As any truck driver will tell you, life on the road can be full of surprises. And that’s exactly what happened to Allan Tennant, a cat C+E driver who works for Liverpool-based hauliers, Goggins Transport Ltd. On this occasion, however, Allan wasn’t behind the wheel of a Goggins truck. He was actually astraddle the saddle of a lightweight racing bike taking part in the annual Action Medical Research (AMR) York 100.
At around 35 miles into the event, Allan caught Driver Hire team members Ben Buckle and Dave Robbins. With a view to setting a good time, the three of them set about working together. It was only whilst taking on food and water that they discovered that they were all involved in road transport.
“Whilst we couldn’t persuade Allan to join us as a driver – he likes working at Goggins too much – he was a perfect new recruit to our cycling team, taking his share at the front, sheltering me and Dave from the wind,” says Ben, a National Accounts Manager at Driver Hire. “Allan’s efforts were even more amazing when he told us he’d only bought a bike three months ago!”
Whilst one might be tempted to think that the threesome whiled away the next 50 miles discussing Allan’s favourite truckstops, Euro 6 and Driver CPC, the reality was it took all their breath to keep moving along at a steady 17mph through the glorious Yorkshire countryside. For the record, the three cycling musketeers completed the 100 mile course in a little under 6 hours; 7 hours if you include refuelling stops and the occasional comfort break.
“It was a great day for a great charity and it was a real pleasure to meet Ben and Dave,” says Allan. “Mind you, after 7 hours on a hard saddle it’ll be nice to get back into the cab, on a somewhat more comfortable seat!”