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SUBSTANTIAL HAULAGE BC

SS BUILT UP IN 13 YEARS IHAVE known the members of the family of Messrs, T. Goy and Sons for a good many years. When I first knew them they were in Winterton. I used to discuss methods of costing with Mr. J. W. (Bill) Goy; it is a subject upon which he has always been keen, and, in actual fact, my talks with him on this subject have appeared in a variety of ways in the articles ." Solving the Problems of the Carrier," without, of course, disclosing the source of the

information. His experiences have been cited to point many a moral to stories about costing and the art of getting business without rate-cutting.

When I first'. became acquainted with them, the business was a partnership, a family affair, but, about five years ago, it was formed into a limited company, the directors being Mr. 1'. Goy, the father, and Mr. J. W. and Mr. L. Goy, his two sons.

The story of this business, which was started as recently as 1926 with a couple of Ford 1-tanners and which now has 15 vehicles of a total unladen weight approximating to 53 tons, is an interesting one. In so far as it is concerned with the types of vehiele employed, it is almost a history, in brief, of the growth of road transport, notwithstanding its comparatively short eiistence.

Up to 1926 Mr. T. Goy was engaged in farming, and in that year he purchased a couple of Ford 1-tonners, with which he supplemented his farming activities by doing a little agricultural haulage and work for the Winterton and Lindsey County Council.

When Operations Were Started It is significant that this undertaking, like another with which 1 recently dealt, commenced operations in the year of the general strike. That event, indeed, gave a fillip to Mr. Goy's activities and decided him to take haulage more seriously than he had, perhaps, originally intended. He began regularly to cart slag from the railway station for local councils, and a big event in that first year was a furniture-removals job.

In passing, it is of interest to compare Mr. Goy's experiences in that year, in respect of the carriage of livestock, with current practice. A load of sheep then represented 16 or 17 animals; to-day 60 sheep or more comprise a load.. Moreover, to-day the revenue from a 'load of 60 sheep is very little more than it used to be from a load of 16 or 17 animals.

There is a moral there which, perhaps, did not occur to Mr. Goy when he disclosed that fact. It is that, as the result of the devel8pment of road transport, and the application of the energies of such a concern as T. Goy and Sons (Hauliers), Ltd.. the farmer is now able to have his sheep carried for one-tenth of what it cost him in those early days. Incidentally, Mr. Goy belies/es that he was one of the first to buy a double-deck cattle truck.

In 1928 the fleet began to grow. At the beginning expansion was not on a very ambitious scale, the first additions being two Model A Fords, followed, a couple of years later, by a six-wheeler having this make as its basis.

Even by 1933 Mr. Goy was far from having made up his mind as to the type of vehicle best suited to his requirements, hut he seems to have found it in that year when, he purchased a Leyland Beaver, from which time, so long as he was free to acquire the make and type of vehicle he would prefer, he has, with two exceptions, purchased Leyland machines. The exceptions were an E.R.F. with twin steering, which was bought in 1938. and a Commer. When the war broke out the fleet comprised 11 vehicles, all Leylands, with the exception of the E.R.F. and the Commer. Of the fleet 10 were on A or B licences, whilst the eleventh was operated under a C licence and was used, principally, as a switch vehicle to put on the road in place of any of the others which happened to be in dock. It is rather significant to note that the real growth of the ileet, and its expansion on modern lines, began in 1933, shortly before the Road and Rail Traffic Act took effect. Questioned as to his solution of the problem of acquiring additional licences, Mr. Goy said that as he always had detailed statistics of his work, was able to produce evidence of need, and -the growth of the business was a legitimate one he never had any serious difficulty in obtaining the additional licences for which he asked.

Another point in regard to the year 1933 is that it was about that time that the concern Began to change its methods of operation in respect, at least, of one of the traffics it was accustomed to carry. Instead merely of hauling slag for road work from the railway station to the site, a start was made on conveying the slag direct from the steel wollics.

Up to 1994-35 T. Goy and Sons (Hauliers), Ltd., had standardized on machines of Leyland make equipped with trailers, and of both oil-engined and petrol-engined types. A difficulty arose, however, that, when loading slag for road-making and road-repair work, it was necessary, with this type of vehicle, to ,shovel the material off the vehicle on to the road.

When, as is usual, half the toad is up for repair, the vehicle itself, perforce, stands on the other half and effectively blocks it for traffic. in either direction. This, quite , naturally, created a difficulty with the council and Mr. Goy resolved to use tippers for this work as b'eing more suitable and less liable to cause obstruction. From then on, therefore, the company commenced to buy Leyland Cut tippers, and by 1957 six had been acquired, in addition tc a Beaver and trailer, which miere still kept in use for other traffies.

The net rt suit of this application of experience was that, when war brae out, the company had, as has already been stated, 11 vehicles. Almost immediately the war started, four of these were commandeered, and, during the inter

veiling period, the ups and downs of acquisitions, sales, and purchases of used machines as these became available, brought about the present mixed condition of the fleet. which now comprises 15 vehicles, made up of three Leyland Cub for yard-eontrol long-wheelbase tippers; two Leyland Cub normal-control long-wheelbase tippers; an E.R.F. twinsteered three-way tippe:; Leyland Lynx tipper (with a Perkins oil engine); a Commer Superpoise short-wheelbase tipper; a Commer 1:1■15 platform lorry with a Perkins oil engine; two Bedford WD-type long-wheelbase tippers; two Leyland Lynx (1938) short-wheelbase tippers; two Commer Q4 Perkins-engined tippers.

All this time the headquarters of the coMpany had been at Winterton, five miles from Scunthorpe, where the steel works arc situated and from which most of the traffic was collected. This meant a good deal of empty running, amounting to at least 10 miles every day for each vehicle— a total exceeding 100 miles per day.

Centralized Position Established

It was partly with the object or eliminating this dead mileage and with a view to obtaining a more centralized position for his business that Mr. Goy, late hi 199'3, purchased a piece of land in Station Road, Scunthorpe. The acreage involved was sufficient for the accommodation of a substantial new brick-built garage, for the original garage in Winterton, which is wood-framed with corrugated asbestos sides and roof, a large parking ground, and three dwelling-houses.

The new garage is capable Of accommodating about 25 vehicles and a most comprehensive repair and spares department, with offices. The building of thiS new place was commenced in April, 1939. It was erected under the personal supervision of Mr. J. W. Goy with such celerity that it was occupied and in use by September in the same year.

A feature of this establishment is the extensive repairs equipment which the company has installed, with the abject of making itself almost entirely independent of outside help in the maintenance and repair of its vehicles. With the exception of crankshaft grinding, any repair operation can be carried out. In the way cf repairs machinery, there are lathes, grinding machines, drills, and equipment for vulcanizing, atomizer testing, valve grinding, plug testing, battery charging, cylinder boring, and so on.

An outstanding piece of equipment is an Octopus testing plant, which is an omnibus-type electrical testing machine, by the aid of which almost any engine fault can be detected and located in a matter of seconds. There is a circular saw for cutting steel bar, portable saws for timber work, and welding plant. Practically all this.equirw ment is located in the repair shop, which is in one corner of the main premises.

Over the top of this workshop and in a galleried extension on the same floor level are the offices and stores. Next to the repair shop are two pits sufficiently long to accommodate any vehicle. These pits open out at their inner ends to a below-ground workshop, with benches and small tools, which is connected with the rnhin repair shop by a short flight of stairs. Workmen engaged in repairs to vehicles over the pits can work at these benches without having to climb up and down before and after each operation.

Next to the pits is an engine runnine-in bed, which also serves as a means for carrying out running tests of carburetters, fuel pumps, electrical equipment and similar components. Alongside that, again, is a substantial vehicle hoist of 6-ton capacity and, against the wall, facing this, there is an -up-to-date Tecalemit greasing and oiling plant. Outside the building and against the wall . where the Tecalemit equipment is located is the wash and a chemical degreasing plant.

The garage equipment proper, includes an automatically controlled electrically driven air compressor with pipe lines and points all around the building; also a two'gun high-pressure washing machine. I should say that this garage is one of the best equipped, for its size, that I have yet seen in the provinces. Two mechanics and three apprentices are in regular employment in the works.

Mr. J. W. Goy told me that, so far back as 1933, he came to the conclusion that, if a haulage contractor is to develop his business on sound lines, a seat behind the driver's w,heel of one of his vehicles is no place for him: supervision is his proper sphere of action, and so now the main work of running this business is divided between Mr. J. W. Goy and Mr. L. Goy.

Mr. T. Goy, the father, acts more or less in an advisory capacity. Mr. J. W. Goy is responsible for the administrative side, particularly costing and rates; whilst Mr. L. Goy is engaged on operational duties and is responsible for maintenance and stores. .

In an article dealing with the Goy bonus schenie, which appeared in "The Commercial. Motor" dated August 18, I referred to some of Mr. L. Gay's activities in checking, the operational speeds of his vehicles and ensuring that no time is lost. I .did not mention there that one of his particular responsibilities is that of endeavouring, each day, to work in just that extra journey for each lorry which,• as every experienced and progressive operator knows, makes such a tremendous difference to the profit-earning capacity of the fleet as a whole.

He takes charge of 'the stores, which are extensive in • characterand particularly well organized. All parts, except large components, are kept in numbered bins, in

connection with which there is a comprehensive card-index system, so arranged that any part can be immediately located. The cards carry provision for checking stocks, and there is a note on each as to the maximum and minimum stocks of any part vIhich experience has shown should be held.

One point, to which particular attention is paid is the checking and maintaining of tyre pressures. Every driver has a tyre gauge, of his own which he is presumed to carry in his pocket. He must check his tyres every day ; he has no excuse for a tyre being below the requisite pressure. because, as already mentioned, there are air lines throughout the premises and points within reach 'of every vehicle. • no matter where it may be standing.

As I have already said, Mr. J. W. Goy is concerned with costing and rates, and traffics. He has always been insistent on the need for keeping close and accurate records of costs of operation. He states that which, at first, may seem to be an obvious truism, i.e., accurate costing is more important when business is slack than in times when there is plenty to do, but he enlarges apon this point in a significant way.

When business is brisk and vehicles are working all out, the fact that one vehicle in a fleet is covering nine miles to a gallon of fuel, whereas another, on precisely the same work, is reaching 11 m.p.g., is not regarded as particularly important: the operator's first

:Are is to get the work done as quickly as possible. When, how. ever, times are slack, and one vehicle out of several is showing to such a disadvantage, the matter takes on a more serious aspect and there is opportunity to take steps :reitt; to discover why this vehicle. is usingetitz°04:' so much more fuel. So, also, with

Other matters of maintenance and the cost or running.

By means of accurate and detailed costing the merits of drivers are thrown into some relief. He has always taken a particular interest in his drivers, regarding them as individuals, and he has given them every encouragement. As indicating the opportunity which-is given to a good man to better himself. he cited the case of one who, on his engagement as a labourer some years ago, showed such energy and keenness in the way in which he immediately applied himself to his menial tasks, that he earned rapid promotion, and is now the head driver for the company.

On the question of rates, Mr. Goy is adamant in reactions to any suggestion of rate-cutting, and he says that there is no need to cut rates, either to retain an old customer or to obtain a new one.

So far as traffics are concerned, the goods dealt with are still, mainly, of the kind with which the company those his commenced to carry in 1926--agriculturai produce, livestock, furniture and slag. He think! that the new movement for the formation of hauliers into local groups is an excellent one. fie is taking a particular interest in it, and it is hoped, shortly. to announce that such a group has been formed in Scunthorpe. He is, in the main, of the same opinion as myself as regards the wisdom of bulk buying, except as regards petrol, vehicles such as Leylands—which are not sold through local agents—and. so long as control lasts at any rate, tyres, too. S.T.R.