"Experience shows that if the young bucks are used to unload fragile materials they will damage a certain percentage. So when ordering it pays to order a few extra."
Overall, it would probably be cheaper to hire older people with a halfway decent work ethic.
Sue
Majority older crews can often get more done by planning, tight cooperation and a superior knowledge of the job. But in a lot of cases there is a certain amount of grunt work that benefits from youthful strength, enthusiasm and endurance.
Generally the best crews are a mix.
When the allies were planning D-Day they purposely made sure the vast majority of the troops were young and had no previous combat experience. These are the guys who can be convinced that that it is entirely possible, even noble and heroic, to charge uphill across an open beach into a well entrenched enemy force.
Combat veterans and older men are far less enthusiastic about such propositions.
But to this inexperienced majority they added a leavening of older, experienced veterans. The guys who could pick up the pieces, organize and lead.
The young troops were there because they didn't know any better. The older troops went along because they knew that the young guys were babes in the wood and would need guidance once their illusions about war had been dashed.
It is a fair model for our crews.