Keeping Control
Page 49
Page 50
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
AS described in the current issue of "The Commercial Vlotor Tables of Operating Costs", an individual vehicle cost sheet is recommended for the systematic cost accounting of vehicle operation. Similarly, records of daily journeys and loads carried are kept for individual vehicles on statutory daily or weekly log sheets. In the latter instance it is common practice to record mileage, fuel consumed and any other data operators may consider convenient in addition to the statutory information as to the hours of work and journeys made.
Because the traffic moved by hauliers and even some ancillary users, when the range of their company's products is wide, can vary substantially, records dealing with traffic movement have to be adjusted to individual operator's requirements. This is in contrast to several engineering records, dealing with such matters as maintenance and tyre records, which can be standardized irrespective of the type of business in which the operator is engaged or the make of vehicle he uses.
Despite the allowance that has to be made for possible variations in traffic moved, a recommended weekly vehicle summary was described in this series last week. In so doing it was assumed that the overall pattern of the operator's business necessitated possibly one or more nights away from the home depot each week, so prohibiting the regular handing in of daily kw, sheets each night. To ensure a regular system which could be readily understood and acted upon by all concerned, it was recommended that this weekly summary should be completed by the driver and handed in at the end of the week together with the appropriate log sheets and any other dockets, such as agency refuelling tickets, car-park receipts and suchlike.
In deciding upon a weekly vehicle summary one of the advantages of such a period is that all the relevant information is sufficiently current to be fresh in the minds of all concerned should any discrepancies need to be sorted out. Once this has been done then the totals derived from the addition of the entries of the weekly summary—such as tonnages, mileages and fuel consumed—should have been substantiated as accurate. Moreover, these records would provide sufficient information, and with a minimum of delay, for immediate action to be taken where necessary. On the traffic side this might concern the better use of vehicles, excessive fuel consumption or other running defects.
Need for Comprehensive Record Although there is an overall need with any transport record system to keep paper work and the labour involved in compiling records to a minimum, there is nevertheless often a real need for a comprehensive record of fleet movements as distinct from individual vehicle operation. Particularly where large fleets of vehicles are concerned, such records would be the only means of providing the operator with an overall picture of his activities and, equally important, any changes in the pattern of his business.
In recent years there has been a swing away from cost accountancy based largely on annual returns because of the valid criticism that one was thereby committed to dealing with " historic " records rather than current activities. Instead. budgetary control involving comparison with more recent costings is considered preferable.
Similarly, where there is a genuine need for a record of fleet operation it is desirable for two reasons that this should be maintained as currently as possible. Even though it is a fleet record, as distinct from an individual record, the need remains for the relevant information to be available as soon as possible if it is to serve a useful purpose. Moreover, as emphasized previously when dealing with other records, the entering up of data as soon as the work has been completed considerably eases the clerical work involved. The aim should be to maintain fleet summary as accumulative records to a set pattern, possibly earmarking a particular day in the week for such work to be done. So organized, the work would be relatively simple. But as a threeor six-monthly exercise it would probably necessitate staff being specially allocated to the task. When undertaken weekly the work could be included along with other daily duties.
From Vehicle to Fleet Summary To facilitate this it is important that the fleet summary should be drawn up in a similar sequence to the weekly vehicle summary recommended last week. The transfer of information from one sheet to another would then be made more simple and would eliminate, as far as possible, any errors that might otherwise arise in such transfer.
In the progression from a vehicle to a fleet summary two stages are necessary and, correspondingly, two forms. Assuming that a system of weekly vehicle summaries is in operation, then there would be a corresponding need for the several vehicle summaries to be totalled, The first fleet summary sheet will provide for this and will, in essence, consist of a list of all the vehicles in the fleet followed by columns permitting the entry of data on a similar pattern to that which appeared on the vehicle summary.
Continuing the weekly fleet summary in more detail, the distinguishing feature between one such sheet and another would be the date—that is, a week ending. Accordingly, this should be arranged to appear at the right top corner to allow for easy reference and filing.
Previously in this series the advantage of a fleet numbering system based on a logical pattern has been stressed. Where only a few vehicles are involved memory alone is often sufficient for all concerned to immediately associate the type of vehicle involved relative to its index letters and registration number.
Such a rule of thumb, however, soon becomes unwieldy as additional vehicles are acquired, for which reason fleet numbers are commonly adopted. Unfortunately, in so doing many operators do not make the best use of fleet numbering because they adopt a chronological method. As each new vehicle is acquired it is given the next available number, but there are several disadvantages with such a procedure.
There is, in fact, little positive value in being able to determine the total strength of the fleet by virtue of the last number allocated. In practice, of course, this seldom applies or, if it does, it is for only a limited initial period. Thereafter, as is inevitable, when the original vehicles are disposed of gaps appear in the numbering system. A more significant disadvantage of this chronological procedure is that it takes no account of variations in types of vehicle which will exist in the majority of fleets of commercial vehicles.
A more useful and logical procedure is to allocate a series of numbers to groups of vehicles, with a possible added refinement of a further subdivision within those series. The actual range of each series would be dependent on the likely optimum in the size of the operator's fleet. But once the idea of a chronological system has been rejected, then there is an advantage in there always being several unused numbers available. For this reason, when inaugurating a system of fleet numbering on a type basis, it is advisable to be, if anything, over-generous in the range of a series so that no occasion arises in the future when numbers have to be allocated out of sequence and so partly invalidating the intent of the procedure.
An Example
Thus, as an example, where an operator's fleet included, say, 50 vehicles of various types and was unlikely in the foreseeable future to increase to anywherenear a 100vehicleS, then a system based on two-digit numerals would suffice. For the sake of uniformity it Might be found convenient to omit the single digits 1 to 9, so leaving available the numbers 10 to 99. If this operator's fleet included both rigid and articulated vehicles, with a further-division as between, say, 7-, 10-, 13and 16-ton capacity, then the seven groups • (omitting the 7-tonner in the articulated version) would each be allocated a block of 10 numerals, e.g. 20 to 29 and so on. If there was a sufficient balance of rigid and attics it might be considered convenient to allocate up to 49 to one group and the balance to the other.
Where such_a numbering system applies, then considerable benefits are to be.derived.in the day-to-day allocation of traffic to a particular vehicle because all parties concerned will recognize immediately the type of vehicle in question. There is a further advantage that when dealing with such records as the first stage of the fleet summary now being considered, the recording of such information is similarly facilitated.
By listing all the vehicles in the fleet on the summary sheet in numerical order, when this method of fleet numbering applies, the vehicles will automatically be listed in their respective type groups, the advantage of which will be shown later.
It is suggested that this weekly fleet summary be ruled vertically into 10 or more columns. The actual number will be dependent on individual operators' requirements, but in many cases it is often useful to have available on this type of form one or. two spare.columns which can be brought into use should the occasion ,arise. In that event this prior provision could. obviate the necessity of reprinting the form. Similarly, because of the possibility of changes and additions to the fleet, allowance should be made for this in the number of horizontal rulings on which the vehicles, in sequence, will be listed.
Assuming that this type of form was duplicated by the• operator himself, the typing in of the existing fleet numbers initially would obviously save repetitive work each time a form was used. But where this is done one or two spare horizontal rulings should be left after each grouping to allow for the
handwritten insertion of new vehicles in appropriate positions.
Reading from left to right, the vertical columns would he headed "Fleet number ", " Registration number ", "Total tonnage delivered (subdivided as individually necessary), " Mileage ", "Fuel issued ", "Lubrication oil ", followed by two or more blank columns,
As pointed out last week when dealing with the individual vehicle summary sheet, the columns relating to traffic movement are the ones which will vary most relative to the particular type of work undertaken by each operator. In some cases the term' "tonnage" will not be appropriate and some other unit, such as gallons or number of parcels, will be employed. Additionally, each operator will have his own opinion or demands to be met as regards the extent to which the record of traffic is to be subdivided with a corresponding necessity for the appropriate number of columns.
But whatever variations in this respect are made. to suit the operator's individual requirements, it is essential that:the` layout of the vertical columns on the weekly vehicle summary should be identical with those appearing on the weekly fleet summary. This ensures that the totals on the vehicles sheet can he copied directly on to the fleet summary without any transposing of data arid possible introduction of errors.
Obtaining Total Figures Having entered all these totals from the vehicle sheet on to the fleet summary, totals for the entire 'fleet can then be obtained in all the appropriate vertical columns, i.e. toanage, mileage and gallons. Additionally, because the vehicles had been grouped into types as a result of the recommended fleet numbering system, and two or more vertical columns have been provided on the right of the sheet, group sub-totals can be readily obtained if considered necessary. Thus. for example, the total mileage and gallons used could be obtained for, say, the 10-tonners from which a group m.p.g. could he calculated. With such a current yardstick available' the fuel consumption of an individual vehicle can be more readily assessed..
So far the totals obtained, whether in respect of a vehicle or the fleet as a whole, have been related to a Nyeek's operation. Where figures are requited covering longer periods of,' possibly, six or 12 months, a form similar to the fleet summary with only minor alterations will prove useful. To Serve a dual purpose the heading will be. left open for separate entries but immediately, under this the vertical columns; with the exception of the first two, will be identical with the fleet sumMary. Instead Of fleet number and registration. number appearing at the heading. the first column will consist of consecutively numbered horizontal columns from 'one to 26 (so providing for the weeks of the half-year), whilst in the second column the date of the actual week endings' will be entered. When Used as the halfyearly summary of an individual vehicle, the vehicle number will appear at the head of the summary sheet. Alternatively, as a fleet summary this fact will be noted in the heading, together with a statement as to the period the summary covers. Where the opportunity is taken—to keep an accumulative total with every weekly entry, a record of total fleet operation would always be available up to date to the previous week ending.