Costs for 15-cwt. Vans.
Page 3
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At the beginning of the year—as a matter of fact in our first issue for 1911, we published a four-page article entitled "About the requirements of smaller tradesmen." This article succinctly presented the ease against the one-horse van, and its contents have been largely turned to account, both by recent purchasers and by members of the industry, in respect of the establishment of comparative working data.
ft is admitted, on all hands, that the provision of authoritative cost figures, to show the inferiority of the one-horse van to the small motorvan, has been no easy matter in the past. Gradually, however, the industry is happily building up records which must convince all who are still obstinately hostile to mechanical transport, and must confirm in their willing reception of facts all who are less inclined to follow the proverbial ostrich-like policy of ignor ing that which is coming. As we pointed out a fortnight ago, we look for the early demolition of the low-mileage bogey, and for common acceptation of the motorva.n for work which can offer nothing but low daily mileages in any circumstances. Only a few years ago, it was common ground, between the advocates of motor transport and the supporters of horse transport, that there must be at least 50 miles a day of travelling for a rubber-tired petrol vehicle to show marked economy in competition. A year ago, with numerous records to hand with which to combat opposition, supporters of the horse began to see that the motor was a paying method of transport even upon distances half so great as those previously taken as a reasonable line of division. At the beginning of this year, it was seen that the point of equality hovered between 100 and 120 miles a week, but the base-line figure is now recognized to be a steadily-lowering one. We are indebted to well-known owners for the communication of their running costs for a number of 15-cwt. Straker-Squire vans, over periods of four months to two years. Some vans have been on work which has enabled their owner to provide running duties for them which have aggregated 6,400 miles per van per annum—an approximate average of 120 miles a week, which distance will be recognized as the once-accepted critical figure of useful division between horse and motor transport. How do we find the results ?
Horse-van transport, for loads parallel to those which have since been transferred to the motors, was, on careful analysis, proved to have cost in excess of 81(1. per mile run. We give below, as direct extracts from the records which have just been sent to us, in sympathy with our recent articles upon this important branch of commercial motoring, the ascertained figures for these 15-cwt. Straker-Squire vans :
Quantity Costs per Mile.
Petroleum spirit (at 9d. per gallon) . ,540d. Lubricating oil and grease ... .„ .110d Cleaning materials ... .023d.
Tires ... .825d.
Repairs and renewals (actually disbursed of an estimated maintenance charge of hi per mile) ... .265d.
Total ... 1.763d.
To the foregoing total of 1.763d. per mile of actual running, there have, of coui se, to be. added the various fixed charges which are independent of the mileage run. Some owners, we would point out, might be able, in the circumstance of considerable idle time for the driver, to give the man other work, but v. e prefer to follow the rule of the owner in question, and to charge the lot against the motor. The additions are
It now remains to add the mileage and standing charges together, on the basis of 120 miles a week. Regarded as a total sum per week, these come to 23 lls. 8d. ; regarded as a total mileage charge, they come to 7.463d. There is to be added, however, the unexpended proportion of the estimated cost of maintenance, since the above-named actual average outgo under this head of .265d. per mile is in respect of under one year of service, and can hardly be maintained throughout the life of the vehicle. Assuming, therefore, that it becomes necessary to expend the whole of the id. per mile, which we regard as an undoubtedly-liberal allowance for a 15-cwt. Straker-Squire van, the total cost of operating these vehicles, in direct substitution for horse haulage upon town work, will prove to show marked economies, whether the test of relative aggregate costs, or of relative costs per mile of work, be applied as the criterion. It goes without saying, when one takes into account the enormous extra convenience which the owner of these vans has found them to be, and the greater facilities which they allow to be offered to customers, that the balance is heavily in favour of the motor.
We have asked the views of Sidney Straker and Squire, Ltd., in regard to the above performance of a small fleet of its vans, and the company has satisfied us, by communication of other figures of a like nature, that those quoted by us Are in no wise exceptional. Were the weekly mileage per van increased to 240 miles per week, the standing charges should be halved, whilst the tire cost might fall by ,25d. per mile.