A Standardized Fleet on Laundry Service.
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S0/11E time ago . the Craignaillar Steam Laundry Co., Ltd., of West Saville Terrace, Edinburgh, decided ieplace existing types of van which i bad in use by a standardized fleet o Bean vehicles, and the change-over ha recently' been completed with results, w are told, which are extremely gratifying. Users of commercial motors since prewar days, this progressive concern corn-I putes that the employment 9f motorsl has, in the course of the past ten years, been responsible for increasing the annual turnover fully six times. Furthermore, it has extended the effective area of business from one restricted purely to the city and its immediate surroundings to one taking in the whole of the country from Edinburgh down to the Border and, indeed, into a portion of Northumberland. The motor fleet now comprises 15 Bean vehicles, of which two are platform lorries and the 'remainder smart. vans with tilt bodies. The bodies for the most part are of 270 cubic ft. capacity, but those on two of the machines which are employed for bulk collection and delivery between the laundry and depots where district vans are stationed have a specially roomy type of body, the capacity of which is approximately 400 • cubic ft. These vehicles are employed on twice-weekly bulk services to Galashields, Maid< and •Berwick. By the use of motor vehicles the company, is able to collect soiled articles and to return them thoroughly laundered to ‘customers, even ' those in the most remote portions of its working area, in three or four days.
The vehicles used on the bulk collec tion and delivery services each average about 400 miles per week, and their. petrol return works out at front 13 m.p.g. to 14 m.p.g., whilst those employed on door to-door delivery in the city and suburbs of Edinburgh each cover about 170 miles per week and run 11 to 12 miles on a. gallon of petrol.
An interesting and effective publicity scheme evolved by this company is the naming of each vehicle. Each lorry has a name with a peculiar Scottish appeal, typical examples being the "Kenilworth," the "Rob Boy" and the " Caledonia." It is found in actual practice that this scheme serves as a mobile advertisement, for its very novelty, plus, of course, the associations conjured up by the romantic names, is sufficient to impress the company's name firmly oil the minds of thousands.