The draw of drawbars
Page 44
Page 45
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
STRIBUTION costs can ount to over 16 per cent of total turnover of a manufacing or wholesale company, so en there is an increase in road irges it makes sense to seek ys in which distribution costs )uld be reduced without adsely affecting customer sere.
'olyfamos have done just this, the eight years it has been tributing pottery, the quantity imports has increased to lund 2,500 tons a year.
he company's main suppliers ! in Germany and until rently consignments were )ught in by experienced intertional hauliers. Now, wever, the company is using own Volvo rigid and drawbar -nbination.
kccording to transport manDr George Ellis, the total cost running the vehicles to rope is comparable with that [cl to the sub-contractors at present time, but they have benefit of total control of the eration.
"io successful has this been, company has ordered a 1:ond drawbar combination for livery in May.
'olyfamos didn't want to take plunge alone so they consultheir local Volvo dealers, wsonfreight Commercials. e result was a Volvo F7 grossat 32 tons fitted with the 4hp engine and obviously, for ver comfort, a double bunk leper cab.
3ecause of previous experice working with demounts, a ane Fruehauf demount system Is specified. This has reduced ]ding and unloading times len compared to an equivalent :ic and made bulk deliveries )re flexible. The trailer is often parked up while the rigid carried out the deliveries. The demount bodies are then changed.
The Volvo pulls a standard Crane Fruehauf trailer, again fitted with a demount system. The aluminium demount boxes are 23ft long, 3ft wide, and 7ft 10in high. Full height hinged barn doors are fitted to the rear of the box.
Roller shutters were considered, but rejected because of the space taken up by the roller assembly restricting loading height. Each box will accommodate 14 Europallets or 12 roll cages on which all imported produce is carried. The drawbar coupling assembly is underslung, achieving a total combination of 56ft.
To assist manoeuvring the trailer, a detachable coupling can be fitted to the front bumper for pushing the trailer in limitedaccess areas. Three airline couplings are also situated at the front of the rigid. The demount system has been adapted so that on the rigid it is electro-hydraulically operated and on the trailer pneumatically.
The vehicle is still in its settling down period and returning an average fuel consumption of 7.71mpg. George anticipated this will decrease to 8mph when the engine is fully run in.
To help reduce air drag resistance and improve fuel returns, an adjustable air deflector is fitted to the cab roof and a speed limiter is now being considered.
The Volvo's driver, Michael Hart, found he could quickly adapt to drawbars and finds no handling problems with the outfit, though strong winds sometimes gave the trailer a buffeting.
A standard 85-gallon fuel tank is at present fitted, but this will be doubled shortly to increase the operational range.
Other vehicles on the Polyfa mos fleet comprise Ford Transits, A-Series, 5ord D-Series, a Bedford TK three-tonner and a Mercedes 307. The smaller weight vehicles have been adapted to tow small box trailers with carrying capacities of 15 or 25cwt, which are ideal because most loads are cube and not deadweight.
None of Polyfamos' ten vehicles are over two years old and when sold they average a recorded mileage of over 100,000 miles. Running a young fleet, buying new vehicles for cash, and calling on the experts for service or new vehicle specifications promoted George Ellis to say "no way" when asked if it would be possible to subcontract all the company's road transport requirements to dedicated road hauliers.
In any transport operation, flexibility is the name of the game.
Cuprinol is another company whose problems were eased by a demountable drawbar operation using not only box bodies but also tanks as well.
Product volume can be split between bulk and small tins and fluctuation in demand previously caused problems. Historically the company did run a road tanker, but demand was so intermittent that it was spending more time parked than in active use.
Cuprinol's transport manager Nick Hammel says "the best system for the company is one that can be flexible in use to cover different sorts of traffic and take its full part in the smoothing operation of convert
ing a ragged input into a stead. output".
Nick's system comprise prime movers and drawba trailer configurations, each be ing capable of carrying identice load modules of approximately eight to nine tonnes operating with demount box containers and tanks.
The reason for this arrangement, says Nick, are that "the uniformity of load module gives flexibility in that any truck on the fleet will be capable of taking any load singly or in pairs.
"Also, by using the demount system, any truck can be used as a tanker or can carry a box body."
Of particular interest is that the entire fleet conforms with Petroleum Regulations, and this includes the trailers. So when the need arises to use outside contractors for bulk haulage, there is a scarcity of suitable vehicles.
Like many own-account operators, the fleet must work hard and it is only in exceptional circumstances when he must sub-contract work. It is rare to see vehicles standing idle. The reason given is maximum utilisation of the fleet and a practical demount system.
Abel Systems Ltd have been supplying demountable body systems to Cuprinol since 1976 and contrary to expectation there are no box body or tank leaks. A great deal of this can be attributed to the drivers who don't demount on rough terrain.
Like many other own-account operators, Cuprinol's fleet must be kept in first-class running order. All vehicle and body inspection and maintenance is carried out by a local "Father and Son" company. This is ideal, according to Nick Hammel, "because we rely on each other".