OPINIONS and QUERIES
Page 61
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Creating Confidence Between Haulier and Clearing House. A Confidencetrick Trap for Hauliers. The British Empire Trade Exhibition in the Argentine. Some Interesting Haulier's Queries Answered.
Helping the Newcomer.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3183] Sir,—I have noticed that you often give advice and issue Tables of Operating Costs to hauliers, anti I should be grateful for your advice in the following matter. I have been in the haulage business for about seven months, running a G.M.C. 2-ton truck, and I am now hoping to purchase a 5-6-ton lorry (Leyland, if possible), second-hand, for about £250 to 1275.
The driver's wages would be £3 and loader about 35s. per week and a charge of 17s. 6d. per week should be allowed for rent. The lorry would be on putumatic tyres and, therefore, be at the lower rate of tax. It would be fully insured for all risks. The work would be chiefly farm work, involving journeys of about 10 miles, on the ,average, each way, returning empty. Loading would take about 1i hour and unloading about 1 hour (unless I can get a tipping lorry). Taking a load of six tons per journey, how much ought I to charge per ton and what is the best method of working.
out the charges? CONTRACTOR. Artington.
[Your difficulty is that your weekly mileage is very low.
As each journey takes 3i hours all told you will only be able to make two per day, which is 40 miles—at the most 240 miles per week. The cost to you of that service with a six-tonner will be about £15 per week. Add £3 for profit, which is the least I presume you would expect, and you obtain a total of £18. For that you have delivered 12 loads of i tons each. You must therefore charge at least 5s. per ton.—S.T.R.]
The British Empire Trade Exhibition at Buenos Aires.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3184] Sir,—With reference to the above exhibition and your very interesting article emphasizing the great importance of it, may I suggest that a very vital
point to hear in mind is that not only will there be tremendous interest on the part of the Argentine people, but also on the part of the Chileans, the Uruguayans (Montevideo is only, a few hours' journey by steamer), the Boliviana, and although a Mlle farther distant, there will be a great many !Myers from Brazil (Rio Janeiro). All these -progressive South American people are keen to buy British products and prefer them to those of any other country. A very common expression used over there when buying any article is "Es garantido Ingles?" meaning, is it guaranteed to be genuine English manufacture? Leeds. W. H. GODDARD, The Confidence Trick in a New Guise.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3185] Sir,—May I, as a regular reader, give a warning to hauliers, especially the small men, of an experience which happened to me a few days ago? I was engaged by two men to collect a load of furniture from Honiton, Devon, and was asked to stop at Yeovil to pick up another man. On various excuses I was kept waiting three hours, and then both men disappeared, leaving a gladstone bag, supposed to contain valuable china, in the van.
Becoming suspicious I opened the bag and found it contained rubbish ; on returning home I discovered that the men had wired to my office and said that I had had a serious breakdown and needed 112 5s. Od. at once for repairs. Unfortunately, the money was forwarded to the post office, as they had instructed. This money was obtained without my knowledge and the men quickly decamped.
I have since learned that the same trick has been done before, but I trust that this letter may save others from undergoing the same exceedingly unpleasant and
costly experience. H. J. KINGSTON. London, S.E.6.