CULLEN schoolboy Jay Currie (13) has become one of the youngest trained articulated dump truck (ADT) drivers in the UK, after gaining his CPCS ADT Red Card.
Jay follows in the footsteps of older brother Jamie, who gained his own CPCS Red Card in 2020, when he was also aged 13.
“I have always been fascinated with big dump trucks since a young age,” Jay said. “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. The test was booked on his 12th birthday and successfully passed ten days later with a score of 49 out of 50.
Jay continued building up experience on the machines and 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,” he explained. “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 what they meant too, so I 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, with his dad, James Currie, being the 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.”
Both Jamie and Jay have been encouraged throughout their first steps in the plant industry by Scottish Plant Owners Association (SPOA) president Callum Mackintosh.
Callum added, “What a fantastic achievement by Jay and what a duo him and his brother are! Laying the foundations for a career in plant at 13 is admirable, 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, particularly those whose family business is in the plant industry and can replicate their achievements. Careers in plant are well worth considering and I look forward to seeing where Jay’s future takes him.”
When asked about his next plans, Jay commented, “I hope to gain some more experience when I can, maybe even on a bigger dump truck like the 777 I saw at Finning the day before my test, and pass my NVQ when I am 16. I would like to encourage other people like me to follow in my footsteps or similar as it can provide a great career path and it can make their CV look better when applying for a job.
“They will have lots more experience despite still being a young age, rather than being completely new to a machine.”
