Rational transport package for Post Office parcels
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The expiration of the Post Office contract with British Rail and the forward planning for mechanization have given the undertaking the opportunity to review its transport arrangements to include own road transport operation
by Johnny Johnson
THE sensible use of transport so that the quickest and most economical mode is used for particular flows of traffic is a concept widely taught, generally accepted and often ignored.
In determining company transport policy, personal preference and prejudices influence the choice of method which becomes traditional by the passage of time. Conservative attitudes and possible initial capital outlay inhibit reappraisal and change despite any future financial or efficiency advantages to be gained so that the tendency is to leave well alone.
The prevailing technological and economic situation has rendered the need to make the best use of transport imperative to influence cost of products and services.
Certainly, in seeking to improve its service and to contain its costs, the Post Office has been undeterred by tradition in the forward planning of its parcel distribution. Until recently, it was almost entirely railway oriented for the transport of parcel post, using road transport only for final delivery. Now, it is taking advantage of replanning for mechanization to restructure its internal sorting arrangements and to use thc most advantageous and economic means of transport in its nation-wide distribution. Replanning has involved the acquisition of its own transport fleet to integrate with railway services where these remain appropriate.
National plan
Anticipating the expiration of its 1130 year contract with British Railways in April, this year, a national parcel post plan has been produced to cover development over the next eight to 10 years.
The plan involves concentrating a large part of the work now undertaken at 1,200 outward sorting offices and 1,600 inward sorting offices at 27 parcei concentration offices at which mechanized handling facilities will be introduced. Here, unsorted parcels will be fed in from the areas which each concentration office will serve to be sorted and despatched to other concentration offices for onward transit and final delivery.
The transport function, then, comprises a main trunk movement between concentration points, a secondary trunk from concentration point to area head Offices, and final local delivery.
It is in the main and secondary trunks which a departure from tradition has occurred.
In both these functions, the Post Office finds obvious advantage in continuing to use the traditional railway service and Freightliners. For instance, the station at New Street and the Post Office premises in Birmingham are connected by a subway and the Manchester office is bridge connected with Mayfield station. There is a logical choice, therefore, of rail transit for traffic between these points.
On the other hand, the Post Office premises at Newcastle upon Tyne are some seven miles from the railway station so that traditional arrange ments need not necessarily influence thi choice of transport made.
It is logical, therefore, for the under taking to choose between road and rai in the interest of economy am efficiency. Where traffic flows lem themselves to road, this will be preferree and the Post Office's own fleet wil undertake the movement.
All articulated
At present this comprises about 50, I E or 18-ton vehicles and about 100, 20tc 22-ton vehicles all articulated.
The choice of vehicle size had beer influenced by the design of the parce concentration offices as well as that of existing premises. I was told that the new concentration offices have beer designed with 12m (4ft) high loading docks which lend themselves to tilt operation of 9m (30ft) trailers. As well. many existing premises will take 30fi trailers comfortably though 40f1 vehicles would be an embarrassment.
It is the intention that, when the proposed new arrangements are fully mplemented, roll pallets will be used. 'arcels will be packed into these by land for by so doing the maximum lumber of parcels can be accomnodated. Indiscriminate loading wastes ip to 40 per cent of the available space.
Incidentally, the proposed use of vheeled containers gave rise to onsideration about the height of the oading docks. In an attempt to naintain a downward slope between Pehicle and dock for ease of handling, it vas thought, originally, that the dock Tight should be maintained at 1.24m 4ft I in) for loading and 0.94m (3ft I in) on the other side for unloading.
Design and operating difficulties, iowever, have caused this suggestion to ie abandoned.
The proposals are not yet fully implenented but the pattern of traffic flows as ,nvisaged in the final plan are beginling to emerge in some areas.
In the South and South-West, traffic rom Cardiff and Southampton is ilready being carried in wheeled :ontainers with an interchange at lristol. Parcels from South Wales for he English southern counties and from ;outhampton for South Wales as well is packages for other destinations are runked to Bristol where they are conolidated into return loads for the :orresponding vehicle to transport back o their respective depots.
!lag depot
Although destined to become a parcel :oncentration depot handling packages n wheeled containers, the Post Office lepot at Redhill, Surrey in the South East Post Region, is still what the Post Vice describes as a "bag depot".
Nevertheless, I went to Redhill to see low developments were progressing here.
Here arrangements involve the iarcels from all over Kent and Sussex Ting forwarded to Redhill for onward ransit. Because the depot has not yet Ten developed to concentration office tandards of mechanization, the parcels vith which it deals arrive sorted in bags ind these are forwarded by the most ippropriate means for final delivery.
A road trunk movement is used for iarcels to the Reading, Southampton Ind Peterborough concentration offices ind the railway for parcels for London ind beyond.
Regular secondary trunks are underaken from and to Redhill, and destinaions in Kent and Sussex maintaining a ervice between such offices as Irighton, Ashford, Folkestone, Dover nd so on.,
At Redhill, the road fleet comprises 5 artic units and about 22 trailers. The atter are all tilt trailers so that side )ading and discharge can be under
taken at those existing premises which do not lend themselves to handling over the tailboard.
The Post Office classifies 13 vehicles according to their cubic capacity. The trunk vehicles are rated at 36.4eum (1300cu ft) and the smaller vehicles used to convey parcels between the sorting office and the station rate at 18.2cum (650eu ft). The latter are additional to the trunkers fleet quoted.
The movement to London by rail is normally to Bricklayers Arms and from there, where appropriate, by Freightliner.
Guidelines
Fairly rigid guidelines are laid down at present as to which movement should be accomplished by which mode of transport. However, feasibility studies on the use of computers to provide management information on the comparative time involved and the cost of both road and rail.
If the study shows that computeri.zation will be possible and advantageous; it is the intention that as loads are made up a manager will be able to obtain a visual print-out at the press of a button. From this he will be able to make a comparison and choose that mode of transport which best suits the purpose. No doubt the movement and supply of empty wheeled containers will be computerized, as well.
In this way, the Post Office will be able to minimize its transport cost while obtaining the most efficient means to ensure speedy and prompt delivery.