Ensuring Efficient Operation
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The acquisition of additional depots brings the need • for adequate control of fleet disposition i f -maximum utilization is to he Obtained
PROBLEMS of expansion were discussed in this series on .May 11. it Was 'then stressed that a. prime asset which a . small haulier could put at the disposal of his customers was , the -ability to control personally every section of his business. In such circumstances immediate decisiOns can be made On any problem that ,might arise, so ensuring flexibility of operation.
An operator with a small fleet of only a few vehicles can control them almost solely on the basis of Memory and verbal instruction. But with an increase in the size of fleet this simple and previouslyadequate form of control is no longer sufficient. Experienced staff have to be engaged to assist in the overall control of the fleet, at which stage there must obviously be some delegation of responsibility.
,Concurrent with this delegation, an adequate fleet recording system must be set up, as was described in this series on May 18 . A further stage in the problems which can arise through fleet expansion is the acquisition or setting up of one or more outside depots. When all the vehicles were based at one depot their location, and more particularly the degree of utilization, would be virtually, self-evident, so that little or no recording system would be necessary for this particular purpose.
A totally different situation arises, however. when. a moderate or large sizedfleet is dispersed at several depots with constant interchange of vehicles taking place daily between such depots. it is then obviously necessary to institute a record system Which enables the • current location of the fleet to be portrayed at neadquarters and available for examination at any time. Moreover, assuming that the depots are situated in differing industrial areas, fluctuations in the availability Of traffic may seldom, if ever, be universal, so. that prompt transfer of vehicles is essential if maxim-Um utilization is to be achieved.
With this objective in view, the-following Daily Depot Sheet is ,recommended. Regular, return to . headquarters of the information it contains will make available the data on which daily decisions are made governing the transfer of vehicles from one depot to another. As the whole purpose of such a record is to provide a basis for immediate action, it is drawn up as simply as possible, so that it can be completed easily. In any case, at many of such outside depots the clerical or control staff would necessarily be limited, possibly to the manager or controller himself, so making the completion of a more comprehensive form impracticable.
IN addition to the general haulier with several well-established depots, there are also types of transport operation. civil engineering for example, where there is a need to set up what are known in advance to be only temporary depots. But during the period of their operation there is the same need to ensure efficient utilization of whatever vehicles or plant are based at such depots and, more than ever, because of the temporary nature of the work it is imperative that any recording system instituted should be relatively simple.
Particularly where temporary depots are concerned; it may not be economic to install bulk fuel storage on every site so it would be important that the Daily Depot Sheet should provide for entering not only the amount of fuel obtained for each vehicle, but also the source.
It has been suggested previously in this series that when vehicles are employed on general haulage. with possibly one or more nights spent away from the home 'base. it is not practic
able to relate the daily mileage of each vehicle to the actual amount of fuel consumed that day. Instead, it is common practice to insist that every vehicle should have its tank completely, filled at the end of each working week, the total amount Of fuel put into the tank then being the equivalent of that actually consumed during the week's running.
But differing circumstances may require a different approach to refuelling. As would apply on a new civil engineering site, when the majority of vehicles would remain on a particular site each day, it may then be possible and, indeed, desirable in view of the high percentage of temporary staff employed, to institute a system of completely refuelling every tank daily. Comparison of such quantities with the daily mileage would show the rate of consumption for the day and so bring to light any irregularities. In such circumstances it is vitally important to have this type of information available immediately on completion of the work, so that remedial action can be taken whilst all the facts are readily available.
itS it is intended that the suggested Daily Depot Sheet should, on completion, be returned to headquarters preferably on the evening of the day to which the record refers, and certainly not later than the following day, it would .obviously be necessary for a copy to be retained at the depot. For this reason it would be convenient for the Daily Depot. Sheet to be printed in duplicate and possibly bound in book 'form -with the top copy perforated.
Along with this Daily Depot Sheet there would be returned daily to headquarters the appropriate number of vehicle log sheets and the fuel pump issue sheet from those depots or sites having bulk storage.
Another important factor in arranging for this initial, summary to be carried out on the site is that any , queries or omissions can be rectified relatively simply on the spot. This would be in contrast to either expensive telephoning or liossibly protracted correspondence which would be necessary if the same action has to be taken, comparatively remotely, at headquarters.
At the left-hand top corner of this Daily Depot Sheet would appear the particular number of the form, whilst in the centre would be the title. At the right-hand top corner would be entered the name of the depot or site followed by the name of the operator, so providing for those cases where more than one contractor was employed on any one site. The date to which the form refers would also be entered here.
There would then be a division of this form into 11 vertical columns, whilst horizontally sufficient rulings could be made to allow for not only the total number of vehicles in the present fleet but also for a margin to cope with possible expansion.
When a mixed fleet was operated at each depot it would be convenient to segregate these on the Daily Depot Sheets and to denote such types in the first vertical column. In the column alongside there would be entered the vehicle fleet number, and if these had previously been allocated according to type (rather than on a mere chronological bask) the. vehicles so listed would then fall naturally into the groups 'already enumerated in the first column.
The next four columns are concerned with the recording of the amount of fuel issued to each vehicle. To provide for a variety of circumstances these columns are successively headed
Home Depot," "Other Depots," "Outside Suppliers" and Total Gallons.' In the next column the day's mileage is :corded, so 'making it easy to calculate the rate of fuel conImption, which is entered in the next column. The amounts of ibrication oil used, both for engine and gearbox, are then town.
According to the type of work involved, details will then be iade in the next column relative to the journey undertaken y each vehicle or, if more appropriate, a brief indication of the rea of operation. In the final column is entered the driver's
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At the foot of the Daily Depot Sheet provision is made to :cord the total amount of fuel supplied to all vehicles of the eet and the total mileage for the day.
It is convenient to combine with this Daily Depot Sheet a uel,Stock Return which, originally forming part of the same wet to facilitate completion ' at the depot, can be readily etached at headquarters. This additional section is divided ertically into eight columns. After recording the appropriate escription of the several horizontal rulings (which will be :scribed later) in the first vertical column, the next two or tree columns allow for the entry of records relative to whatever petrol and oil fuel tanks are provided at the depots concerned. Similar records are entered in the remaining columns in respect of engine oil, gear oil, and paraffin.
Dealing now with the horizontal rulings, the first allows for the entry of the appropriate pump meter reading at the close of the day. Immediately below is put the.meter reading at the start of the day which, when subtracted from the figure above, provides the amount issued during the day.
To check on the amount so obtained, the actual dip of each tank at the start of the day is then recorded, followed by an indication of any quantities received during the day, the two amounts then being totalled. From this is deducted the amount obtained by dipping the tank at the close of the day, so obtaining the equivalent amount of fuel issued, which should match with the corresponding figure obtained by comparison of the pump meter readings.
On receipt at headquarters the information so provided on the Daily Depot Sheet should quickly indicate to those concerned the amount of work done by vehicles in operation at each depot. But unless additional provision was made it would provide no guide as to the reason why any additional vehicles were not on service and, equally important, when they would be likely to be on service. Where a large fleet is dispersed at several depots it is imperative that this latter information should also be available, and the reverse side of the Daily Depot Sheet is designed with this objective in mind.
The heading will be similar to that shown on the front of the sheet with the addition of a sub-heading "Vehicles Not On Service." This section is divided vertically into three, the successive columns being headed "Cause," "Fleet Numbers" and "Total Number of Vehicles." The subsequent horizontal rulings provide for the entry of the appropriate fleet number in the following groups: Available But Not Required, Daily Servicing, Light Dock, Heavy Dock, Paint and Body, Accident. Unlicensed, Other Causes. As already indicated, the individual fleet numbers are recorded in the main central column with the total for each group given in the adjoining third column.
Beneath this main section the total number of vehicles on service is given which, when added to the total number of vehicles not on service, provides the depot fleet total. Additionally, and as a check on this latter total, the previous day's fleet total is given, followed by a record of the number of vehicles received from any other depot and, correspondingly, any vehicles transferred from the depot. More detailed particulars of the vehicles received or transferred are then entered at the bottom of the reverse side of this Daily Depot Sheet. These include the fleet number, registration number, make, type. name of depot from which received or transferred to, followed by any relevant remarks as to the reason for such movement.
As with all transport records, the prompt completion and return of a form such as the Daily Depot Sheet is essential if it is to achieve its purpose of helping the management to achieve maximum utilization of all vehicles in the fleet. S.B.