WORKING COSTS IN MUNICIPAL HAULAGE.
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Further Valuable Figures from the City Engineer's Department of the Norwich County Borough Council.
FOR our issue of June 14th last, Mr. Arthur E. Collins, the City Engineer of the Norwich County Borough Council, wrote an article which attracted considerable attention among muni
cipal officials and also outside of municipal circles, because it gave certain figures showing the mileage (loaded and unloaded), tonnage and cost per ton-mile
for the vehicles—petrol, steam and electric—in the possession of the Council. These, figures were dis
puted by manufacturers and others who held that they need not be so high. The average cost per ton-mile for four steam wagons (one a five-tonner and three six-tonners) was 30.07d. with an extra of 4.50d. for fillers, making a total cost per ton mile of 34.57d., the equivalent figures for 3i-ton motor lorries being 27.67d. per ton-mile plus 3.6Id. for fillers, making a total cost per ton-mile of 31.26d. Mr. Collins thereupon produced the whole of his detailed figures, for the period of from 9 to lli months to December 29th, 1920, which figures, so far as the motor lorries were concerned, were published in our issue of July 12th last, and explained that the high ratio of cost per ton-mile for the transport of materials such as are required to be hauled by a local authority, was due in the case of Norwich to the fact that the vehicles employed by the City Council were hindered in their work by reason of the narrow, crooked and congested streets in which they had to carry out their operations, whilst yet another factor in increasing the cost per ton-mile was the shortness of the haul. Then again the number of miles travelled without a load was in excess even of the loaded mileage—a circumstance entirely unavoidable in the work of a municipality, whereas, in the case of a haulier or a manufacturer or dealer operating his own transport, the proportion of waste mileage need never be so high. Thus, had this waste mileage been cut down by 50 per cent., the cost in the case of the motor lorry would have come down to is. 81d. per ton-mile. It must be remembered, too, that the wages of the fillers may really not fairly be chargeable to cost of transport. To take an analogous ease, the wages of the loaders at a warehouse are carried on the establishment, and are certainly not charged up to the costs of the transport department. ,
Mr. Arthur Collins has now been good enough to provide us, for the service of our readers, with the
figures showing the costs of operation for the six months ending September 28th last, and it would be useful (but not essential) if the set of figures pub lished in our issue were to be compared with those which are published on the next page. But, for the benefit of those who do not wish to make their own close comparison, the following remarks may be all sufficient.
Taking the steam wagons first, we notice that whilst there is a slightly better proportion of loaded to empty mileage, there is still an excess of the latter in the case of two of the vehicles (" B " and " 0 "), the other two (" D " and " E "), however, covering more miles loaded than empty. In the six months, 3,682A loaded miles were covered by the four vehicles, with an average of 117.5 working days, the average load per journey being 4.77 tons, and the tonnage carried being 9,884 tons. In the previous 12 months the four vehicles covered 5,114 loaded miles, and carried 18,681 tons, so that in comparison, the aver age load per journey has, evidently, fallen off somewhat. The average cost per ton mile has fallen from 34.57d. to 25.47d., for we observe from the account published herewith, that the wages of the filler are n24
included. They were not included in the account to December 29th, 1920.
In the case of the motor lorries we are better equipped because we have for comparison the detailed figures published last July to set against those on the opposite page. It will be seen that the wages and the bonus are now separated, and that the wages of the filler are included in the latest accounts, the totals being, £265, 2236, and 2260 for the respective vehicles. Their wages for repairs and renewals are separated from the cost of materials. In the cases of vehicles " F " and " G " these items show increases over the previous year, and in the case of vehicle " H " a substantial reduction., taking period for period. The interesting item of the other costs is the low total expenditure on tyres. The number of miles travelled is greatly increased in the case of each of-the vehicles, and it will be seen that the lost working days were extraordinarily few, one losing six days in the six months, the second nothing at all, and the third 11days. And even the one with the best working record is not the lowest for coit of repairs !
It will be seen that the average cost per working day rose from 70s. 9d. to 78s. ; the average cost per loaded mile fell from 7s. 9d. to 7s. 3d., and the average cost per mile travelled from 3s. led. to 3s. 7d., the average cost per ton carried from 3s. Hid. to 3s. lid., and the average cost per ton-mile from 2s. 7.28d. to 2s. 2.64d., this latter figure including about 3s. 54. for fillers wages not included in the former figure. The vehicle " F " maintains its record of running at a lower cost than the other two, although the latter show an improvement in the last accounting period of about lid. per ton-mile. There have been wages reductions, but they do not materially affect the cost over the six months.
The table at the foot of thia page gives a comparison of working cost totals and of their percentages of both the steam wagons and the motor lorries. The weather conditions during the last accounting period were of course, most favourable. Thanks to the courtesy of Mr. Collins, we are able to give the working costs, details thereof,. and the details of running of a one-ton Ford tipping lorry in the service of the Norwich County Borough Council. These figures cover the costs, etc., for a period of. seven weeks.