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AFAMILIAR sight in Yorkshire and East Lancashire is the neat olive-green vans of the Bradford Dyers' Association, Ltd., with a red seal bearing the monogram, B.D.A., as the principal feature of the livery by day and a small green light over the cab by night. The Association consists of 22 companies (called branches) and four subsidiaries in Great Britain. There are also associated concerns abroad.
The Association is not a manufacturer and does not own the materials it handles. It works entirely on commission, treating all manner of fabrics to its customers' orders. Thus its prosperity depends entirely on the trend of demand for different fabrics and the Association has always been prompt to change its processes when necessary to ifleet changing conditions.
The demand for wool and cotton has diminished, but the demand for rayon, Terylene and other modern materials has increased, and the Association has not hesitated to launch out both into new processes and new premises in order to live up to its slogan, " Fitness for Purpose."
Most of the branches are oldestablished and, having been concerned originally with the wool trade, are to be found in Bradford and within a 12-mile radius, but, as the map shows, there are also several in Lancashire, notably the Standish Co., Ltd:, at Worthington. This is a modernization and extension of an old plant which now specializes in processing cotton fabrics.
Lancashire also comes into the picture both as a producer and a market. The towns in the north.east corner, particularly Burnley, Nelson and Caine and their suburbs, turn out large quantities of cloth which have to be taken to works in Yorkshire for treatment. On the other hand, Manchester is the great warehouse centre to which finished goods have to be delivered.
The branches have always had a large degree of autonomy. This still exists in transport, for the branch management may make what arrangements they think best both for the collection of greys (the untreated material) and the delivery of the finished article.
In 1919, when it was apparent that the internal-combustion engine offered great possibilities for the future, it was decided to form a pool of transport available for all branches if they chose. The late Percy Beetham, M.Inst.T., was appointed to organize an independent and autonomous department, which was to function (and still does) practically as a separate company.
As in the case of the British Transport Commission, its manager, Mr, Walter Robinson, Associnst.T., who succeeded Mr. Beetham on his death in 1944, has the obligation of making the business pay, " taking one year with another."
The Pool was popular and by 1924 the fleet had reached a substantial size, as it comprised89 Leylands, 21 Fiats and Lancias, and a few steamers. The department was also maintaining a number of • private cars for senior officials of the Association.
The 1930 Act, with its rigid'differentiation in speeds between "motorcars" and "heavy motorcars," made it necessary to abandon the heavy type of .vehicle in order to operate at 30 m.p.h. Thus, in 1939, the average carrying capacity per vehicle was only 2.6 tons, as against , 3 tons in 1927. Nevertheless, improved working methods had enabled the fleet to be reduced to a total of 95.
It is particularly interesting to note that whereas in 1927 there were 42 4-tonners, in 1939 there were only five; there was in the latter year no vehicle between a 6-tonner (of which there were 15) and a 3-tonner. The speed limit has also been the reason why, until quite recently, the department had no oil-engined vehicles. .
The present fleet consists of 65 Bedfords and 56 Austins. The accompanying table 'gives the analysis into carrying capacities, the fuel averages and the cost per 'mile (including depreciation) of • the 121 • vehicles, . which, except seven, are petrol-driven.
At. Bradford are based 87 vehicles, of which ,37 are.on journey work, 21 on the clearing-house service (explained later.), 6 on local Work and 23 on-regular hire to branches. At Salford there are 32 vehicles, of which five are onjourney, work, 20 are employed locally and seven are on hire to
branches. There are also two vehicles based at the Paisley branch (Adam Hamilton and Sons, Ltd.).
To maintain this fleet plus a large number of private cars, there are at Bradford a maintenance engineer and foreman with 15 fitters, two apprentices, two storekeepers and a fuelpump attendant. At Salford there are a charge-hand fitter and an apprentice. Only running repairs and servicing are done at Salford, the vehicles being worked through to Bradford should
any major repair or overhaul be required.
Detailed statistics are maintained, as can be gathered from the cost sheet reproduced on page 88. Depreciation is calculated on a time basis in the light of the department's experience. The vexed question of overheads which cannot he directly attributed to specific vehicles is dealt with by dividing the total among all vehicles on the basis of carrying capacity, a notional figure being taken for the private cars.
The engineering section is housed in Norcroft Street, Bradford, behind the department's office, which faces onto Thornton Road. The repair system is based on drivers' reports; any apparent defect is corrected, bodywork is repainted as required, and, in addition, every vehicle is taken in for a day's inspection in rotation. In practice, this nieans a vehicle is thoroughly examined .about once every six months.
Although the mileage run by individual vehicles between inspections varies greatly (a few may do over 20,000 miles whilst others 'do -only 5,000), breakdowns are rare and the fleet as a whole looks smart. The reason is, no doubt, the careful way in which drivers report defects and the manner in which their reports are followed up. So far it has been possible to keep one driver to one van, which, of course, helps greatly.
Vehicles used on long-distance work are greased and washed by the garage staff, but others are attended to by the drivers—usually on Saturday mornings, when few vehicles are required.
After the fleet became standardized on two makes, the garage staff began building up spare engines. About two years ago this practice was stopped and rebuilt engines were bought from the manufacturers' agents. Experience of coMparative costs and workmanship has now led to the decision again to rebuild on the premises.
The department does not build or undertake major repairs to van bodies, but relics on two Or three bodybuilders who are accustomed to the B.D.A.'s requirements. Until a year or two ago it was the custom to have cabs built integrally with the bodies, but new vehicles (except the smallest runabouts) are now being fitted with bodies separate from the cabs. The objects are to secure greater rigidity without cab distortion and to lengthen the effective life of bodies by transferring them to new chassis as replacements are bought.
It was realized soon 'after the transport department was started that a goad deal of waste mileage was being incurred through duplication of calls. Two branches would send vehicles empty from, say, Bradfcird to Nelson to collect grey cloth, although there was not a complete load for either. Consequently, at an early stage in the development of the organization, a clearing house was set up to handle the smalls. This section now deals with about 500,000 pieces a year.
Universal. Aunt Branches have come to place through the transport departmentpractically all their road transport . requirements, %shakier for smalls or tonnage. Most. bratiehes have one or two .vehicles on permanent-tire, which are used:completely_ at the discretion ofthe local management.,. Otherwise ,all. collection and delivery work allotted to the department is arranged by the traffic superintendents at Thornton Road, Bradford, or Springfield Lane, Salford,
dh the assistance, in the case of North-East „Lancashire, of the sales office at Nelson. Over 250,000 pieces a year go over the deck at -Salford.
Tragic s upe tin te.ndents — Mr. H. North at Bradford -and Mr-. M. Ormrod, taking over from Mr. J. C. Ornirod. at Salford—have no easy task. for like all carriers handling part-loads and smalls, they have to contend with . daily variations in traffic flow. At the B.D.A., they have to try to please a number of different people—the Associations customers, the spinners or ueavers who want to get their premises cleared. 'and the Association's branch managers.
Competition Sets the Pattern
Here it must again be mentioned that the Association, not having a monopoly, has to give its customers service to retain its business, and this has greatly affected the pattern of transport working,. For one thing, the Association has accepted the task of storitig both greys and finished goods and delivering them to customers' orders.
A few years ago the B.D.A. found its customers so anxious to take advantage of its facilities that the management was almost at its wit's end for storage space. Large disused premises (formerly the works of Whitakers and Aykroyds, Ltd.) at Newlay, between Leeds and Bradford, had to be pressed into service and a big mileage was put up in takin,g grey cloth from the Nelson area to Newlay and later delivering it to the branches for treatment.
This additional handling is now unnecessary, as, with additional space being made available at several of the' works, greys can be taken direct and stored on the spot, where they will be eventually treated. . Grey cloth is also stored in premises at Lower Broughton, Salford, but in this case little waste mileage is incurred, as the store is close to the Salford depot.
By far the biggest ton-mileage worked by the B.D.A. transport department is between Lancashire and Yorkshire, but there are many regular longdistance runs outside these counties.
From the Salford depot daily journe!, s are made to Paisley. where
two vehicles are stationed for chection and delivery. This long journey is 'a good example of the restrictive effects of the speed limit for heavy motorears, and shows the absurdity of the opposi-tion to its removal.
With a 220-mile run each way the work ought, of course, to be done by oilers, but as for this particular traffic:. a boxyan is essential, the fitting of cornpression-ignition engines would redtice the permissible speed to 20 m.p.h. and make the journey ithpossible for one driver within the legal hours. The raising of the limit would make no' difference whatever to the driver's • earnings in this case, but would reduce the operator's costs.
Although boxvanr are used for the Scottish traffic and a number is to be seen at work in South Lancashire, there is (and always has been) a preference in that part of the world for open vehicles. This local preference is hardly an economy under present conditions. because a sheet and lining for a 5-tonner cost about 160.
Standish has taken advantage of the local taste in a way that greatly assists' the traffic department to get a quick turn-round. Loads are made up .on flats which stand against the deck on trolleys. When a lorry arrives, the appropriate flat and its load are lifted by crane, the trolley is pulled away and the lorry backs under the toad,
Serious hindrances to 'efficient transport' are the conditions obtaining at some of the receiving warehouses, particularly in Manchester. The narrow central streets of the city often involve long delay before a driver can get to the unloading pOint and he is generally harassed by other traffic while unloading. Nor, in many case-s, does' he receive much assistance &Om the inside staffs.
At many of these places there is the astonishing custom that outside drivers shall deliver wherever required inside the premises and pay some Warehouse employee Id., 2d. or 3d. each time they use a hoist or handcart; there is, in fact, a vested interest in inefficiency. This reflects on B.D.A. transport not only in time wasted, but in the necessity Of employing extra labour.
In addition to most -of the Manchester vehicles carrying a Mate, a pool of 13 porters has to be retained at the.' depot for movement to any point where there is a , big delivery. "St is often necessary to..send three (and sometimes
even four) men out on one lorry. .
B.D.A. traffic to and from Ireland is.ccinsiderablc and is sent by air and sea. Sniall urgent consignments are sent three times a week to-Ringway Airport, but the bulk of the traffic both ways goes by sea through Preston, ..
The Belfast and Preston Transport Co., Ltd., are the --carriers employed for Northern Ireland and the British and Irish Steam Packet Co., Ltd., for Eire. The service to Belfast runs three Limes a week and to Dublin. once.
To make for easy stowage the B.D.A. has constructed special containers into which all its goods are packed. These containers measure 6 ft. by 6 ft. by 4 ft. and 'weigh 12 cwt. Three can be loaded onto _the platform of a 5-tonner. Each can carry up to two tons,•although normally the bulkiness of the goods prevents the maximum weight being loaded.
Unfortunately traffic is very unbalanced and it was soon discovered that the use of containers meant running up dead mileage to carry empties. Goods to and from Belfast, therefore, are loaded and unloaded in and out of the containers at Preston, but this cannot be done with goods from Dublin. Because of the Customs regulations the containers from Eire have to be carried to the branches for which they are destined before being opened.. . For many years, the transport department has brought salt and chemicals from Cheshire and coal from local pits. Its vehicles carry materials and machinery for the Association's engineering department and it is responsible for clearing boiler ash and other waste. It has a large tip at Bowling (Bradford), where the waste is deposited.
The method of charging branches varies greatly. Where a vehicle is on permanent hire, the basis is a flat charge per day which covers all stand
ing charges, plus the average cost of repairs for all similar vehicles over a number of years. To this amount is added the actual cost of petrol, lubricants and drivers' wages, plus an average figure for tyres.
For bulk traffic and traffic between Yorkshire and 'Lancashire, tonnage rates are charged, which show a great saving to the Association over comparable rates by public carriers. Smalls are charged per piece, irrespective of
the weight of the piece. The longdistance journeys are charged per trip