Driving a dump truck - at 13
22 December 2022
A frequent frustration for hire companies and construction firms is the challenge of recruiting competent, dedicated personnel. So many might wish there were more people with the same passion for machinery as 13-year-old Jay Currie.
Jay (above) has just become one of the youngest trained articulated dump truck drivers in the UK, after gaining his Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS) ADT (articulated dump truck) Red Card.
The schoolboy from Cullen, 20 miles east of Elgin, follows in his brother Jamie’s footsteps, who became the youngest trained operator in the UK after gaining a CPCS Red Card in 2020, when he was also aged just 13.
“I have always been fascinated with big dump trucks since a young age,” explained Jay. “My brother did his digger ticket so I thought I should try to get a dumper ticket so we can get some earthmoving done. I wanted to do it at an early age too so that I could have more experience on the machine.”
Jay took his first step towards the qualification aged 12, when he was eligible to take the CITB Health, Safety & Environment (HS&E) test. He booked it on his twelfth birthday and passed ten days later with 49/50 marks.
He continued building up experience on the machines before, in November 2022, he attended a three-day course followed by a test at GoldCast Academy in Lanark.
“During the course, I had to drive the dump truck around a stockpile into position for loading, then do the same in reverse,” said Jay. “I found it quite easy and it also helped that the Bell B20 dump truck was easy to use. I revised the theory questions and passed with flying colours (151/151 marks) and I then passed the practical test, too.
“In the test, we were loaded by a digger and reversed to the stop block and tipped the load. I completed around ten loads.”
Jay and Jamie’s passion for diggers runs in the family as father James Currie is director of Currie Contractors Cullen Ltd.
Commenting on his brother’s achievement, Jamie Currie said: “It’s really good that Jay has his dump truck qualification now. It means we can practice together and do jobs around the house. When we’re old enough to work on commercial sites, I hope we can do that together and build our own plant business one day.”
The brothers have been encouraged throughout their very first steps in the plant industry by Callum Mackintosh, president of the Scottish Plant Owners Association (SPOA).
“Laying the foundations for a career in plant at 13 is admirable,” he said. “The focus, hard work and determination shown here will carry Jay a long way in life. Jay and his older brother are an inspiration for other young people.”
I take my hat off to Jay and Jamie and I hope they go on to enjoy a long and successful career in the world of plant.
