remove restrictions on when the largest commercial vehicles can be on the road.

And Mr. Tommy Chiappa, of AT&V Trucking, who now oversees a relative empire in the industry of five tractor heads and 50 container chassis, says if restrictions are lifted importers could expect faster delivery of merchandise off the docks and better service.

"It would have the beneficial effect of creating more productivity,'' he said, speaking from his trailer-office at Mills Creek.

The tractor trailers are banned from the roads during rush hours up to 9.15 a.m. and from 4.30 to 6.15 p.m. The restrictions were imposed, says Mr.

Chiappa, many years ago when the roads were much narrower.

"Even when the last work-to-rule existed on the docks, the Government lifted the restrictions for six months, and there were no complaints. I don't believe the restrictions are still necessary.'' There are other changes being made with Stevedoring Services, including computerising previously hand-written container releases from the docks. Mr.

Chiappa believes that it is making service from the docks faster.

There is also a plan to separate small cargo from the larger freight, with those arriving on the docks for small pick-ups able to go to one area while the tractor-trailer pick-ups for larger importers able to go to another area.

"On Monday through Wednesday, it is very hectic on the docks. It's a miracle that there's been no serious accidents. There's a lot of traffic down there.

There's limited space and the top-loader operators have to be given full credit for keeping it safe.

"A lot of small vans and cars have drivers going down onto the docks, who have no idea where they are going. All of that will change. We've got to have patience to wait for the changes to happen, because the importers will end up getting better service.'' If there is one thing that most truckers would like to have happen now, it is more cooperation from property owners in keeping roadside trees trimmed back from the road.

Mr. Chiappa admits Government has tried to assist truckers in this concern, but he says that it is the general public who need to get the message.

"Some of the roads from the sidewalks to the centre are only ten feet wide.

Some of the trucks are eight feet wide with mirrors on each side that makes them require about nine feet of clearance.

"People blame the tractor drivers for going over the centre line. But they are generally trying to avoid hitting tree branches. And when they don't (avoid hitting tree branches) we have to replace so many mirrors. The truth of it is, apart from that, road traffic accidents for tractor trailers are really quite rare.'' These issues have always been important to Mr. Chiappa. But they are becoming more uppermost in his mind. For one thing, his is one of the operations that has been absorbing the containerisation hauling assets of A. David Atcheson, the father of the industry, who first imported tractor trailers a quarter of a century ago.

Mr. Atcheson is streamlining his trucking business, after the death in May of his well-known wife, Gwen. It was she, who in recent years had kept a close rein over the container side of the business and in many cases led the way in causes for the industry.

But Atcheson has been selling off its entire fleet this year, including five tractor heads and 42 trailers.

It also sold its Airport operations as the company streamlines to concentrate on refuse hauling.

Mr. Chiappa bought two tractor heads and 16 trailers from Atcheson, and he now believes he is is responsible for more than a quarter of all the containers being taken from the docks.

He has already taken on four new major importers, while competing with seven other companies.

He's up for the challenge.

"My morning starts at 5.30 a.m., and I'm generally finished by about 10 at night. I'm working seven days a week and haven't seen a weekend in a month. It won't be like this for the rest of my life, but if you really want something out of life, you have to put something into it.'' An uninterrupted conversation with the AT&V boss is impossible during his working hours. Between his cellular telephone and a radio/phone apparatus he uses to keep in contact with his drivers, something is always ringing. He generally answers it himself.

TRUCK KING -- AT&V President, Mr. Thomas D. Chiappa is increasing the size of his container hauling fleet.