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What the Carrier Wants

26th February 1954
Page 28
Page 28, 26th February 1954 — What the Carrier Wants
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

UITE apart from such matters as the removal of purchase tax on commercial vehicles, a reduction to a reasonable figure of the tax on fuel. and roads which will not knock his vehicles to pieces and act as a major contributor to accidents. the operator engaged in the road transport of goods is chiefly concerned with the type of vehicle he is able to employ. Having decided what net load must be carried, his requirements are simple to state but are not always so easy to meet. He wants a sound vehicle of reasonable weight for its load and sufficiently. powerful to .maintain a good average speed, even in hilly country; economy in fuel consumption; adequate braking power and long life combined with ease of maintenance and the ready supply of spare parts. All this has to be provided at a moderate price. British makers go far towards meeting the operator in these respects. but there is always room for improvement and this sometimes applies especially to ease of repair. There are still far too many vehicles in which it is obvious that this has not been one of the first considerations.

Lack of accessibility is probably the feature which can be most severely criticized. Sometimes the failure of a small, but important 'part, which should be capable of replacement in a few minutes becomes almost a major operation, for the reason that so much has to be dismantled before the part affected can be reached. The position is made even more difficult in these times because of the variety of equipment, either fitted as standard, or supplied at the request of buyers. Thus, a minor breakdown on the road may involve the need for a vehicle to be towed to its garage or to some other suitable place for repair. instead of the driver, or a mechanic sent out with the replacement required, being able to fit it on the spot without any great loss of time. This is of particular importance where the vehicle is carrying a load, the rapid delivery of which is essential.

It is an old grouse amongst numerous users that the standardization of many of the small essentials of a motor vehicle does not seem to have been tackled satisfactorily. The British Standards Institution is doing a great deal of useful work in This connection, in conjunction with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, but it is one thing to arrange standards and another thing to have them adopted by the majority of manufacturers.

It is quite understandable that no immediate change to some part with fixed dimensions can be made to the exclusion of that which it is intended to replace. In our industry, there is likely to be a demand covering years for spare parts of old design and the operator would quite justifiably be incensed and be placed in a most awkward quandary if spare parts for a vehicle of reasonable age could not be obtained. The average operator hopes, however, that eventually there will not be, for example, dozens of fan belts of different sizes. The gradual elimination of non-standard odds and ends would do much to lower the cost of production and consequently the selling price of various components.


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