By Insisting that Its . Vehicles are Fuelled Only at By Unit Depots; the . Road Haulage Execwive is-Eric Cant
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Spending Pounds to Save Pennies
APENNY-SAV1NG policy that is probably wasting hundreds of pounds is being followed by the Road Haulage Executive in demanding that all drivers, except -in an emergency, must refuel only at depots of British Road Services, The Executive states that by refuelling its vehicles at its own depots it is gaining the advantage of a more substantial rebate on oil fuel and petrol than by buying from recognized filling stations. This economy is worth striving for, provided that it does not adversely affect service or unduly increase operating costs.
Bulk purchasing of fuel is no new idea. Many operators have used this service, which was provided by most petrol companies. One, two or three tanks and pumps would be installed in the yard, according to requirements. Although this rebated fuel was used to till up the tanks of lorries on leaving for a journey, the drivers would be supplied by the operator with money and coupons for use while away.
Drivers refuelled at "agency " depots where they were able to obtain spirit at a special "agency rebate" price. In addition, many were able to have such supplies on credit terms. The rebate was not always as high as that for the larger coinrnerciai consumers, but such purchases showed a substantial saving on the prices charged at the ordinal y filling stations
As most long-distance road haulage vehicles are now 1.ri the hands of the R.H.E,, th.:. objection might be put forward that to take over all these separate accounts
would cause a great increase in book-keeping. This objection cannot, however, be sustained, because most of the undertakings • acquired by the R.H.E. had tanks fuelled by the principal petroleum companies, and as these facilities were covered by contract, the accounts will have tc be continued for some time to come.
Wasting Time and Money Since the issue of the directive, drivers have had to pass filling stations which they have patronized for years in order to find a remote British Road Services• unit oh the off-chance that it will be open and that, if open, there will be fuel available. If such a unit happens to be on or near the main road, not much damage is done, but few are conveniently situated, and drivers are obliged to leave their routes, thus wasting time and burning up precious dollars.
Let us take as an example the Dunstable district. This is a well-known traffic centre and is the natural point for refuelling before entering London. Consequently, over a pe-iod of years. large filling and service stations have been developed, and these have been accompanied by the provision of cafés and rest houses. Most of them provide a 24-houi service for seven days a week. They supply oil fuel and petrol at " agency " prices, and give heavy-tyre service and many other essential facilities.
As trade has increased, so have they developed by installing new pumps which are capable of delivering oil fuel at the rate of 40 gallons or more a minute. Pull-ins have beenprovided where drivers, having filled the tanks of their vehicles, may' park while taking rest Or refreshment at the café.
RI? The R.H.E directive has badly hit many of these garages and filling stations One alone has experienced a drop in sales of around 5,000 gallons of oil fuel each week. Others are suffering proportionately. The decline in sales' becomes more marked as more private hauliers' businesses are acquired.
Let us look at the main road from Glasgow to London. How many B.TC. units are there which are situated on that road? I doubt whether there are more than [our—six at the limit. To the best of my knowledge, only one of these is equipped with refuelling facilities, as such, and these consist of one oil-fuel pump and a couple of commercial petrol pumps.: Oil-engined lorries have to park at the roadside while being iefuelled, and only the smaller petrol vehicles can pull off the road.
.Few Depots in 400 Miles
The other units have pumps in their yards, but sonic inanueuvring by drivers is necessary to get in and out. Thus, in 400 miles there is but a handful of depots which can provide the service. Of those available,-only one, oi at the most two, provides a 24-hour service. Is it reasonable to suppose that a service limited as this is can efficiently refuel the hundreds of vehicles which traverse this route every hour of the day and night?
As a case in point, a driver of an eight-wheeler with a 40-gallon tank, running from Glasgow to London, will naturally top-up somewhere in the region of Dunstable. He will probably take on 30 gallons. He is instructed that he must go to the nearest B.T C. unit. The nearest one to his route is in Luton, some eight miles distant. So he travels 16 miles there and back. It takes him at least an hour in running time, plus delay in taking on fuel. He may have to take his turn with the lorries operating from that unit which are refuelling as they come in at the end of their day's work. It is reasonable to estimate that a total of U hours is taken.
The saving on the price of fuel will be, at the most, not more than Id. a gallon, which represents an economy of 2s 6d. The cost of running an eightwheeled oiler for about 800 miles a week is ls. a mile. Total cost for the purpose of refuelling, 16s. The net loss on this transaction is 13s. 6d.
There is another important point to be borne in mind. A diversion such as this adds II hours to the driver's running time, and may well mean that he has to park for the night at a point 24 miles short of his destination In the case of a homeward-bound driver, the additional expenditure of 10s. 6d, would be 'involved, or, where a man was heading for his outward destination, there would be delay in reaching docks or warehouse before closing time.
Idalizing that the R.H.E. is unlikely entirely to abandon its " money-saving " scheme, some of the filling-station proprietors have offered bunkering service. They are prepared to place tanks and pumps at the disposal of the Executive and the petroleum companies will deliver the R.H E.'s own fuel into the tanks. The filling stations will dispense it at an agreed figure per gallon—probably id. Surely this is the answer to the pr6blem?