Watch the man who as been crowned the world’s oldest HGV driver

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Video Credit: Rumble

An 83-year-old great-grandfather has been crowned the world’s oldest HGV driver.

Richard Henderson learned how to drive a tractor when he was 13. When he was 16, he got his license to ride a motorbike and to drive a car aged 17.

He started working as a truck driver when he was 25. He learned to drive a tractor in the fields by farmhands while growing up. He said: “I was in the fields and whatnot, there wasn’t health and safety. The workmen used to give you a shot and that was it.”

The 83-year-old great-grandfather has now been working for his 59-year-old son Elliot in Selkirk, Scottish Borders for the past 16 years.

Elliot added: “Dad retired from his job when he was 65, for two days, then he started driving for me. He has been driving ever since. He decided he was going to work for me. I wouldn’t let him drive if I didn’t think he was safe.”

Richard has now made the Guinness Book of World Records for his career as a trucker.

Richard said: “I just enjoy driving. If you sit in the house you’d just go to sleep, so you’ve got to get out. I get people saying ‘you make a better job of reversing than a younger man’”.

Richard undergoes a medical every year in order to get his license renewed.

Richard said: “I think it’s quite a good thing. I wouldn’t say it needs to be every year for car drivers, but maybe every three years. You’ve got to go to an optician or a doctor, and if there’s anything wrong you’ve got to go to Swansea.”

Richard also believes Prince Philip should lose his license after he crashed his Range Rover in January and for driving without a seatbelt.

Richard said: “If that was the likes of me, they would have taken the license away and done a medical. He got a new car the next day and he was seen driving without a seatbelt.”

“If that had been any of us, we would have been fined”.

At 83, Richard is better than most of the young drivers and this is why he has been crowned the world’s oldest HGV driver.

 

 

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