OPINIONS and QUERIES Are British Makers Neglecting the Oil Engine?
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The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3423] Sir,—Perusal of technical journals during the past year leads one to conclude that British 'manufacturers are suffering from an inferiority complex with regard to compression-ignition-engine design.
The Bosch company looks like establishing an ascendancy with its admittedly excellent fuel pump, on a scale nearing that reached during pre-war days by its magneto. 'There are one or two competing British designs and several foreign, =but no single design appears to'have as many merits and as few demerits as the Bosch.
Many of your readers will doubtless have commented upon the increasing use of foreign oil-engines and components by British concerns!"
'Surely the crux of sound oll7engine design lies in the fuel pump, and that given " snappy " injection and cutoff, no artificial means are necessary for ensuring fuel penetration.
Cannot some means be found for inducing our makers to turn their attention to "going one better" by producing a unit as simple as the Bosch and hall-marked British made?
Broadstairs, [We do not think that the situation is quite so bad as is considered by this correspondent The number of British makers of Oil engines is steadily increasing and many vehicles are now being equipped with engines produced in this country. Several British oil pumps are in course of development and others of foreign origin are to be constructed in this country. No foreign engine used here on large vehicles has yet achieved the results obtained with the Gardner engine in respect of overall fuel econonay.—ED.]
Where Is the Profit?
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3424] Sir,—We have been readers of your valuable and interesting journal for moie years than we care to remember, and have always found your "Problems of the Haulier and Carrier" extremely helpful and' informative.
We enclose for your perusal a page from our analysis book for week ending Odtober 24th, 1930, for contract lorries, upon which we would like your opinion.
You will notice that petrol is charged at 111d. per gallon, and oil at Is. 8d. per gallon. The fitters' wages, are divided equally amongst the lorries, and tyres, when fitted, are put in the spares column and written off at once. Sixteen of the lorries, which are 30-cwt. and n-ton machines, are on a municipal contract and do very little mi1eage—:-30 per day at the outside—and therefore require very little attention.
If you can advise us as to whether we are incurring expenses which are not being charged, or if we are undercharging any items, we shall be very grateful to you, as the total profit each week does not seem to be finding its way into the bank pass-book as it should.
London, S.W.16. COSTS. LThe question that you ask is one which can be answered only as the outcome of a thorough and detailed examination of your books over a period of at least a year.
If the sheet you have sent me embodies all the expenditure for the week to which it refers, then the' profit shown should be the profit made during that week. There are two matters which would tend to pull the profits down considerably-, these are the effects of depreciation and Of maintenance, which obviously must in some weeks of the year be very considerably in excess of what is down here.
At the same time I must agree that the revenue you are earning per vehicle should in most cases show a profit, although not so much as is apparent from the figures given for the week in question. There is no indication as to which. .are 30-cwt. vehicles and which are 2-tonners, so that I cannot with any certainty give a definite opinion, but for 200 miles per week a revenue of £12 should, on . the average, show you a profit of about £3 10s. per week _
in the case of the 80-ewt. machines, and a revenue of £13 10s. would give the same profit in the case of the 2-tonners.--3.T.R.1
Hiring a Vehicle to Clubs.
The Editor, THE 'COMMERCIAL MDTOR.
[3425] Sir,—Being a reader of your valuable paper, I am writing to see if you could give me a little information regarging a lorry which I own and the Road
Traffic Act. The facts are these : The lorry is a Morris-Commercial 35-40 cwt., which was new in November last ; it is used for carting gravel from our own pits for the local cOuncil, etc.; it is also used about every other Saturday afternoon to convey the village football team, alsOtthe cricket`teaM, to their matches. The lorry is insured for passenger carrying and there is a 14-seat hackney licence. I charge the football club 1s. per man, return, the captain collecting the money, whilst the cricket club pay 5s. for the return journey and I receive the money at the end of the season. I myself, being a member, I do the job as cheaply as possible, as thisis an agricultural district and most of the members are farm workers with low wages. I think I shall require backing licences, as I have to go into another area; also shall have to pay each year for these licences, or will this time be the last?
Farnham. PASSGOODS. [In the first place, wherever a vehicle is used for carrying
passengers at separate fares, or is let as a whole for the conveyance of passengers, it is necessary for the owner to obtain a certificate of fitness, for which purpose form P.S.V.2 has to be filled up; a public-service vehicle licence, for which purpose form P.S.V.1 has th be filled UP. and a licence from the Commissioners for the driver to act as driver of a public-service Vehicle. for which form P.S.V.15 has to he completed.
The fee for a certificate of fitness is £3. The general rule is that such a certificate continues in force for live years, but a certifying officer may issue a certificate for a shorter period, not being less than one year, if he thinks fit to do so.
The fee for a public-service vehicle licence is another £3, and it remains in force for one year only.
The fee for a driver's licence is about. 2s. ed., and it remains in force for one year.
If a vehicle which is used for carrying passengers for hire in let as a whole for a. fixed rate, and is not used for carrying passengers at separate fares it is a contract carriage, for which a roatbservice licence is not required. bat sueh a sicenee is required if the passengers are tarried at separate fares. In order to obtain such a licence form P.S,V.9 must be filled üp if, as in your ease, .the, vehicle is usEd for excsirsioes or tours at inclusive ,return fares. The fee for the licence is £1, and the licence is in force for not more than one year.
The exact position of vehicles which are let to a club
• as a whole", and for which the members of the team make payments to .the club for conveyance to football or cricket grounds is not made clear in the Road Traffic Act, but it appears that in such a case the vehicle is to be treated as being a contract carriage for which a' road-service licence is not required. It would therefore seem to be better for you to arrange in future to let your vehicle to the football club for an inclusive charge, in the same way as you let it to the cricket club, as in that case you should be able to avoid the need for a road-service licence.
A public-service vehicle licence can he used in BIDS' area without being backed, but a road-service licence must be backed before it can be used in another area. In order to have a road-service licence backed you would have to fill up form P.S.V.11. The fee for backing is 109.
Finally: itsra very doubtful whether you will be able to obtain a certifieate of fitness in the case of a vehicle which, by design, is primarily intended for the transport of goods.—En.]
Petrol Tanks on Buses.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3426] Sir,—In connection with regulations under the Road Traffic Act, will you kindly answer the following questions? I have had a visit from an examiner, who tells me that the petrol tanks of all buses must be outside the bodies. Is this in order, or would an extension from the tank to the outside by -a length of pipe through the side of the bus, 'for filling, meet the requirements?
The licensing authority taxes a Beardmore 20-seater bus for -three months at 10 18s., an inspector under this new Act conies along and he snakes it out to he a 14-seater. As the taxation authority has made a contract with the licensee by accepting the money, can I use this bus as a 20-seater until the end of the three months: or have I to make the alterations, such as taking out seats; etc.? FAIR PLAY.
. Rosehearty, . _ , _
[ParagraPh-20 of'. the Public.Service. Vehiries (Conditions of Fitness): tProvisional Regulations, 1931, provides as
follows : 7•
_Fad tanks shall be so placed that no overflow therefroin shall ;failupon any woodwork or aecumio • late •where it can.ba, readily...ignited. A, cock shall . he provided, by:tacanS of which-the:supply of fuel
• . to, the .carburetter ..ragy be immediately cut off and
. the handle thereof. shall be visible and readily roves • sible at , all times frern ontside ••theVehicle. The • -filling pOint of all fueTtrinica shalt be outside the body of the —Vehicle and the 'filler caps shall be so de : signed -and eonStructed that they can be securely 'fixed in Position • The vent holes (if any) shall beprotected from danger of admiration_ by fire and shall be so designed as to prevent fuel being splashed over.
Paragraph 19 of the SWIM Regulations, which comes Into force on April 1st, 1932, provides as follows :
All fuel tanks shall be suitably encased or screened and shall not be placed under any part of any gangway which is within 2 ft. of may entrance or exit of a single-decked vehicle, or of the lower deck of a double-decked Vehicle: There is nothing which requires that the petrol tank shall be outside the body, so long as the filling point is outside as required by Paragraph 20.
The sating capacity of a passenger-carrying vehicle is calculated for taxation purposes according to the Hackney Motor Vehicles (Seating Capacity) Regulations, 1927, which provide that where a separate seat is provided for each person one person shall be counted for each separate seat, but that where seats are continuous, 16 ins. shall be allowed for each passenger.
No contract is made by the taxation authorities; accepting payment of licence duty. The onus of giving the correct particulars is upon the owner of the vehicle. You should check the seating capacity on the lines indicated above.
The question of seating capacity is settled by the new Equipment and Use* Regulations to which we refer on page 583 of this issue ;a a study of these will answer your query in this connection.—ED.1
Overhead, Charges for Repairs.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3427] Sir,—In connection with our business we run a subsidiary company for the purpose of carrying out all repairs or the construction of vehicles that may be required by us.
This company, although owned by us, trades as a separate entity, every item being charged to us at cost price, pins 100 per cent. on labour 'and 20 per cent. on all materials.
We are of the opinion that the 100 per cent. charge is too high, and in consequence our cost of repairs or maintenance of our fleet of vehicles will not show a fair figure, or, rather, this company will show too large a profit at our expense.
We should appreciate your opinion on this matter.
London, E.02.. CONTRACTOR. , [The system of charging for repairs at 100 per cent. on labour charges and 20 per cent, on materials is quite usual in London and where 'overhead costs are likely ti rule high.
If you. are dissatisfied the -onlyalternative is to keep strict accounts of establishment mists and base the ebarges on those actual figures, instead of on the 100 per cent. method,—S.T.R.]
A Partnership Arrangement.
. The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR: • [3428] Sir,—I am an interested redder of your 'publication The Commerricil Motfir; mid would be glad if you will kindly Send me your Tables Of Operating Costs and reply to the following queries., ' I am running a 30-cWt.— Chevrolet—With it young friend in verbal partnership who makes it his business to keep the lorry as fully occupied as possible. AS I have very little cartage of my own to do, we take on work wherever We can get it. The work on the whole has been rather spasmodic, but if the lorry were fully occupied every day do you consider it a satisfactory arrangement for my friend to draw 11 per week phis 20 per cent, of the takings?
How should I arrive at the value of the business if I
wish to sell? •
I am often asked to quote for carrying scouts, or. guides, and sometimes hop-pickers, to their camps, with 'their kit and .equipment. Is it in order to do this, at Passengers own risk, with a policy covering the general haulage of goods? CHEVROLET. Croydon.
[A copy of the Tables, ofOperating Costs.has been sent to you. The arrangement you suggest, that you Should pay your friend per week plus 20 per cent, of the takings, seems to be quite reasonable.
The business at present, as I gather from -your letter, has no goodwill value and consists of the actual stock, comprising one 30-cwt. lorry and premises, if any.
You may not carry passengers unless you have a licence from the Commissioner for the 'Metropalitan.Area, also a road-service licence for your vehicle, which, I may tell you, will not be granted in respect of a lorry.—S.TRJ.