Company sorts out maintenance
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CONSIDERABLE TROUBLE had been taken by Burt Boulton (Timber) Ltd, Rotherham, to rectay defects in its maintenance system, said the Yorkshire deputy Licensing Authority, Mr N. F. Moody, when he granted the company a new 0 licence for 18 vehicles and 14 trailers at Sheffield recently.
For the company, Mr Gordon Richardson said it had been necessary to seek a new licence owing to a reorganisation within a group of companies of which the applicant was a part. Previously, a licence had been held by the parent company, Burt Boulton (Holdings) Ltd. Mr M. J. Sedgwick, a vehicle examiner, said that in September he had inspected five vehicles and three trailers, imposing three immediate and two delayed prohibitions.
The company's facilities were adequate and the vehicles were being inspected regularly. Few defects were noted on the records and this was probably due to the inspections being carried out after services. Obviously, the system was not fully effective owing either to a lack of depth of inspection or pressure of work. Mr Douglas Head, northern area manager, said the applicant company held licences in six traffic areas authorising a total of 113 vehicles and 118 trailers. In Yorkshire alone in the past six months £12,590 had been spent on direct maintenance.
The company had believed its maintenance system had been a good one and the result of the vehicle examiner's visit had come as a shock. As a consequence a survey had been undertaken by the Freight Transport Association and its recommendations had been adopted. Inspections were now based on four-weekly intervals instead of the previous mileage basis. Inspections and maintenance were now carried out separately and arrangements had been made with a commercial garage to undertake any work the company's own staff did not cope with. For the future, regular independent checks could be undertaken by the FTA.
Mr Robert Forrest, company secretary, said turnover last year had been in excess of £30m and the company had a working capital of between £6m and £7m.
Questioned by Mr Moody, Mr Forrest said there was a custom-built workshop at Rotherham on a site which was in excess of four acres. It was not company policy to allow drivers to take their vehicles home over night.
Mr Richardson submitted that the company had faced up to its undoubted probems in a very responsible manner.