S.T.R. Talks to Traffic Supervisors
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RECENTLY, S.T.R., Die Commercial Motor costs expert, gave his 39th lecture. The occasion was the conference of area supervisors of F.T.S. (Great Britain), Ltd., an organization which runs trunk services through a territory stretching from Southampton to Aberdeen, and Cardiff to Hull.
Each important town has its depot and garage, with a supervisor in charge, and the company calls these officials together, occasionally, for such a conference as this. S.T.R. was asked to address the meeting on the peculiar problems of transport likely to 'tie encountered by such an organization.
S.T.R., in his address, emphasized, lust, the imperative need for co1338
operation between the various branches, He indicated the importance of even minute savings in operating costs in connection with a fleet of vehicles running each year upwards of 3,500,000 miles, for 1-10d. per mile saved equals £1,500 per annum.
It is, nevertheless, important, he said, not to make the mistake of concentrating on some particular item of running cost without due regard for others. First and foremost in the minds of all concerned should be the need for diminishing the number of hours any vehicle was off the road.
He warned those present against the risk of endeavouring to plan a scheme of maintenance according to some routine formula, involving the carrying out of specific operations at specific intervals, irrespective of need. This system leads to extravagance.
The company already showed some appreciation of the importance of that matter, in that it employed a travelling inspector to check the condition of the vehicles and give warning of the need for attention. S.T.R. suggested the more effective use of drivers' daily reports as a further means to the end in view.
In conclusion, he pointed out that by the successive allocation of each vehicle, first to difficult areas and then to others less arduous, the effective life of the machines could be extended.
Every speaker who took part in the debate gave credit to The Commercial Motor for the work which it is doing to improve road-transport conditions.