R.H.A. May Admit "C" Contract Hirers: Functional Group Proposed
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THERE is a possibility that operators who hire out contract vehicles 1 under C-hiring margins may be admitted to membership of the Road Haulage Association. It is understood that two meetings have taken place between leaders and officials of the Association and some of the larger contract-vehicle owners to discover their requirements as potential members of the R.H.A. A functional group may be formed.
Leyland Offer 14 Double-deekers
ARANGE of 14 double-deck bus chassis is now being produced by Leyland Motors, Ltd. Twelve of these vehicles arc for the home market and are basically variations of the same chassis, differing in respect of frontal appearance, transmission, brakes and width. All have 16-ft. 5-in. wheelbases suitable for 27-ft. body lengths. Standard lightweight components can be supplied on any of these chassis.
The power unit for all chassis is the Leyland 125 b.h.p. oil engine with vacuum governing as standard and a hydraulic governor is an alternative. The standard tyre equipment is 11.0020 in (12-ply) for the front wheels and 10.00-20 in. (12-ply) twins at the rear. Air-braked vehicles have diaphragmoperated units and a 10-cu.-ft. corn
pressor, and all home models are supplied with 8-in.-centre worm-drive rear axles. "
Overseas chassis are available only in 8-ft-wide form and 17-ft. 6-in, wheelbase, and have 9-in, final-drive units, air brakes and exposed radiators. The lightweight features available for home models save 8 cwt. and include modified springs, 10.00-20 in. (14-ply) front tyres, 9.00-20 in. (12-ply) rear titres and 2,8gallon fuel tanks, instead of the standard 36-gallon tanks.
The accompanying table summarizes the models now offered.
SIMMS BUY PLASTICS MAKER
T" purchase by Simms Motor Units, Ltd., of Clearex Products, Ltd., manufacturers of plastics products, is announced. Mr. G. E. Liardet, chairman of Simms, and Mr. J. Ayres, director and general manager, have joined the board of Clearex, on which Mr. A. H. Tranter continues to serve.
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Chief proponent of united national representation for C-hiring contractors has been Mr. R. P. Block, managing director of Blox Services, Ltd., Mitcham, Surrey. As exclusively reported in The Commercial Motor on April 29, Mr. Block intended to form the Vehicle Operators and Traders Alliance to take care of the interests of C-hiring contractors and their customers, after being refused membership of the RILA. and the Traders' Road Transport Association.
Mr. Block's proposal was widely supported, but at an informal discussion between him and Mr. R. Morton Mitchell, chief executive officer of the R.H.A., it was suggested that a special functional group be formed to suit operators such as Mr. Block, as it was possibly undesirable to add to the number of national associations representing hauliers of different kinds.
This suggestion was put by R.H.A.
leaders and officials at a later meeting with Mr. Block and execut ves of the United Service Transport Co., Ltd., Charles Rickards, Ltd., H. Pye and Son, Ltd., and N.M.U. (1953), Ltd., other large C-hiring contractors. A memorandum on the formation of a suitable functional group is to be drawn up by the R.H.A. for consideration by Mr. Block and his associates in this matter.
If negotiations are successful, a case for the admission of contract-vehicle owners to the R.H.A. may be put to the executive committee. If passed by the committee, the decision will have to be confirmed by the national council at their meeting on September 29.
The C-hiring contractors mentioned have well over 1,000 vehicles working for customers in various industries. Besides those named, there are numbers of further operators who have expressed support for Mr. Block's moves for national representation.