the haulage industry that makes it possible.

Every year trucks move billions of tonnes of freight all over the UK. They move everything from the food would be buy at the grocery store to the electronics that power our lives. Moreover, they do it efficiently and cost-effectively. Every time the haulage industry is further restricted and/or taxed, we end up paying more in retail prices. That is just the reality of business.

Truck Driving as a Career

The truth is that you cannot please everyone all of the time. Despite the fact that there will always be those who have a negative impression of the haulage industry, truck driving is a very good career option offering job stability, good pay and the ability to work in a constantly changing environment. It is not right for everyone, but it may be right for you.

Feel free to contact the HGV Training Centre for more information about truck driving. We can have you trained and ready to look for work in no time at all. We are a leading name in commercial driver training throughout the UK.

Sources:

1. Swindon Advertiser – https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/11732876.HGV_ban_extended/
2. Gov.UK – https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/389592/tsgb-2014.pdf