TRANSPORT SERVICE
Page 52
Page 53
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
for 350 SHOPS
Particulars of the North-country Deliveries of Taylors British Chemists, Ltd., a Concern which Operates a Dozen Vehicles, Mostly of Thornycroft Make. The Motor's Link Between Chemist and Retailer
MODEXN knowledge has added considerably to the wisdom of the old-time apothecary and up-todate methods have revolutionized the business practices of the old-time retail chemist; Technical skill has increased considerably and, in place of the uncertain and often mysterious mixtures and evil-smelling compounds of years ago, dainty packets, neat cartons and smartly labelled bottles are presented in the modern chemist's shop.
With such a widely diffused stock, coupled with the fact that no fewer than 330 shops have to be regularly supplied with almost all their requirements, a tour of the packing and transport department of Taylors British Chemists, Ltd., at the manufacturing and distributing centre for the north of England, at Burley Hill, Leeds, proved to be particularly interesting.
By the courtesy of Mr. R. Gray, manager of the transport fleet, a representative of The Commercial Motor Was able to investigate the methods aaopted in dealing with the supplies of all the company's branches in the area, which includes Birmingham in the south, Grimsby in the south-east, Liverpool in the south-west, Workington and White
c30 haven on the north-west border n d Ashington and Whitley Bay in the north-east.
The Burley Hill works, and warehouses are in a healthy district of Leeds, and from here regular deliveries are made to every branch at least once every fortnight, whilst some of the branches receive weekly deliveries, and if required, those within a 15-20-mile radius have a day-to-day delivery. Generally speaking, however, the fortnightly delivery is the rule.
Organizing Delivery Routes.
The organization of suitable delivery routes is greatly complicated by the various closing days, as neighbouring branches often close on different days. However, a scheme of routes, bringing in a convenient number of shops, has been evolved, and branch managers are instructed when to send in their orders.
The system of ordering is of particular interest, as it affects the smooth working of the delivery system. The orders from approximately. 12 groups of shops are received each day.
As an instance of how every endeavour is made to expedite matters, it is an invariable rule that order sheet's must be enclosed in special envelopes, and must not be placed with the ordinary correspondence. This obviates sorting in
the general office. Goads are, classified and are ordered on separate sheets, according to this classification. Each section of the order goes to the department dealing with the particular commodities.
The items from the various departments are brought to the packing department in hand trolleys and deposited in divided racks, which serve a different branch every day. The goods are finally transferred to standardized packing cases and each i weighed as it is packed, ready for lifting on to the motor vehic:es. The packing eases measure 2 ft. by 1 ft. 4 ins. by 1 ft. 4 ins., and 2 ft. 3 ins. by 1 ft. 6 ins.
by 1 ft. 6 ins. They have rope handles to facilitate lifting and to avoid projections, and no nails are used, the lids having a patent fastening held by a metal wedge.
The consignment clerk calculates the weight of the goods for each route and then a decision is made regarding the capacity of the vehicle required.
The transport fleet comprises 12 vehicles, and these form an important link in the chain from the laboratory and the manufacturing chemist to the 350 branches throughout the north and the midlands. A strict time-table has to be adhered to, but the varying loads for the journeys call for a change of vehicle from one journey to another. The orders from particular branches vary from a minimum of 10 cwt. to a maximum a perhaps tWO tons, and a load for a particular route varies as much as from 30 cwt. to four tons. On the long journeys, such as to Birmingham, nothing more than two tons is sent on one vehicle.
To facilitate handling and loading, the floor of the packing warehouse is level with the floors of the lorries, and three vehicles can be loaded at once. There are three entrances for the lorries, and one can be drawn away from the platform and out into the street while the others are loading. At the shops the full cases are left ariU the empties from the previous journey picked up.
A Hard-working Fleet.
All the lorries are kept hard at work from Monday morning until Friday night, but on Saturday mornings no deliveries are made with the heavier vehicles, and the time is then spent in cleaning and effecting minor repairs, greasing,etc.
All the drivers know the various routes, having been trained from boys by the company. The drivers do no repairs, but three full-time mechanics are kept in the wellequipped repair shop. There is a staff of 20 drivers, mechanics and second men in the transport department, and the condition of the vehicles is a tribute to the work of all the staff under the direction of Mr. rt. Gray.
The repairs and maintenance, right down to the painting, except lettering, are done by the garage staff. The fleet at Leeds is standardized on Thornycroft vehicles, with the exception of a Morris van. Careful records of the running of each vehicle are made, and the following details show the supplies anjd mileage for a recent period of four weeks :— Several of these vehicles have seen long service, and one is due for replacement immediately, a new Thornycroft K.B.-type 3i-ton lorry being on order. One advantage of being near the Thornycroft depot is that only a small stock of parts IS necessary.
In addition to the heavy vehicles, private cars for the use of directors and supervisors are maintained.
At the present time the 3-ton and 4-ton vehicles are on solid tyres, but the new 31-tonner will be on pneumatics. The increased speed of the newer vehicles, coupled with the reduced vibration, so important in the carrying of many fragile articles, is a great boon in work such as this, minimizing damage through breakage and shortening the hours of the drivers.
100-ton Weekly Consignment.
Over 100 tons of goods are -;sent each week by road, yet so thoroughly are the details worked out and so consistent is the performance of' every detail that orders received in the general office by Monday morning's post are in the hands of the branch managers at the extreme limit of the delivery area by Tuesday—or Wednesday at the latest— and the delivery time does not vary by more than a few minutes.
To the careful training of the drivers and the persistent watching of the vehicles by the garage staff is attributed the consistent running of the fleet, and much of the success which has resulted in the development of the company's business is in no small measure due to the reliability of the despatch department.
One point of importance in regard to the work of the transport department is that a constant and regular supply to replenish stocks at the branches enables branch managers to limit their stocks to the reasonableArequirements of the immediate future. This permits the customer to be supplied with fresh stock, and, in the case of a large concern such as Taylors British Chemists, Ltd., materially reduces the bulk of the stock on hand and at the variouo branches.