Q A year ago we purchased a 4-ton
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platform lorry for an experimental contract job but the results were not as good as we hoped for. With a yearly mileage of around 20,000 what should the operating cost be?
AAs shown in the COMMERCIAL MOTOR
Tables of Operating Costs, the estimated operating cost for a 4-ton platform vehicle fitted with diesel engine and averaging 400 miles a week (i.e. 20,000 miles a year) are: standing costs per week: licences £1 4s 3c1: wages (basic 41-hour week) £12 4s 3d; rent and rates £1 4s; insurance £1 19s 9d; interest £1 15s 9d; total £18 8s Od. Running costs (pence per mile) fuel 2.65d, lubricants 0.27d, tyres 0.99d, maintenance 2.52d, depreciation 1.52d—total 7.95d.
The addition of standing and running costs gives a total operating cost of 18.99d per mile or £31 13s a week. Alternatively, a total operating cost per year would be E1,582 10s.
Commenting on these figures, both the carrying capacity and the average weekly mileage are low by current operational standards and, as a result, so is the ton-mile figure of 4.75d. This compares with 3.15d per-tonmile for an 8-tonner also averaging 400 miles a week or, alternatively, 3.32d. per ton-mile for a 4-tonner averaging 800 miles a week