TRANSPORT TIPS FOR TRADESMEN
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Particularly Addressed to Those Who are Replacing Horsed Vehicles by Motors, or Contemplating So Doing.
EVERY commercial motor user who can lay any claim to enterprise ought to make a point of ' visiting the Commercial Vehicle Exhibition, and, moreover, in the case of large trading concerns, in which the motorvan or lorry is merely a part of the plant of the transport department, it is not enough that the responsible engineer should attend exhibitions of this kind.
The Show as .a Source of Ideas.
The exhibits to be seem there should be examined not only from the engineering standpoint, but also with the object of noting any ideas incorporated in the coachwork, or elsewhere, which might be applied, perhaps in modified forms, to increase the utility of the trader's own motor fleet. At any time one may strike a good idea for, say, the equipment:, of a van body suited. for carrying some particular kind of goods for which acconuniodation is provided in a particularly eenvenient form, so that the articles required are immediately accessible and delaysi occasionect by deliveries are reduced to a minimum.
The visitor's eye should always be kept open for any device intended to accelerate loading and unloading processes applicable to the class of goods. with which he is concerned,
Why the Principal of a Concern Should Attend.
Again, the visitor should carefully note the finish and appearance of the vehicles staged. Some of these, at least, are selected for the purpose because their manufacturers consider them to be particularly striking. The consequence is that the Exhibition ought to be fruitful of suggestions -to those who recognize the advertising value of a smart vehicle. It is when one consider a show from such points of 'view as this that one sees why, the principal of a firm ought himself to attend and not to depend solely on the observations of a departmental manager.
Matters Outside the Scope of Transport Managers.
The utilization of motorvans as moving advertisements is a matter of adjustment between separate departments of the firm. The manager of the transport department has no personal interest to serve by making his vehicles into good advertisements. Probably the process entails some additional cost in respect of decorative finish. The matter is, therefore, one for the consideration of somebody who can bring the publicity and transport departmental heads together and decide as to the allocation that the one department must transfer to the other if it is to have the right to lay down the law as to the external appearance of the vehicles.
Selection that is Often Unintelligent.
It may be said agairist motor exhibitions, from the user's standpoiht, that they frequently lead to a good deal of unintelligent selection of vehicles. One knows that at the private car Show expensive purchases are often made solely, or mainly, on the strength of the colour of the bodywork or some attractive " 'stunt " in connection with the upholstery or the internal equipment. There are still plenty of people who do not realize that such things are merely incidentals, equally applicable to any make of ehassis, and therefore not to be considered in determining theinportant matter of selection.
Whatever vehicle is chosen, the particular features 024 that have caught the eye may be specified for inclusion. In rather the same way people have, at previous commercial vehicle shows, bought vehicles too large, too small, or in some other way not really suited to their work, en the strength of some feature not in any way exclusive and perfectly easily incorporated in any machine that may be chosen.
The Chassis is of Primary Importance.
The shape or dimensions of the body may strike the trader as being just the thing required for his needs. He may be struck, and quite rightly, with some example merely becauszt particularly adequate protection from weather is provided for the driver. By all means let him, in such circumstances give careful consideration to the chassis which the attractive point is shown. The chassis manufacturer who has given him the idea at least deserves a larger chance of getting his business. At the same time, it is always well to remember that such ideas are seldom patentable, and that it is far more important to make the right choice in respect of carrying capacity, power and general chassis design.
Looking' Forward to Winter.
The days are rapidly growing shorter and, for all we know, the coming winter may be just as exceptional, in an opposite sense, as the,recent summer. There are, therefore, certain points to which the van owner should direct his attention with a view to the efficient conduct of his deliveries during the winter months. One little point, which is only likely to affect comparatively small traders who have recently adopted motor haulage, is connected, with the accommodation provided for the vehicles. These need adequate protection from the consequencee of severe night frosts, and rough and ready aecommodation,"perhaps found suitable enough in the summer; may well be open to criticism, its to the vehicles themselves. The efficiency of the cooling yStem will probably have been given a, severe test during the last few months. If it has been found to be such that the water seldom or never boils, even after long climbs with full lead, advice should. be taken as to the simplest means of etemporarily reducing the effectiveness of the radiator during the winter. 'The .point is that, if the engine is kept unneeessarily cool, the fuel economy cannot be as good as it should be,
The Lighting System Must be Adequate.
Yet another point is connected with the lighting of the vehicles. A setof thoroughly efficient lamps will certainly be required. If an electric lighting equipment is carried, one wants to be sure that it is up to its work. The fact that it is satisfactory for short occasional use is no proof that this will also be the case on winter days. A great deal of delivery, no doubt, has to be done by artificial light, especially if there is a rush of trade around Christmas. The dynamo must, therefore, be thoroughly adequate. to keep the batteries well charged and the batteries themselves must not be on the small side._ This warning is particularly necessary in cases in whieh the trader has added new duties to his lighting system not contemplated when it was fitted. He may, perhaps, as an afterthought, have made it responsible for internal lighting of the vehicle or he may have thought of fitting additional Tempe to illuminate Posters or other advertisements when making deliveries after dark during the winter months.