The American Lorry Invasion (No. VI).
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By John Younger, of Buffalo, N.Y.
[The writer of this article, five years ago engaged in the industry in this country, appears to have arrived at the conclusion since his sojourn in the States, that progress in British design and construction has been more or less at a standstill. British models and the factories in which they are built would, we think, satisfactorily withstand Mr. Younger's criticism were he able.once again to familiarize himself with them.—Ed.j It is perhaps unbecoming, to say the least of it, to criticise one's country when all her energies are devoted to the maintenance of individuality, and when anything like criticism is seized on by the enemy to indicate dissension, yet I cannot let pass the article on American trucks in the issue of THE Col:um/eta", Moron, of 1st July, without sounding the old -War call again—" Wake up, John Bull! " It is about five years since I left England. Six years of my British engineering experience were spent with well-known commercial-vehicle firms. The five years of my American experience has been spent in the service of one of the best-known car and truck manufacturer; and during this period I have been in intimate touch with the latest English and European developments. The technical Press on both sides of the Atlantic reports fully and with reasonable accuracy both as to details and as to broad outlines. I feel, therefore, peculiarly qualified to speak on this subject, and would advise British manufacturers to awaken themselves to a realization of What is behind this American influx and to study how best they can benefit from it.
It is foolish pride which refuses to discuss the subject intelligently and relegates the American truck into the category of the lamentable imported American bicycle.
Efficiency-rating Wanted.
The American learned his lesson well in those days. Hit-and-miss policy has been replaced by a weil-considered scheme of efficiency in product as well as production. True, the scale of product runs all the way from the very poor at the bottom to the very good at the top. Thisobtains for all countries, and it is distinctly unfair to compare, say, the Rolls-Royce of England with the Ford of America. Rather should the policy behind the industry be analysed and its trend observed in order that a true value may be obtained.
Let us dismiss once and for all these mushroom growths of truck manufacturers who have sprung up with hasty and often ill-considered chassis to help out the Allies in their great need. They are exactly suited to their purpose—the satisfaction of an ephemeral want.
A Further Claim for "Service."
Rather, let us consider those chassis which have been sufficiently long established in America to have gained a permanent foothold in the industry, and study their underlying policies. Let us consider the activities of their organization. For instance, each has a " Service" or Maintenance Department with intelligent men running it. This department aims to keep a record of each truck in service, of each accident, however small, that has happened to it, and of wear and tear and complaints in general. Their function is to see that the truck is repaired properly and efficiently, and in their work they 'accumulate a vast amount of valuable data.
The data are handed over to the engineering departments who analyse cause and effect and translate the regular defect of yesterday into an impossible occurrence to-morrow.
The production of trucks is like that of cars, on a comparatively enormous scale, and the opportunities for observing the vehicles' work under all kinds of rough and smooth conditions are correspondingly great. Where an English manufacturer will have one weak link giving trouble, his American confrere may have dozens or even hundreds. It is obvious that the casual breakage causes little comment, but if this be repeated many times, steps are taken to correct the evil.
In America the Maker Pays for Failures.
It is curious; too, but an undoubted fact, that the American public is far more exacting in its demands for a reliable chassis. It may not be so exasperated at the failures, but it does insist on the manufacturer paying for them. This and keen competition have led to a very high standard of reliability being attained in the American truck.
The English manufacturer has certainly not the facilities for obtaining this information. I know also, without fear of contradiction, that he has no definite system for following up the work of his vehicle when in service. This system is haphazard at the best.
Claim to Advance in Touring-car Design.
Consider now the use that is made of these data: Armed with the necessity for improving his details, and the necessary funds for the work involved, the American engineer conducts elaborate experiments in design and in materials. The progress in the former has been much more rapid than is generally known, and merely because no particular progress has been., made with the small-bore high-speed engine, WI
i no evidence that progress has not been made n other , directions. Marvellous improvements have been made in looking after the comfort of the passengers.
Bringing Trucks Into Line.
Self-starting, lighting, and variouscontrol devices, storm curtains and so forth, testify to the ground covered. Progress in trucks also has not been lacking. Over half the manufacturers of trucks in America voluntarily abandoned the chain-drive truck and swung over to the worm-drive or internal-drive truck. Springing has been improved, speed increased, and general reliability improved to a point undreamt of in English trucks.
Who Are the English Engineers?
It is a fact that imported British and European vehicles of the best makes will not bear comparison with the better American truck, nor will they stand up under American conditions. It is granted by English engineers of authority and experience that American trucks are at least equal to British trucks in design. [In the absence of names, this statement carries no weight.—En.] In Canada, American cars and trucks are preferred on account of their reliability.
Steels to S.A.E. Standard Specifications.
Not alone in design but in materials is the American manufacturer progressing. Mr. Pomeroy recently called attention to the slackness evidenced by British steel manufacturers in catering for the needs of the automobile trade. Reading between the lines, I feel sure that Mr. Pomeroy expressed very mildly what he felt very forcibly. In this country (U.S.A.) a strong co-operation between the large steel makers and the automobile manufacturer has led to a wonderful progress in the use of alloy steels. Steels now are ordered. on a specification calling for both physical and chemical tests. For instance, a specification as follows is quite comrncin
Carbon ... .25_to .35 per cent.
Manganese ... .3) to .40 per cent. Nickel ... 3.25 to 4 per cent. Chromium. ... 1.5 to 1.8 per cent.
Phos. and sulphur below .04 per cent.
-Elastic limit 100,000 to 110,000 lb. per square inch. Elongation not less than 15 per cent. Reduction of area not less than 55 per cent. Scleroscope hardness 38 to 44.
Bars or forgings to be thoroughly heat treated to refine the grain and produce above results without internal strain. Such a specification, I believe, would not be accepted by a British manufacturer.
Parts that to the British engineer seem inadequate would on physical analysis show surprising strength, steel being used regularly with elastic limits up to 200,000 lb. per square inch [Similar steels are regularly used in British factories.—ED.] In bronzes, east-iron, and cast-steel progress has been just as rapid, and I speak from intimate experience when I say that in taking up the manufacture of worm gearing. in this country the wheel bronze has been improved vastly over best English practice.
Laboratory Staff Inspection.
I know actually of one manufacturer in the States 11.-ho examine5 each individual forging or casting that enters into his axles or steering gear or important structural part, by the scleroscope and Brinell machines in order to ensure himself that the raw materials are up to specification in structure and treatment. Not only so, but practically every manufacturer of standing either has his own chemical and physical laboratories or commands the service of one, -wherein microscopic, physical and chemical analyses are made daily of percentages of his raw material.
Of the progress in production and selling methods it is needless to add anything. The numbers of cars and trucks sold both in and out Of the States speak for themselves.
Most of us European engineers who came over to study American methods of production 'became enthusiastic over the opportunities afforded for -progress in other directions and stayed on to learn more and to give up and develop our own ideas in" a freer and more untrammelled way than we had ever done before. The engineer in this country gets greater encouragement in his work, and gets greater credit for it than in any other country. In brief, he works in a more sympathetic atmosphere, and theresults are shown in his work. It is a curious fact, which would need a considerable knowledge of psychology and sociology to explain fully, that the British and European engineer, who comes over on a visit, in most cases, remains to stay permanently.
When the reason for this is fully understood, and the conditions corrected, there is then hope that Britain will recover and maintain her lead. Meanwhile, America has enlarged her factories to take care of war requirements. When the war is over, she will make strenuous efforts to maintain her trade.
Th,e Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[1447] Sir,—Re the much-discussed American Lorry Invasion in your article No. 5 by "Ceteris Paribus I notice that that gentleman, who apparently is "well in the know," remarks that my statement that American chassis are much lighter (presumably than British) is erroneous.
This statement is about as true as the remark he makes further on in the same paragraph, that the Federal Truck Co. do not make one of larger capacity than four thousand pound (4000 lb.). For his information may I point out that the Federal Co. make what they call a 3,1-ton chassis, the capacity of which is seven thousand pound (7000 lb.), which, incidentally, we sell in this country as the 4-ton Whiting-Federal--Yours faithfully,
Per Pro WHITING (1915), LTD. CHAS. R. CLARK, General Manager.