AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

Answers to Queries.

2nd May 1912, Page 20
2nd May 1912
Page 20
Page 22
Page 20, 2nd May 1912 — Answers to Queries.
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Our leaders will be informed 1;y1 the Editor on any pain s connected with the construction or use of commercial motors. W here a direct repo/ is desired, a stamped and addressed envelope shourd be enclosed : if a request for privacy is not specially made, any query and answer may be pubtihed. Some replies, owing to pressure on our space, are held several weeks. N umerous requests reach i,ts for lists of neotorcab ne commercial-veh4cle owners ; these we never supply. Our advertisement columns Eire open to those who desire to make announcements to owners for the puloses of trade.

To Test Tire Resiliency.

[1906j '' COPENHAGEN writes :—'' in the issue of

your valued paper for 18th January, I learn that there is an article about a Resilionieter, which can be obtained for a few shillings and is useful for vehicles with solid tires.'

• ' I shall feel much obliged to you, if you kindly would give me the address of the makers who supply this, and thank you beforehand for your trouble.'

ANSWER.—The Resiliometer to which you refer is made by the Shore Instrument and Manufacturing Co., of West 22nd Street, New York. The sole agents for the United Kingdom are Messrs. bchuchardt and Schutte, 34, Victoria street, London, S.W. This instrument was illustrated and described in our issue for the 8th February.

Hiring Rates for Steam Tractors.

[1967] " HAVLIER " writes :—" I am purchasing a steam tractor and expect to do hired work with it. Could you kindly give me some idea as to what charges I should make, say per ton, or if hired by the day?"

ANSWER.—We cannot suggest a rate per ton at which it would pay you to quote for hiring work done with your steam tractor, unless we know the average mileage per trip. A guiding figure for a contractor is that he should endeavour to see a revenue of not less than is. per mile run, adding together both the loaded and the unloaded mileages before working out a quotation. Thus, if you were called upon to quote for the conveyance of a particular load for a journey of 20 miles, and you had to run back the same 20 miles without any load, you should reckon upon a minimum of Os. for the job, and that, if the load happened to be one of five tons, would mean a rate of 8s. per ton.

As a matter of fact, in our experience, if a, contractor cannot see a minimum of is. per mile run, there is very little in it for him by way of a living, although, of course, if the owner drive his own engine, he may sometimes be able to quote a little lower without actual loss. Many jobs should stand the welling out of the rate per ton on. the basis of 3d. per mile run (both load and light mileages added together), and the division of the total so obtained by the weight to be carried. If there be a load each way, the rate per ton can be worked out for each trip separately. We would add that on any run below 10 miles in length, you would do well to take a figure of is 6d. per mile, instead of anything less—unless you are assured of not being handicapped by delays at the loading and unloading points, as the basis of exped.ent revenue.

Advice on Licensing.

[1968] "LOCAL COUNCIL" writes —" Would you be good enough to enlighten me on the following. What are the licence fees for a twoand three-ton (laden weight) motorbus, and is this the same in all counties? Is it compulsory to carry a conductor, supposing one thought of using, a ' pay as you enter' bus t Also, before obtaining a licence from the local council, is it compulsory to submit the bus or drawings, and providing they could find no fault with the bus can they withhold a licence? Can the local council make one pay for wear and damage (if any) done by the bus, to the roads in its district?"

It is not compulsory to carry a conductor, although for your own sake you will have either to employ such assistance or to use a machine which is constructed on the "pay as you enter" system. The adoption of either of these methods is at the discretion of the local licensing authority (if any).

You will not have to obtain a licence to ply for hire in any town which does not employ its own police. If, however, the town has its own police, it is at the discretion of the Watch Committee, or other similar authority, as to what form their examination shall lake. Such an authority is at liberty to refuse a licence if it thinks fit. If no such authority exists, you are free to ply for hire, provided that your machine n with the provisions of the Motor Car Acts.

The local council cannot make you pay for ordinary wear and tear done to the road, provided that the vehicles you use conform to the Motor Car Acts. Under exceptional circumstances they could proceed against you for "extraordinary damage," providing they could prove that you are the only offender. We would draw your attention to the fact that we receive a, great number of inquiries similar to yours, and that, in a number of instances, we have published in THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR similar replies to that which we are now sending you. We would suggest that the " Answers to Queries " page in this journal will furnish you with much useful information, if you regularly peruse it. We know of no book published on the subject. Wants to Run a Passenger Service.

[Ma] " CHARS-A-BANC" writes :—" I should like, and am proposing if possible, to purchase and run four motor chars-a-bancs in regular passenger-carrying services this summer. The intention will be to serve the interests of and develop the districts in which they run ; and not merely to cater for excursion traffic.

" I have, however, from time to time seen difficulties arise on the question of obtaining a licence. Should the cars be purchased and subsequently a licence be refused, of course the money would be practically thrown away. What I am anxious to get reliable and definite information on is, what licence is necessary to run (a) in country districts, (b) in urban districts, (c) in boroughs I Further, if the cars comply with the B.O.T. regulations regarding design and dimensions, can a licence be legally refused f

"ii for any rea-son difficulty is experienced in obtaining a licence, is there any way by which the cars can be run notwithstanding ? "

AxswFai.—We note you propose to run four motor chars-a-bancs on passenger-carrying services this summer. It would have helped if you had told us the names of the towns where you had some idea of inaugurating such services. We are constantly replying to inquiries of this kind in the "Answers to Queries" columns of this journal, but we will briefly repeat, for your benefit, the information which we have thus given.

You will only require to secure a licence to ply for hire if you intend to operate in a town which uses its own police. You will then have to make application to the Watch Committee, or some other body having similar duties. It rests with this body to issue licences or to refuse them as it may seem fit. There is no compulsion. Vehicles must comply with the provisions of the Motor Car Acts if they are to run on the roads at all. There arc no specific provisions in these Acts with regard to the size, shape, or weight of public-service vehicles. If the town in question has not adopted the Town Police Clauses Act, you will be able to ply for hire therein without the necessity or securing a licence. One way of getting over the licence trouble, if such be refused, is only to carry passengers who have previously paid their fares and booked their seats therefor. You are not then plying for hire, but are engaged in private hire, and this requires no police licence. You might have some difficulty in such a ease, however, in persuading the Inland _Revenue authorities to grant you a rebate on the 3d. petrol LaN.

Would Like £2 a Week.

[1970] "PROSPECTIVE DRIVER" writes :—" I would esteem it a favour if you will kindly let me know, through the columns ot your journal, as to what are the prospects in commercial-motor driving.

" I am an electrical mechanic and am well up in mechanical work, and am very much interested in mechanical road transport, and would like eventually to get a berth as driver-mechanic, but have no idea of the average rate of wage paid, or whether the tendency is to train carmen as drivers, with a lower rate of wage than what, a mechanic-driver would expect. am employed underground, and on nights at present, and want to get an open-air job, and if you could advise me if a wage of say 22 weekly could be asked for on proficiency, and you could recommend a good school. I will go in for it." ANswEa.---We have to inform you that you will not easily be able to obtain a situation as a. commercialmotor-vehicle driver earning £2 a. week. The tendency is, as you suggest, to train van drivers for this work, it being found as a rule that it is not necessary to employ men of any particular mechanical training. For sonic special jobs. such as mail services and longdistance journeys, drivers with considerable mechanical efficiency are preferred ; but these, as a rule.

week. for wages that do not exceed 35s. a

v


comments powered by Disqus