AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

Van Data,

24th February 1910
Page 28
Page 29
Page 28, 24th February 1910 — Van Data,
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?

Progressive Improvements in Working Costs for Petrol Vehicles.

Valuable Testimony from Satisfied Owners.

Steam vans and wagons, for several years, have worked upon well-settled leases: there have been no reallymaterial reductions in working costs. The range of expenditure per mile, inclusive of maintenance and depreciation, has been narrowed down to anything between 70. and 9d., as the average over the year, for a steel-tired five-tonner without trailer, and the addition, in respect of the use of a trailer during favourable seasons, has practically never increased the figure to more than 13d. for the mileages concerned. Those averages, of course, are for wagons and trailers which are on ned by the individuals, lirISS or companies by whom their leads are provided : they do not allow for the management outgo and contingency payments of the carrier.

Performance Issues.

Right away back to the year 190-3, in issues which can be found on the files of scores cf present-day owners, this journal began to publish valuable performance issues. They were primarily addressed, respectively, to members of important trades and industries whose constituent members were in need of reliable information, and they provide records of whieh there are no parallels. Their contents trace the growth from a period of doubtful employment to one of essential possession, and the data so collated are admitted to have proved very serviceable to the motor industry anil to hundreds of fresh purchasers. This appreciation, of course, is due to the practical experience of our Editorial Staff, whose names and connections in the commercial-motor world go hark some 14 years. Old supporters of this journal will be well aware that the merits of tho petrol van have been gradually asserting themselves, and that this progress has been reflected in our

pages year by year. We are content to go back to the month of September, 1907, to the occasion of the Editor's lecture on " Commercial Motor Vehicles " before the Bristol Incorporated Chamber of Commerce, and to make a short resume of the costs from that date forward.

Costs: 1907 to 1910.

The Bristol figures were " Net load of 10 cwt., for average of 400 miles a week, an inclusive cost of £322 per annum, or 3.7d. per vehiclemile.

" Net load of one ton, for average of 409 miles a week, an inclusive cost of £361 per annum, or 4.2d. per vehiclemile.

" Net load of 30 cwt., for average of 400 miles a week, an inelnsive cost of £406 per annum, or 4.7d. per vehiclemile.

" Net load of two tons, for average of 350 miles a week, an inclusive cost of £426 per annum, or 5.8d. per vehiclemile.

" Net load of three tons, for average of 300 miles a week, an inclusive cost of £510 per annum, or 7.85(1. per vehicle

"Net load of five tons (petrol vehicles), for average of 260 miles a week, an inclusive cost of £543 per annum, or 13.1d. per vehicle-mile. "Net load of five tons (steam vehicles), for average of 200 miles a week, an inclusive cost. of £403 per annum, or 9.3d. per vehicle-mile. " Tractor hauling net load of five tons, for average of 200 miles a week, an inclusive cost of £356 per annum, or 8.2d. per mile."

At Birmingham, Leicester, Aberdeen, Belfast, Bath, Exeter, Penzance and Limerick, before the respective Chambers of Commerce, the same data were presented and discussed; they may be truly stated to have been the commonly-accepted series of working costs at the end of 1907. The steam wagon and tractor, whilst their working has been improved to some extent, have not disclosed any marked reductions in normal expenditure since then, but there have been remarkable improvements in the cases of the higherpowered petrol-driven vehicles. By way of illustration, we may refer to the table (herewith) from our " Motor Hiring and Contracting" special issue of the 15th October, 1908.

Whilst, 16 months ago, the petrolvehicle costs for net loads up to three tons had remained much as they were a year earlier, there were indications of downward tendencies for heavier loads. In the year 1907, it must be recalled, there were not many five-ton petrol lorries in England; it is, in fact, only within the last 18 months

that models of that class have forged ahead. We are able to state, from a close scrutiny of comparable results, that a full 2d. per mile improvement (13d. to 11d.) was realized, between 1907 and 1909, in the total working cost per mile of five-ton petrol lorries of approved makes, and that, as Mr. Birtwistle confirms on page 523 of this issue, it is possible, given the necessary mileage per week and a good machine, to rely upon a further reduction. His figure of 9d. per mile run does not include any rent or interest charges, and his fuel bill is exception ally low. Taking into account the vi hole of the items which we enumerate, we should not like to guarantee an improvement by more than 0.5d. per mile, for a five-tonner, during the course of the present year, but that cost is an encouraging one.

The one-ton van has been the especial charge of THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR. No 1 of this journal, which was published on the 16th March, 1905, contained an advance statement of Messrs. Shoolbred's intentions in this connection. On many subsequent occasions, of which we may more particularly cite our First Special Van Number (18th October, 1906) and our Second Special Van Number (23rd May, 1907), Messrs. Shoolbred exclusively gave to this journal information in regard to the steady increase in its fleet of motorvans. We have no space to recapitulate the interesting steps by which that firm's total of Lacre vehicles has been brought up to close upon 50 in little more than four years; we may say that, as we were able to show in our " Overseas Special " Number of the 9th December last, to which Mr. Leyeester Barwell, a partner in the firm, communicated full particulars of the results for his various vans, all these data provided full confirmation of the estimates of performance and working costs which had been originally put forward by us. The same data and records were, on saibsequent dates, widely quoted in the Press, both lay and technical. They are in practical agreement with our column of costs for one-ton vans in the accompanying table (column two).


comments powered by Disqus