A Million Miles a Year on Goods Haulage
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Oil-engined Machines That Require "Tops' Overhauls Only After Each 30,000 Miles. Maintenance Costs Lower Than For Petrol Counterparts V/EHICLES of A.E.C. manufacture V are the backbone of a fleet which maintains important express goods services between King's Lynn and the manufacturing centres of the Midlands. Giles and Bullen, Ltd., the operator of the machines, has been using Mammoth Major six-wheeled oilers since 1933. These vehicles were supplemented by two more of the same type in 1938 and 1937, and by an eight-wheeler in 1938.
It is the opinion of Mr. A. R. Giles, a director of the ,company, that the maintenance costs of to-day's oil engines are less than those of their petrol counterparts. A definite reduction in the frequency of "top " overhauls, now required only after each 30,000 miles, and a prolongation of bearing life sums up his views on this matter.
Giles and 13ullen, Ltd., began a. twice-weekly service between King's Lynn and Birmingham in 1928. Today, the service is run daily, and is enhanced by another service linking King's Lynn and Norwich, as well as by a feeder service between the firstmentioned town and Ipswich. A large amount of local traffic is also undertaken.
Prominent among the loads carried to the Midlands is timber brought to King's Lynn from the Baltic ; it is this commodity which dictates, on all the A.E.C.s, a minimum body length of 22 ft. Loads from general cargoes, shipped at Continental ports, are also carried, and in the return direction products of the industrial Midlands. The company has branch depots both in Birmingham and Norwich.
For local deliveries there is a fleet of 19 lightweight vehicles, and these, with the " heavies," now travel altogether approximately 1,000,000 miles a year.