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raders shop around for vans
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IANY local shop-owners Id small traders consider at transport for their busims is a necessary evil, only bp tolerated to enable lem to run their business to eir • wn satisfaction.
Th majority, however, take e s bject of transport seriously id t is may be readily seen by an ng near the local shopng entre and looking at the an ness of the vans passing
f.
ently CM made a survey a r sidential area of Worthing se how the local vehicles ere purchased, used and amn ined. The vehicles were )Ott d first and then the Fyne s interviewed, so it was a att of first come, first served!
rek Brown has a small irpe -fitting company and runs
ord Transit van. He has rime this van for two years tcl i replaced an old J4 which 3ed d early retirement. It was Jrc ased privately and chosen eca se it can carry a 12ft roa loom carpet when the ont passenger seats are
;rn ed. It also has a side iadi g door which the fitters nd seful when loading and nlo ding carpets and undervs.
e vehicle covers 205,0 0 miles a year, mostly on ical roads, and will be kept ntil it becomes too costly to is serviced and kept runing y a local mechanic in his Dar time. This is usually cared out once every three tont s, or when the mechanic 3ys o, irrespective of mileage. If the vehicle requires attention earlier it is dealt with as soon as possible. No specific service problems have been en-countered with the exception of renewal of the exhaust system "s-e-v e-ra I times and fitment of numerous fan belts — probably necessary because the main alternator mounting bracket is broken. It is kept relatively clean and tidy and according to Derek Brown should last him a few years yet.
Stanley Burville owns a greengrocer's shop and relies on an N-registered Ford Transit for the collection of his vegetables from Brighton market several times a week and local order delivery work.
This was bought new from the Ford Distributors in Brighton just after purchasing the business — the vehicle that was sold with the shop could not even be trusted to carry tomatoes to the next road, according to Mr Burville.
Although it is planned to keep the van a while longer, Mr Burville is not impressed with it — it was the only one available at the time. He would liketo try a Volkswagen next time round.
He considers that there is insufficient storage space for greengroceries and fresh fruit. It is not possible to utilise the full height of the van because a load of greengroceries cannot be stacked high — it has to be spread out to allow circulation of air.
The van covers 10,000 miles a year on the local Sussex roads and although it is never fully
laden, the fuel consumption is considered to be poor at well under 20mpg.
It is serviced every 4,000' miles by a local garage and they thoroughly check over the complete vehicle, correcting any faults found. The last time, a few weeks ago, a new exhaust system was fitted.
Lawneys of Worthing supply fitted furniture, particularly for DIY enthusiasts, and although the furniture is delivered to the shop by the manufacturers, it is often found necessary to deliver to customers without transport.
For this work a K-registered Cornmer van, which they have had since new, is used. The vehicle was chosen because it was found possible to carry 8x4ft hardboard sheets on the floor without sliding forward into the driving compartment on braking.
The vehicle has proved to be reliable, without any need for major expenditure to date, which is a little surprising because there is no definite service policy. It is -done when it fits in,which is usually just befclte
the date for the MOT test. Lawneys have no allegiance to any particular local garage so when servicing becomes due, they have to find someone who will take on the work.
The van now looks its age, but apparently it fulfils a need and will be retained until it either dies or begins to cost money.
The paintwork has the bloomed look, but the Worthing salt-laden rain-wash and the wind blow-dry does have a detrimental effect on the original deep gloss finish.
D. J. Kimpton Ltd is a fruit and vegetable specialist and use their Bedford CF van to collect their supplies from all over Sussex.
This is a family business which has been built up for over a generation and they claim that quality rather than quantity has contributed to their success.
They are particularly choosey about which vehicle they operate and from whom they obtain it. In particular, they are prepared to pay the dealers for the best discount for cash and part-exchange.
The present van is two years old and replaces an earlier CF. The original proved to be perfect for their requirements, was reliable and presented no service problems, but the latest acquisition has proved to be a neardisaster.
The exhaust system has fallen off several times due to failure of the rear and centre mounting brackets, the braking system has not been as effective as it should have been and the ignition switch / steering lock jammed in the locked position.
However, Kimptons are persevering and hoping that their luck will change. Recently a brick was thrown at the rear door window, necessitating renewal of the glass. This was replaced but unfortunately the wrong way round! When brought to the repairer's atten
tion, it was quickly rectified.
The vehicle has covered some 39,000 miles and is regularly serviced by the local Bedford Distributors. Problems have been experienced with excessive engine oil consumption but after considerable research, it has been decided that this is something to be lived with.
Tyre wear has been excessive and besides the rear door hinge pins coming out, nearly causing one of the rear doors to fall off, and the driver's seat collapsing, it is felt that this vehicle is sufficiently interesting to keep a little longer. Kimptons feel that when the vehicle is to be replaced, a new Ford Transit could well meet their needs.
Jupps Garage, besides being a servicing and repair garage, operates a small fleet of vans for local delivery and removal purposes. Their vehicles are regularly seen in the Worthing area, moving residents from one flat to another.
Vehicles include Transit and Commer Luton vans as well as Ford D300 and 0400 removal vans.
The normal purchasing policy is that of vehicle renewal every 3-4 years, but in view of the economic climate of the country, this has been postponed. A vehicle is now left until it begins to cost money, when it is quickly sold.
Each vehicle is serviced by the garage every 3,000 miles or monthly, whichever comes first. Spare parts have not presented any problems to date for the older vehicles but when this does occur, later models will be purchased.
Although some of the vehicles look a little tired, they are safe and carry out a useful service for the community. Perhaps more important, John Jupps has never received a GV9, although his vehicles have been subjected to many an inspection from the -men from the Ministry".
By owning his own garage and carrying out his own servicing, he realises that vehicle safety and reliability is of prime importance when holding an 0licence.
Paine Manwaring are local ironmongers and have a small fleet of Bedford vans. These vehicles are purchased and serviced at a local garage because of family connections with the motor trade. The vans are basically Bedford CF and HA models and once purchased are retained until they prove too expensive to run any longer. This is considered to be between 5-6 years, No particular problems have been experienced with running the Bedfords and the manac ment are well pleased with th, selection of vehicles.
Jordan and Cook Lt although a larger company, ru a mixed fleet of vehicles i eluding cars, vans and hea commercial vehicles. Their terests include florists, furnitL sales, china and funeral dirE tors and under the same narr but different company, esta agents.
Although the company ow a relatively large fleet of ca the light commercial vehic fleet is left separate. Jordan a Cook have tried many makes vehicles but have settled , Leylands.
It is company policy to ha these vehicles serviced at garage in Hove, approximati nine miles away. This arranç ment has proved entirely sat factory, although slightly incc venient because of the distan involved.
Vehicles are retained ur they are 5-6 years old and th sold for the best possible prier they cannot be incorporated ir good part-exchange deal.
It is obvious that many sm companies do not take th, transport arrangemer seriously enough pod rely on t bare minimum to "get t vehicle through the test evE year." This is a very sad state affairs, as the managing direc. or owner should ensure that t firm's transport gets the sar service attention as his compa car.
Professional own-accou and hire or reward operatc have very strict rules al regulations to adhere to in orc to safeguard their operato licence. Why should the sm business owner be allowed get away with skimping servi and running potential Jellvehicles which are not regula serviced by recognised garagE
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