MAINTAINING A DISPERSE LEET OF 2,000 VEHICLES
Page 54
Page 55
Page 56
Page 57
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
°WE cannot travel very far in the southern half of the country ithout seeing one of the familiar red vehicles of the Hall and Ham River Group. Britain's largest producer of sand and gravel and largest building merchant, with rapidly expanding ready-mixed concrete interests, fuel distribution and waste container services, and bulk cement haulage.
Its commercial vehicle fleet of about 2,000 vehicles is maintained in 37 area and sub-workshops. Area workshops deal with major repairs, accident damage and complete overhauls of, in the main, some 300 locally based vehicles, with reserve capacity available to absorb an increase in fleet strength with the visualized expansion of the company over the coming years.
Also attached to these area workshops are between five and eight workshops carrying out first-aid repairs and routine maintenance work.
Each of the six operating areas is controlled by an area engineer, who apart from keeping a close liaison with his own workshops, keeps in touch with the headquarters workshop at Salfords, nr. Redhill, and also with his fellow area engineers in other parts of the operating territory. This ensures that a vehicle working away from its normal base receives routine maintenance regularly, and also prompt attention from the nearest workshop should a breakdown occur.
The workshops at Salfords are extremely well equipped. The main dock-shop has separate departments for overhaul, repair, new vehicle preparation, ready-mixed concrete and other specialized vehicle repairs, and a separate section for car repairs. Adjoining the main shop are the parts stores, which—by the very specialized nature of the fleet—are a very major operation in the servicing of outside workshops. Other separate departments are diesel shop, electrical repair, engine test (two dynamometers) and a very large and well-equipped machine shop.
Unit reconditioning for the entire fleet is carried out in specialist sections. A "one-way" system is operated for engine, chassis units, and the many auxiliary units allied to the specialist load equipment. The various repair lines virtually commence at the degreasing unit and pass through preliminary inspection to the reconditioning sections. The units thus diverge after leaving the "dirty" end of the shop and converge again at the clean end of the flow line where reassembly takes place.
At the dismantling area, engines, gearboxes, and other major units are relieved of their auxiliaries which go to specialist sections such as fuel injection and electrical.
Much of the equipment used for unit reconditioning has been designed and manufactured within the works. All reconditioned engines are thoroughly tested on the two dynamometers before being fitted to vehicles.
Some extent of the volume of work passing through the various unit overhaul sections can be gathered from the fact that during 1966, some 700 gearboxes, 400 clutch assemblies, 200 rear axles and 120 engines were overhauled apart from many hundred allied units. A specially prepared stores vehicle equipped with a hydraulically operated crane for lifting heavy units pays a weekly visit to the area workshops. This supplies stock requirements and urgently required service units to the area workshop, which has its own smaller stores delivery vehicle for serving its own sub-workshops. To keep track of all the vehicles and units passing through the works is a full-time job, and charts in the works superintendent's office indicate the location and condition of every job, and its degree of urgency can be seen at a glance.
Body and paint shops are housed separately. Apart from subspecialized bodies such as road tankers and ready mixed concrete vehicles, all other bodies and waste container units are manufactured on the premises. For tipping bodies up to 7 Cu. yd. steel is used; above this capacity light alloy is commonly used.
In the multi-bayed paintshop, spray procedures are used as this speeds the throughput without spoiling the quality of the work. Transfers are used for lettering purposes.
Apart from these activities, this headquarters workshop carries out major repairs to the vehicles based in its immediate locality.
Wherever possible, area workshops are located centrally for the vehicles based within their operating area, thereby ensuring that vehicles can be attended to in the minimum time and mileage. The respective area engineers can readily supervise their sub-workshops and divert repairs work to other workshops as circumstances necessitate to ensure even work loadings and avoid delays. Equally important, service units and spare parts can quickly be delivered to these sub-workshops and heavy recovery facilities can 'reach a disabled vehicle promptly.
Apart from major unit reconditioning (which is done at the headquarters workshop), area workshops undertake all other work, including body rebuilding, accident damage repairs, repainting, and engine and chassis overhauls.
Equipment includes pits or hydraulic lifts (in some cases both), overhead cranes for lifting bodies, cabs and heavy units, mobile cranes and lifting jacks, gas and electric welding plants and the many other items of garage equipment necessary for the efficient repair and maintenance of a fleet.
Most area workshops operate a heavy recovery tender capable of dealing with the large and specialized vehicles operated by the Group.
Sub-workshops are normally sited at a gravel pit or building depot from which fleets of upwards of 20 vehicles are based. They are under the direct control of the fitter-in-charge for their day-today operation. The work carried out in these sub-workshops is normal running adjustments, maintenance, first aid repairs, and a limited amount of unit replacements and routine inspections. Personnel employed vary from two fitters at a small unit to upwards of 10 at a large transport base.
PROCEDURE Vehicle Inspections: Tipper and ready mixed concrete vehicles are subjected to very harsh operating conditions when working on building sites and other off-road areas, where it is a regular occurrence for vehicles to sink axle deep in mud or clay. This can result in damage to chassis, suspension, steering, and brakes, and regular inspections are therefore essential. Drivers are briefed to report any incidents whereby damage could have occurred, and also any mechanical faults immediately. The opportunity is taken at each three-weekly service for an inspection to be carried out by a member of the workshop staff.
Two full-time vehicle inspectors, one specialized in ready-mixed concrete vehicles, are based at the headquarters workshop, but cover the entire operating area "spot-checking" vehicles for their mechanical condition, roadworthiness and general appearance. These two inspectors have the authority to take a vehicle out of service immediately if a major fault affecting the vehicle's roadworthiness is diagnosed in the course of an inspection. Reports are sent by these vehicle inspectors to the area engineers responsible for the vehicles inspected to advise them of the condition of the vehicles and to ensure any necessary repairs are dealt with promptly.
Vehicle Cleanliness: Keeping vehicles clean is a problem especially under the conditions associated with the building industry. Where possible each driver is allocated his own vehicle and at present he is responsible for keeping it clean. Adequate pressure wash facilities are being provided to ensure a high standard of cleanliness, as it has long been realized that a clean vehicle is necessary both from the good image it presents to the general public, and also to assist the mechanics servicing and repairing it. Vehicle cleanliness will become of even greater importance when the Ministry of Transport compulsory inspection of vehicles comes into force, as their examiners will insist on all vehicles being thoroughly cleaned before being submitted for an inspection.
Adequate cleaning facilities are therefore going to be a "must" for all operators.
Repair Policy: Vehicles are not called in for overhaul at set mileages or time cycles due to different conditions throughout the operating area and the variation in work undertaken. When a vehicle is in a workshop for a major repair, the opportunity is taken to give it an inspection, and to do any other work found necessary. Presentday units are built to last the life of the chassis in many cases, but under arduous operating conditions, misuse is the major problem, not component wear. It is by no means unusual for one vehicle to have several gearboxes, clutches, rear axles, or other major components fitted in a comparatively short period under really severe operating conditions as are sometimes encountered on certain jobs.
Maintenance and Servicing: In most cases routine maintenance and servicing is carried out at three-weekly intervals by maintenance men. In the case of some vehicles, due to limited facilities and staff, certain maintenance tasks are carried out by the driver under the supervision, and with the assistance of, a skilled fitter. The maintenance programme is agreed between the area engineer and operating people, and each week a vehicle servicing form is passed to the depot manager giving him details of the vehicles which will be called in for service during the next week, and the day they are needed and whether in the morning or afternoon. This gives the depot manager ample time to organize his delivery programme, and also to prepare the vehicles required for service so they will arrive at the workshop unloaded and clean for the maintenance operation.
As will be seen from the "Vehicle Servicing and Maintenance Schedule", the "a" and "b" services are carried out on a time basis, and "c" service (oil change) on mileage, as is the "d" service, which includes renewal of fuel filters and injectors. Every six months an
"e" service is carried out on certain specialized vehicles which require this additional work.
Each vehicle has a record card, held at its usual workshop, on which is recorded the date of each minor service, and the mileometer reading of the major services.
Tyre replacement and repairs are contracted out to certain tyre distributors, and spare wheels are not carried on vehicles, except those engaged on long distance runs.
The company runs an extremely good apprenticeship scheme at both its headquarters workshop and each area workshop, to train its own fitters and other engineering department staff. These apprentices spend set periods in each department, attend day release at Technical College, and the more senior apprentices attend specialized courses at vehicle and component manufacturers' works.
Considerable capital expenditure, by way of new workshops and the rebuilding and enlarging of older workshops, has been necessary to keep pace with the steadily increasing fleet, and the need to provide the facilities to maintain and repair it. This expenditure is being justified by the long-term savings in relation to service to the operating divisions, and also by ensuring the Group is equipped to meet the requirements of the coming Government regulations relating to vehicle maintenance and inspection.