AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

MOTOR v. RAILWAY ON SOAP DISTRIBUTION.

21st April 1925, Page 14
21st April 1925
Page 14
Page 14, 21st April 1925 — MOTOR v. RAILWAY ON SOAP DISTRIBUTION.
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?

The Experiences of a Newcastle Company whose Vehicles Operate Over a Wide Area.

THE extremely useful work carried out by motor vehicles in the transport of soap and its allied products from the manufacturer to the retailer, is indicated by the gratifying results secured from the comparatively small, but highly efficient, mixed fleet operated by Hedley and Co., Ltd., of City Road, Newcastle, makers of Stanley, Fairy, Milady Toilet, Naphtha, and a variety of other well-known makes of soap.

Messrs. Iledley, it must be mentioned, do not at the present time, rely exclusively upon road motors for the conveyance of their products, but the facts which have induced them of late years to establish their own fleet, and transfer to it a large proportion of the duties previously accomplished by other modes of transport, are of particular interest. In the first place, the management is fully alive to the fact that the annual transport bill can only be reduced to the lowest possible figure by strict attention to organization, and by the use of suitable types of transport vehicle for specific tasks.

For this reason, it is obviously necessary for concerns using more than one mode of transport, to be in possession of accurate data as to the distances over which each provides the cheapest and best service ; which is most economical for a particular class of work ; and the exact points at which the respective mediums cease to give the most favourable results.

In order to provide themselves with this information, Messrs. Hedley have gone very carefully into the question of motor vehicles versus the railway so far as costs are concerned. In this way it has been ascertained that for journeys inside ten miles rail costs are practically double those of delivery by road motor. As the mileage gradually increases, the difference in costs increases until at about a radius of 35 miles the figure is the same for each method. Therefore, accepting this figure as the limit of effective range for the use of motors on normal delivery work, Messes'. Hedley

P30 have been able to allocate deliveries based on tables showing distribution costs. Thus material " cuts" in transport charges have been effected during the past few years. Indeed, thanks to this arrangement, the company now consider that they have reduced their transport bill to the minimum, a" fact which they attribute very largely to the use of motor vehicles in their most economical sphere of operation.

It might be mentioned that in arriving at the comparative costs of distribution, the same ground has been covered, i.e., from works to retailer's shop, in order to secure perfectly unbiased calculations.

The ramifications of Messrs. Hedley are not by any means restricted to Tyneside, for associated companies at a number of other centres enable an

extremely interesting inter-change scheme to be worked. These are situated at Elland, Birmingham and Wash, and each of these works acts as a depot for goods manufactured at the remaining establishments, thereby effecting further reductions in transit charges. The company's vehicles, all of which are controlled from the Newcastle office, are permanently delegated as follow :— Neweastle.—One 3-ton Albion, one 2ton Napier, and two Ford vans.

Elland.—One 3-ton Daimler.

Birmingitant.—One 3-ton Daimler. Wath.—One Ford.

In their campaign to secure economical transport, Messrs. Hedley pay strict attention to detail, and all vehicles are used over regular and carefully mapped out routes, in order to reduce dead mileage, overlapping, and standing time, so that no driver arrives at the garage early whilst another has to work over time.

Unfortunately, in this trade, it is not always possible to make the very fullest use of the vehicles, as return loads are rarely obtainable, but, so far as can be arranged, raw materials are conveyed on inward runs. The lorries stationed in Newcastle each cover over 10,000 miles per year, and that at Birmingham averages 7,500 miles per annum.

Full advantage is taken of the advertising value of motor vehicles, and the Fords stationed in Newcastle bear striking advertisements, and are retained primarily for publicity work. Each covers a large monthly mileage, and brings the company's specialities to the notice of thousands of people.

Mention has already been made of the scheme whereby each depot acts as a distribution centre for products made at the other works, and in this connection motors play a useful and economical part on journeys considerably in excess of the ordinary 35 miles radius. Regular weekly journeys are made between Newcastle and Mend, and Wath—each about 140 miles distant from Tyneside. In the outward run the vehicles convey goods which are only manufactured at the Newcastle factory, and they return with sp.scialities turned out exclusively at the other works. The value of this arranOment will be appreciated when it is considered that materials are always on hand with which to complete orders. whereas if the goods had to be forwarded by rail at small parcels' rate, the cost would be very large.

Detailed operation and overhead costs are entered each week against every unit of the fleet, and fluctuations in rail charges are periodically noted. By this means the table of comparisons is kept up-to-date, and if changes in transport methods are deemed desirable, they can readily be made.

The table below provides an interesting example of the work performed by a 3-ton Daimler lorry in the service of Messrs. Hedley during a recent quarter together with figures for petrol and oil.

Tags

Locations: Birmingham, Newcastle

comments powered by Disqus