““Flats were parked because new drivers couldn’t / wouldn’t rope and sheet so along came the curtainside””
Not true, the truth is Sheeting and Roping was/is an Art that few were able to master ! And done right and well gave the driver a lot of satisfaction ( well it did me). The Tautliner was developed to save time and money preparing a vehicle for the road helping for a speedy on time delivery. Depending on the cargo it used to take me up to 1 1/2 hours to Sheet and Rope a 40 ft trailer, making it secure and water proofing the load.
The straps inside a tautliner have never been the only suggested securing method, many times a driver would use ropes or his own straps to hold a load for transport.
And yes its true a Curtainsider stopped prying eyes but so does a sheet and rope if done right !
As to licensing, If memory serves HGV came in in 1970, and depending on experience you could be grandfather righted in on class 1, 2 or 3 prior to HGV you could drive any vehicle on a car license. Times have changed and for the better especially regarding health and safety, and as regulations and laws are implemented it will get tougher, Just like a lathe, screwdriver plane etc a truck is a tool, and unless its operated with responsibility and with in operating designs and obedience of laws there will still be serious injuries and deaths, in most part to driver error. And unless the Vehicle is operated accordingly, the criticisms and faults will continue to bring down the industry. The feeble excuses from the “its not my fault brigade”, will continue just as it has in other industries. However the dangers to the general public are more evident with a tragic probability within the Trucking world.