AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

I N every sphere of transport activity the motor vehicle is

20th September 1927
Page 50
Page 51
Page 52
Page 53
Page 50, 20th September 1927 — I N every sphere of transport activity the motor vehicle is
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

rapidly replacing more antiquated means, and this applies very fully in the case of transport _ for the commercial traveller. The day of the horsed brougham or " trap " as it is often called, is practically over, and the sight of a traveller by railway calling for porters and vehicles to convey his skips to hotel stockrooms is becoming far less familiar than of yore.

The horsed vehicle has a very limited radius of operation and it is by no means comfortable, in fact, one can sometimes hardly see the traveller because nf the surrounding boxes, etc.

The stockroom is still used to a fair extent in connection with certain classes of goods; for instance, jewellery, and now, to a lesser extent, in connection with the display of valuable gowns and furs. We say to a lesser extent, because thousands of expensive dresses are now being carried with cleanliness and safety in suitably converted limousine cars, these having merely two seats at the front and roof rails upon which slide coat and dress hangers.

Now what are the points to be considered when a firm is contemplating the motorization of its transport for commercial travellers? Primarily, there is the question of cost and here it is impossible to generalize; each case must be considered on its molls, and It may be as well for such a firm to hire suitable vehicles for a time, even if eventually it decides to buy its own fleet.

The ordinary type of motor brougham can be hired at a cost, including the driver's wages, of £8 to 110 per week, perhaps a little less where the sample accommodation need only be quite small and takes the

1332

other incidental expenses which are excluded when road transport is employed. We have known cases where the -running of 'motor vehicles has involved

• slightly more expense than the use of other means, but • the manifold advantage of transport from door to door and other 'points have greatly outweighed such slight

The road vehicle is so'llexible that towns and villages practically inaccessible by railway can he, visited without any difficulty, and where long journeys have to be made to any particular place, arrangements can be made for intermediate stops which Would be almost impossible to effect if 'travellers were proceeding by train.

In certain cases the traveller acts as his own driver, but this presents disadvantages, particularly where many stops have to be made in busy centres. It is tiring, does not permit the making of notes between stops and causes difficulty through the vehicle having be left unattended. On the other hand, if a chauffeur be employed, there are his wages to consider, and, if away from home, it is usual to allow him 'Ts. Gcl. per night lodging money.

In many trades it is of the utmost importance that both the .traveller and his Means for conveyance should be of good appearance. A man with a soiled collar emerging from a ramshackle conveyance does not appeal to the well-dressed buyer of some oldestablished house dealing in high-class•goods, and in sonic cases it may be necessary to provide really firstJass vehicles which in themselves will create a good

effect; in fact, it is always advisable to suit the type of vehicle to the class' of goods Concerned. It may be

said with tiuth that the traveller who can create a good imprc ;sion is far less likely to be kept waiting or to be refused altogether ; consequently, even in this

respect there is a direct saving of time and a possible gain in orders.

Some potential users of motor vehicles often hesitate owing to a feeling that this means for transport may provb unreliable in the hands of comparatively in experienced men, which is, of course, generally where the travellers themselves do the driving, but this is a view which is, in our opinion, quite a mstake. The modern motor vehicle is really surprisingly reliable and, in the majority of instances, is driven by comparative novices, many of whom know little more about the mechanism than to replenish with fuel and oil, and yet they undertake tours often extending over many hundreds of miles at a stretch.

From the point of view of the traveller himself there is the question of the additional comfort afforded. In the majority of the

in vehicles designed or him he is afforded fully adequate protection against inclement weather and the vehicles are ,both well sprung and well upholstered. With certain types there is so little difference between the commercial vehicle A handsome type of traveller's and the private vehicle has been developed by

that the traveller can, where permitted, use such a vehicle privately during week-ends. In other types, convertible bodywork is provided so that the part which normally carries the samples can be lifted clear, so leaving a two-seater and dickey.

The opinion is rapidly being formed in trade circles that more business is likely to result by taking the goods to the buyer than by expecting the buyer to come to inspect them, and it is the man with the motor who usually skims the cream of the orders.

Fears as to the damaging of delicate goods in transporting them by road can be considered as practically groundless; in fact, less damage is likely to occur than in conveying them in skips by train. In some vehicles it is not even necessary to pack garments. They can be hung in such a manner as to avoid all risk of creasing, and experiences with the transport of fragile goods in other branches of road transport have shown that the packing required when a motor vehicle is employed is practically negligible in comparison with that necessitated by rail transport.

Actually, vehicles for the commercial traveller vary from what is little more than a parcelcar to a travelling showroom, elaborately equipped and possibly weighing several tons, so that it is impossible to lay

E34 down definite rules as to the type of vehicle which ought to be purchased, this depending entirely upon the class of goods. We are, of course, not considering here what may be termed the travelling shop. This is in a field by itself and does not really come into the province of the commercial traveller.

In many instances, where the samples which have to be carried occupy but little space, a good make of private car is all that is required, but whatever vehicle be purchased, this should be of a type the maintenance of which is comparatively easy. Consequently, it should be ascertained that t makers maintain a good service in respect of spare parts, and the general design of the vehicle should be as simple as is consistent with efficiency a n d reliability. It is most important that a traveller should not be held up, possibly for several days, because one small part may have failed and another not be readily available.

Thereis some misconception as to the licensing category into which the traveller's vehicle falls, this, of course, being chiefly in connection with those classes which are, to all intents and purposes, private cars, the others being subject to taxation at the ordinary rates for goods-carrying vehicles, i.e., £10 per annum if the vehicle does not exceed 12 cwt. unladen; £16 per annum if the weight unladen exceeds 12 cwt., but does not exceed 1 ton ; £26 per annum if it exceeds 1 ton but does not exceed 2 tons; and £40 per annum if it exceeds 2 tons but does not exceed 3 tons. Now, so far as the traveller's brougham and traveller's car are concerned, certain of these can be taxed on the basis of £1 per h.p.. but there is the Important proviso that if the car be constructed or adapted for the conveyance of samples it falls into the goods category, and it is this clause which has resulted in the surprising of many travellers, who had formed the opinion that their vehicles could be taxed in the private category.

It will, we think, be of interest if we give the operating costs of a few representative classes of vehicle, these being based on a weekly mileage of 200. The figures include fuel, lubricants, tyres, maintenance, de saloon with rear door, which Fiat (England), Ltd.

preciation, and the following standing charges: licences, wages, rent and rates, insurance and interest. For this purpose, however, it will be sufficient to give the total cost only. For the lighter types, such as the private saloon, the cost would be in the neighbourhood of £5 per week; for the 1-tonner, £7 per week; and for the 30-cwt. £5 10s. per week.

ress hangers. For those who desire to hire suitable vehicles, the following under

take such contracts : Thomas Tilling, Ltd., 20, Victoria Street, London, S.W.1; United Service Transport Co., Ltd., 143, Clapham Road, London, S.W.10; Coupe and Motor Cab Co. of Great Britain, Ltd., 47, Graham Street, London, S.W.1; French's Motor br.gineering Works, Ltd., 279 Balhain High Road, London, S.W.7; Balls and Co., Brixton Bill, London, S.W.2; the Barbican Garage, Golden Lane, London, E.C.1; Chas, Webster, Ltd., 6, Winwood Street, London, E.1; Castlecar Co., Camden Road, London,

N.W.,• Alford and Alder, Ltd., Newington Butts, London, S.E.11.

As a general guide to the types of vehicle in use and available, we publish a number of illustrations of representative examples, amongst the most recent of which is the de luxe brougham recently brought out by Stewart and Ardern, Ltd., 371, Euston Road, London, N.W.1, on the Morris-Oxford 14-28 hp. saloon chassis. The body is of three-ply covered with fabric. There is a window in the rear door and a central electric light, whilst a pigeon-hole or raek for orders is provided in the roof. The body is V-fronted with a threepiece screen. The doors are Cloth-lined and have drop windows with patent winders. The floor is of linoleum With metal slats, and the body .space frani.the rear of the seat is 4 ft. long, 4 ft. wide, an 3 ft. 7 ins. high.

A machine much used where the leads are comparatively light and compact is the Leyland-Trojan, sometimes in the form of the standard utility car, and, at other times, with a neat box at the back. In the latter type any reasonable number of shelyes may be inserted, whilst there is ample space for fairly bulky objects if the shelves be removed. The capacity is not so great as is afforded by the Trojan van, but rather more than in the utility model.

Alford and Alder, Ltd., 53, Newington Butts, London, S.E.1.1, has constructed a large number of bedies on various classes of chassis. In one type, especially designed for the millinery trade and mounted on a 1-ton Morris-Commercial chassis, the traveller and driver have an enclosed compartment, immediately behind which is another accessible from both Sides of the body for the conveyance of special samples which the traveller may wish to obtain easily and quickly. Still farther back is a compartment accessible from the rear. Each of these spaces for samples can be fitted with shelves or racks to Suit Individual requirements.

The brougham type of body is designed for the traveller who carries but few samples and calls mostly on high-class West-end houses, sometimes finding it necessary to use the car to take the buyer to the warehouse. We illustrate one very capacious Alford and Alder model in which the Austin Twenty chassis is employed. This has a large rear compartment, accessible from the near side only and equipped with shelves at the off side and hack, so that a large number of samples can be carried. This is particularly suitable for the fancy-goods trade.

Duple Bodies and Motors, Ltd., Edgware Road, The Hyde, London, N.W.9, is experienced in the provision of convertible bodies to suit any chassis. One of the most popular of the types made by it consists of a two-seater car with dickey, in which the upper portion of the dickey lifts off and is replaced by a box or van body, ample loading space thus being provided, whilst the car can be made available for private purposes in a few minutes.

Morris Motors (1926), Ltd., Cowley, Oxford, itself markets • the 11.9 h.p. Morris-Cowley traveller's car with a two-seater, two-door body with coachbuilt box at the rear. This forms a very handy and economical little vehicle.

Bayley's, Ltd., Newington Causeway, London, SE., has turned out a large number of bodies to meet the requirements of commercial travellers. Some of these are very 'fine examples indeed. One in particular, mounted on a Berliet chassis, is of the type having a large rear compartment, access to which is gained by doors at the sides. The driver's seat is protected by a folding canopy with hoop sticks, so that in fine weather this can be pulled right back against the front of the body proper. In other models, the rear portion of the body is divided into 'two compartments, access to the forward one being afforded by side doors and to the other by a door at the back.

A good vehicle at a moderate cost is the 15.6 tap. Overland Whippet brougham. It has a load capacity of 10 cwt. and a storage capacity of 86 cub. ft. There is a large single door at the rear, the equipment includes 4-wheel brakes and the vehicle is finished in dark blue cellulose, the price being i220.

One vehicle designed to resemble a private limousine is the Fiat brougham. This is equipped with a rear entrance door, and is particularly suitable for a traveller in ladies' dresses, coats, etc., the goods being carried on coat hangers suspended from roof rails.

Renault, Ltd., Seag,rave Road, West Brampton, do not cater particularly for commercial travellers, but their 9-15 h.p. light commercial box van, which carries 7 cwt. loads, should be very suitable for this class of work.

Those well-known coach builders of Norwich, Mann,

Egerton and Co., Ltd., 5, Prince of Wales's Road, have built many vehicles of the type under discussion. One of them consists of what would appear to be quite an ordinary two-seater car, for there is a special side door to the dickey so that samples or bags can easily be taken out without lifting the dickey lid. The actual chassis employed is a 10-15 h.p. Fiat.

Another type made by this company is represented by the Exide battery service van, and shows what can be done with the 7 h.p. Austin chassis: Boxea may be built on these lines to represent anY particular product that the commercial traveller is representing.

Quite a number of Citroen cars-is in use by travellers, and an interesting type marketed by Citroen Cars, Ltd., Citroen Building, Brook Green, Hammersmith, London, W.6, is the farmer's 4-seater, which would appear also to 'be very suitable for the traveller. The rear seats can be lifted out and the back of the car forms a tailboard which can be dropped to facilitate loading or unloading.

The Austin Twenty chassis, as well as the Austin Seven, is largely used by travellers. This also applies to the Star, for •the Star. Engineering Co., Ltd., of larolverhampton, has produced a number of complete vehicles to meet the requirements of the traveller.

A chassis which, it is claimed by the makers, Clement Talbot, Ltd., Barlby Road, Ladbroke Grove, London, W.10, to be particularly suitable for the work of the commercial traveller is the light 14-45 h.p. 6-cylinder model.

We extend an invitation to other makers of special types of chassis and body which meet the veq-uirements Of the commercial traveller to send us particulars and Illustrations for inclusion in this journal.

Tags

People: Prince, Brook Green

comments powered by Disqus