Belt and braces policy
Page 73
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The time when general haulage lorries were run for seven years and contract vehicles for five years have passed in Western British Road Services Ltd. Extended use has been shown to be uneconomic in down-time and maintenance costs.
John Gibbons, company engineer, says that some general haulage lorries are now replaced every two or three years and certain contract vehicles at three-year intervals. Vehicles on rent are sold at about their second birthday.
Even so, Dodge Commando and Ford D-Series medium-weight trucks usually cover 120,000 miles without overhaul and the ERF heavy-weight four-wheeler,
described in the Western BRS newspaper as "probably the best vehicle in its class made to date," is good for 350,000 miles without major attention. Some heavy artics record even greater mileages without overhaul.
With that kind of longevity the company's policy of frequent replacement seems to be one of belt and braces.