Whiteley s Adopts Motorvan Delivery.
Page 13
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A Further 12 Lacre Vans as the Nucleus of a Large Fleet for the Universal Provider.
We are much gratified to be able to record the fact that a motor delivery service, on a large scale, is about to be instituted in connection with the colossal business of William Whiteley, Limited. This company, which, so far, has hung hack in the matter of motor delivery, has, after a short trial with, its recent purchase, a Lacre, 24-cwt. box van, given an order to the Lacre Motor Car Company, Limited, of 1-5, 'Poland Street, W., for twelve more vans of similar capacity. A representative of " TI1E COMMERCTAL, MOTOR " was afforded a short interview with Mr. Frank Whitelev, who superintends the dispatch department of William Whiteley, Limited, and Mr. A. E. Cowper, the manager of the dispatch department, and was able to ascertain some of the reasons for the new departure.
The first experiments with motor haulage, which were made by William Whiteley, Limited, five years ago, did not, we were informed, inspire the directors with sufficient con-fidence in self-propelled vehicles to justify them in ordering any quantity, or in varying their dispatch methods to meet the increased capacity and larger radius of motorvans, and, with the exception of a Thornycroft, five-ton, steam vehicle, which has been used for removals for some years, no motor-vans have been employed. As already mentioned, the company, in the middle of November last, put a x6h.p., 24-cwt. box Lacre van, similar to that run in the recent R.A.C. trials, into service, and that van has run every day, except Sundays, an average of Go miles per day, and altogether has totalled, up to the time of writing, over 4,000 miles. The maximum daily run is about 133 miles, and the bulk of the work of the van is done on special deliveries, returning light. In a typical delivery, to Faversham, a distance of try miles, a large grand piano was conveyed, with so little effect from vibration that even tuning was found unnecessary on arrival.
The twelve new cars which have been ordered are all of the 24-cwt. chassis type, and the company proposes to construct a well-equipped garage and repair shop in premises which it possesses in Hereford Road, and these, when they are fitted for the purpose, will easily accommodate 4o motorvans. Arrangements for the training of drivers, who are to be selected from the horse-van drivers and delivery porters already in the employ of the company, have already started. A driver experienced in the use of Lacre vehicles was engaged, some time ago, by the company, and, while driving the van, he has been giving instruction to the delivery porter accompanying the van, with the result that this man is now competent to take charge of one of the vehicles. A second porter is now beginning his training, and, when he has completed it, two of the horse-van drivers will next be taught. The original driver employed receives, of course, a wage for driving, and, to encourage him in bringing about the proficiency of _others at this work, a bonus is offered to him for each horse driver or porter who is turned out as a capable nietor driver. By means of this method, the company is confident that it -will obtain a complete staff of suitable drivers without displacing any of the men at present engaged in the delivery work of the stores, and it was pointed out to us that such an arrangement is of the greatest advantage, as the men know the rounds, know the work, and are accustomed to the necessarily irregular hours which obtain in times of pressure, etc. A -delivery porter goes out with each van, but the driver is expected to assist in loading and unloading when required.
The advantages which are expected to result from the employment of motor vehicles by this company are, that the boundary limit at present existing in all towns served by their horse vans aleed not be adhered to under the new regime, and those houses which were so far detached from the main, delivery districts as to render it impossible to visit them, need no longer be overlooked. The company hopes in time to be able to abolish the relay system which exists at present. The relay depots, of which there are five, situated at different points round the circumference of the Metropolis at a radius of some 12 miles from the stores, have a certain number of men, horses and vans each, which are used for deliveries some to to 12 miles further out. These dep8ts are, of course, a large source of expense, and a trans_ shipment of goods is necessary also at these points. For example, goods for Maidenhead have first to be sent from Westbourne Grove to the large dep8t. at Hillingdon, where they would be placed on one of the vans stationed there, for further delivery to Maidenhead. At Maidenhead, the horse drawing the van would be left at the relay depat there, and a spare horse would be employed to take the van back to I iillingdon with any empties. The naotorvan, which would carry the goods direct to Maidenhead, and return from thence direct to Westbourne Grove with any orders or articles for repair, etc., would, therefore, it is felt, bring customers into closer and ..inore direct touch with the head office, and, of course, the saving of time which would be gained by the use of motor vehicles is a point which it is unnecessary for us to labour in these columns.
The results which William Whiteley, Limited, will obtain from the batch of cars, which will all be very shortly in its hands, will, we have not the slightest doubt, lead to the establishment of what will be one of the largest fleets of motor delivery vans in the Metropolis. Every care is taken by the chief of the dispatch room to insure that the vans shall be kept in the best and most efficient state for satisfactory working, and we have pleasure in reproducing a copy of the drivers' tog-sheet, which shows at a glance the data required to be furnished by each man with regard to the condition of his vehicle. Our photographs on page 514 show the front and back views of the delivery van which the company has been using since November last with such success. It is very interesting to add this record of fresh development to the earlier ones of Messrs. J. Shoolbred and Company, and of Harrod's, Limited, and it is clear that traders generally, whether in London or in country towns, will soon lose their connections unless they keep pace with competitors. The first of Whiteley's vans is illustrated on the next page. Delivery of the further 12 vans should be completed in good time for the Tao8 season's trade.