On-board Weighing
Page 30
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I WAS MOST interested to read David Wilcox's article about onboard vehicle weighing systems (CM, February 26). He confined his attention to electronic systems. As a result he overlooked our own system which has been continuously proved in actual use over 12 years.
Experience has shown that tipping lorries as a class are probably the most vulnerable to accidental overloading. The vehicles' tipping rams are used as the sensor. The Weylode gauge warns the driver if his vehicle is overloaded. The entire assembly weighs under 5kg.
For the successful operation, the load has to be evenly distributed from front to back. In practise, with suitable loads this is easy for the driver to arrange. On rigids the Weylode will warn of excess front axle loads and on artics excess kingpin loads.
Experience has shown that the Weylode is particularly useful on lorries hauling grain and sugar beet, as well as bulk carriers. Several thousand Weylodes are now in use, many as a result of driver recommendations.
We fully realise that it is a cheap and cheerful system and does not suit everybody. For this reason we always offer potential customers a fourteen-days' free trial before they part with their money.
Fitting is normally carried out by the operator in his own workshops when the lorry is in for repair or by the body builder. Calibration is carried out with the vehicle in revenue-earning service.
JIM WILKIE Weylode Horton, Bristol
'Call down the hawk from the air'
THE HAWK'S continued attacks on the GLC cannot be ignored any longer. "Ratepayers pay for election gimmick", (CM, February 12), is his latest diatribe of inaccuracies and bigotry.
The Labour group were democratically elected on a promise of cheaper fares, and it was only because of interference from the Tory-controlled Bromley Council that the tax and ratepayers are now having to foot the bill for the court cases and appeals that followed.
It seems cornmonsense to me that more people should be encouraged to travel by public transport thereby lessening congestion on the roads, and saving the nation's oil resources.
Doesn't it occur to The Hawk, that the less fuel used by cars means the more available for his precious lorries.
D. J. FINCH Bewdley Worcestershire Cars run mainly on petrol; lorries use derv. — Editor
Changing the guard
MAY I BE allowed to make a few comments on the Hawk's opinion on "Why not sell BR to the staff".
While I appreciate his realisation of the problems faced by an artic driver — problems which I have to face in the course of my daily tor nightly) duties — I fail to see what this has to do with the problems arising from the decision of BR to dispense with guards on surburban commuter trains. In these days of mindless hooliganism, and paranoid football fans, surely the need for a guard on this type of train is more important than ever before, which makes me wonder why the Hawk takes it upon himself to declare guards to be unnecessary. Apart from this aspect, surely, every guard who is no longer required only adds to the already mounting numbers of the workless?
No doubt, BR will say that this will be taken care of by natural wastage and redeployment, but I think that few trade unionists will be taken in by this, since it is fairly obvious that the ultimate aim lies in "the slimming down policies" beloved of the Tories.
Incidentally, may I point out that the eventually unemployed guards would receive considerably more in unemployment benefit than the £25 asked for by the drivers to shoulder the responsibilities of two men.
I have noticed over the years that the Hawk never fails, given the chance, to knock, or to make snide remarks about the unions, or the GLC or any other organisation that deviates from current government policy. E. G. CORKE London W13 You rightly raise the question of mindless hooligans, but would one guard solve the problem? The Brigade, perhaps, but not one man. Editor
15.22.5 single type tyres
IT WOULD seem from your articles on the new weights that many operators are considering fitting 15.22.5, single type tyres.
The problem that springs to mind is the supply of this size of tyre. Will we phone a tyre distributor when we suffer a breakdown to be told "sorry we have no stock"? Perhaps, as it has been suggested, we carry a spare but, it is hard enough to keep lenses and bulbs on a trailer let alone a spare wheel.
From discreet inquiries it would seem that one large tyre distributor has a system whereby its branches near oil terminals keep a stock of this tyre of tyres whereas its other branches do not.
It would be interesting to hear the tyre manufacturers' and distributors' comments and other operators' experiences. P. MORRIS UK Chassis Controller DCD (UK) Container Services
Boalloy's side raves
WHAT A PLEASURE to read such a balanced article on our company in CM, February 19.
However, the Pandora side rave referred to is in fact a registered design section whir can be bolted on to existing narrow semi-trailers, i.e. wher TIR tilts are converted to give receiving flange for the curtain turn-under and hook and the protecting rubbing rail with a deep surface vertically.
We find that because trailer: normally have an incline to thr rear of 8in, a rubbing rail of 41r was necessary to avoid buckle snagging or lock up. This was originally designed by myself the use of British Leyland with their Tautliners where docking was the rule and has since bee successfully used by Pandora, Canada Dry and other companies with remarkably good results. The platform wic remains at 8ft, adequate for tv%, 4ft pallets. The rave rail is at 8f 2.5in and the buckles are therefore within the rubbing ri extremities.
E. G. BROADBENT Joint managing director Boalloy Cheshire