Radio link speeds fibre delivery
Page 44
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
ONE of the most recent subscribers to the Air Call Ltd Service is the Cheshire company of Runcorn Transport Services Ltd. In response to a request from a customer, DuPont Ltd, it had 12 vehicles equipped with radio telephone. DuPont stressed the critical timing of deliveries of man-made fibre when negotiating with RTS. The equipment is used as a link between the Acton Grange distribution of DuPont and customers . who are spread throughout the United Kingdom. The Air Call equipment provides coverage almost entirely throughout the UK from its 20-odd control rooms, most of which are manned 24 hours a day.
RTS drivers • on DuPont work are frequently away from base for three or four days and it is recognized that in such a period the timing of deliveries can be upset. Drivers are instructed that all delays which interfere with their schedules must be advised to DuPont with their new estimated time of arrival. In this way DuPont is able to keep its customers involved thus obviating upsets at the production line, to say nothing of the very obvious customer-relation advantages.
The main financial advantage is in the redirection of vehicles between depots. A vehicle returning from a delivery run may have been scheduled earlier in the week to report to the Acton depot near Warrington. It is frequently necessary to redirect these vehicles to the Springfield depot near Trafford Park. Use of the radio-telephone link can save as much as three hours. In terms of vehicle costs this would amount to about £6 — and three redeployments of this nature in a month will pay for the Air Call service including telephone calls.
Both the transport company and its customer agree that there has been considerable time-saving now that drivers no longer need to search for telephones that are in working order. This is something that they cannot measure financially, but undoubtedly productivity has improved. Air Call is in the main using Pye equipment. Rental costs are in the order of £15 per month with the cost of calls in addition. The equipment is serviced by Air Call's engineers or Pye engineers working on
contract to Air Call. G.C.