Heavy Oilers Bring Success to North-country Trunk Operators
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Foden Lorries and Crane Trailers Form the Bulk of the Fleet Operated by Messrs. Ratcliffe and Ingham, of Manchester. Long Mileages Between Overhauls Are An Outstanding Feature of Their Performance
AMONG the best-known transport operators in the North of England are Messrs. Ratcliffe and Ingham (Manchester) with whom is associated the Sackville Haulage Co., a business that the form" took over some years ago. During the past two decades they have• been offering consistent service to the trading community, for it was in 1919, when the two partners came home from service with the Forces, that they decided to set up in
business. . ,
. At that time railway services were nothing short of chaotic and, because road transport offered relief • to harassed industry, it looked like being one of the coming things of the post-Great-War world. So Messrs. Ratcliffe and Ingham decided to take it up.
In the early days their fleet included ex-W.D. Karriers and Sentinel steam wagons, and for a start the firm set about giving convenient facilities between Liverpool and Manchester. Quickly the business developed further, with direct services from both Liverpool and Manchester to London and intermediate places.
In due time, in addition to the Manchester headquarters, it was found necessary to establish branch offices both in the Metropolis and on Merseyside. And from a modest beginning in 1919 has grown up a fleet that now consists of 27 heavy platform lorries with trailers.
During the "petrol era" machines of various makes were used, but five years ago a change-over was commenced in favour of Foden oilers. Each year more vehicles of this type have been substituted for the earlier designs until now there are 22 Fodens in use. The large fleet of trailers is entirely of Crane manufacture.
As years have gone by, more intensive demands have been made on the average operators machines and to-day the Fodens are giving a service that is unequalled by anything
in the past history of the firm. For vehicles on the trunk routes 1,300 miles is a normal week's work.
In the circumstances, it might be expected that there would be heavy calls on the maintenance department, but in actual fact costs of overhauls are decidedly on the light side, it being related that one of the Fodens ran no less than 100,000 miles before it was decarbonized and a few replacements effected.
A staff of five is employed on routine and general maintenance at the firm's headquarters which are situated at Miles Platting, only a few minutes' run from Manchester city centre. On arrival in the morning the trunk vehicles are taken over by shunt" drivers who carry out deliveries in the surrounding area, the garage being particularly conveniently placed for distribution to Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Stockport and elsewhere. On returning, all the necessary work is done in topping up oil, greasing, washing, checking tyres and general maintenance, then the trunk crew takes over for the night journey to London. Another shunt driver will do his share in the London area the following day and once more the trunk crew will take over for the return North.
As general hauliers the firm now carry a great variety of goods, particularly foodstuffs, defence materials, textiles and machinery for home and overseas use. Throughout the day instructions from customers are being received at the office and when out on delivery work the drivers maintain telephone contact with headquarters so that they can continue to various points to make collections without running unnecessary mileage.
Service to the customer in any business is, of course, dependent firstly upon the operator's own organization, and upon the reliability of his vehicles and maintenance system. Nevertheless, however well organized the business may be, there will frequently be occasions when the manufacturer's direct assistance is of great importance.
In this case, the bulk of the repairs and maintenance is carried out in the firm's own workshops but they pay tribute to the helpful spirit displayed by Fodens, Ltd., at Sandbach, whenever this company's services have been called upon. Demands for transport necessitate vehicles being kept on the road for the greatest possible proportion of their potential working time and the service at Sandbach is specifically designed to assist in achieving this.
So as to simplify conditions of working, arrangements have been made by Messrs. Radcliffe and Ingham to transfer to new and improved premises in the same locality. Here there is ample garage accommodation with space for storing fuel and stocks of lubricating oils—Wellsaline is the brand employed—also for supplies of tyres and other essential equipment.
It is in connection with services such as these that the modern "heavy "—which will carry a big pay-load and yet have power to spare in maintaining trunk schedules —can be seen in its most economical sphere of work.
Normal times, with competitive systems of transport at their best, still show the efficient road haulier at a considerable advantage. At present, the superiority is even more marked.