‘Everything we touch has been on a lorry at some point’

The director of an Aberdeen haulage company said people would not eat without lorries.

Bill Walker, of Bridge of Don-based family business William Walker Transport, has been involved in the industry for nearly 50 years.

He said the cost of getting a licence could be prohibitive and warned there was little “young blood” coming into the field.

The 70-year-old said government grants to help cover the “big outlay” of training would be useful.

“What we are trying to do this week is increase the profile of the industry,” he added.

“Lorries are very important. If we didn’t have lorries, people would not eat anything.

“Everything that we touch is transported at some time during its journey on a lorry of one size or another.”

He said the average age of a driver is mid to late 50s, rising “even higher” among proprietors.

He said: “That’s one of the problems we have – there’s no young blood.”