Day 096 - 03 Mar 95 - Page 34


     
     1   Q.   Why is that?
     2        A.  Quite simply, the pigs do not have to climb up the
     3        ramps to go on the top deck.
     4
     5   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I had understood it was there might be two
     6        aspects to it, whether they are going in or going out.
     7        There is the aspect of having to go up or down a steeper
     8        slope and they might suffer stress while actually
     9        negotiating that?
    10        A.  That is a possibility.  You know, either way, up or
    11        down, that is a possibility, but if you have sufficient
    12        straw on the ramps that certainly helps the situation.
    13
    14   Q.   The other thing is that you may have to do more driving to
    15        get a pig to go up or down a steeper slope?
    16        A.  At times, yes.
    17
    18   Q.   Those are the two potential aspects of possible cause of
    19        stress which occurred to me.  Is there anything else?
    20        A.  But then a pig actually has a natural inclination to
    21        climb a gradient.
    22
    23   Q.   It is much easier to climb up than climb down anything?
    24        A.  Yes, correct.
    25
    26   MS. STEEL:   How long has the company had vehicles with
    27        hydraulically operated decks?
    28        A.  Ever since they were brought on to the market
    29        which  ---
    30
    31   Q.   When was that?
    32        A.  -- I would have said roughly 1980ish.
    33
    34   Q.   The other 25 per cent of the vehicles, they have been
    35        phased in since that time, have they?
    36        A.  Yes.
    37
    38   Q.   Do you not demand that all of the contracted vehicles have
    39        hydraulically operated decks?
    40        A.  No, because there are farmers who actually deliver to
    41        us, some of them, on just trailers without a deck in at
    42        all.
    43
    44   Q.   What about the other vehicles that do have decks?
    45        A.  It is a specification for us to do that for the future,
    46        yes, but you have to give transporters time to do it, etc.
    47
    48   Q.   When was that specification made?
    49        A.  I would say within the last 10 years.  I cannot
    50        remember exactly. 
    51 
    52   Q.   Within the last five years? 
    53        A.  I could not give you an honest answer on that, I really
    54        could not.
    55
    56   Q.   How long have the transporters been given to comply with
    57        that?
    58        A.  Well, we asked them to change at the next time they
    59        changed their vehicles.
    60

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