CONCERNING READERS LOG SHEETS.
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A Criticism by "The Sketch" of the First of Our Readers' Log Sheets Submitted for Inspection.
N0 reader's criticism of the log sheet which appeared on this page in the issue dated 25th ult. has been received. Presumably, therefore, there is nothing which calls for criticism. As a matter of fact, there is really very little wrong with the log sheet as it stands, beyond an arithmetical error in the fuel column relating to wagon No. 1. The total should be 63 gallons and not 53 as is there given. The chief failing is that the sheet is incomplete, inasmuch as it lacks certain essential information about the cost of running the wagon, without which it is impassible properly to ascertain whether the vehicle: is being run at a loss or not—most im
portant knowledge to thef,owner.
I refer, of course, to the omission of any item under the heading "Maintenance," The reader who sent the log along explained that he was not quite sure what ought to go in that column, and I propose to deal with that matter to-day. By way of explanation, I would refer readers to page 595 of the issue of The Commercial Motor dated June 29th, in which I showed how the figures for maintenance should be collected and collated for use in a log sheet such as this. .As, probably, quite a number of my readers have not got that issue by them, I will go into the matter here again, with a little additional explanation in order to make it applicable to a full week's run of the two wagons to which reference is made in the particular log sheet with which we are dealing.
As a preliminary, it is necessary to make it clear that under maintenance go all the various items of expenditure which are not included under the other heads which appear in the table of running costs, The latter is made up of cost of fuel, oil, tyres,' depreciation, and maintenance. Fuel, oil, tyres, and depreciation are comparatively simple matters which relate to one item only, and expendi
ture can, therefore, reckoned with ease, only one entry per day being necessary on the log sheet. With maintenance, however, we are up against a differe,nt problem altogether—one which is more difficult, and one whirl is se involved and which embodies so many different items that it is practically impossible to enter it in. detail in such a. log sheet as is recommended for general use. Maintenance means more than the mere running repair of the vehicle, more than the cost of replacing wornout bushes, burnt valves, broken valve springs, and the like ; it also includes such items of expenditure as cleaning cloths paint, paraffin, lamp wick, and so on. It includes, for example' the cost of recharging batteries for electric lighting, in the event of that class of illumination being employed; it would aleo include running repaire to a starter' if one were employed. The only expenditure not covered by this heading, apart from those to which I have already referred as being embodied in other columns of the table of running costs, is expenditure in connection with a repair following an accident which, not being due to a mechanical fault or breakdown, is covered by insurance.
Now, it will be realized that there will be a multitude of things which will have to be entered up merely for maintenance. There is no room for them on the log sheet, and the proper procedure to adapt is to enter them separately, putting the daily totals on the sheet. For this purpose, a notebook of simple and inexpensive kind should be kept : one having fair-sized pages should be used, preferably similar to ordinary school exercise books. Each page should be ruled into columns, one for each lorry which is kept ; in the present instance two columns only will be required. .A record of everything issued to either lorry should be kept in this book in its proper column, and opposite to it should be stated the actual cost of such items. At the end of the day the page of the notebook should be ruled across and the total cost of the stores issued to the lorry found and enteted. This should then be transferred to the log sheet and put under the heading of maintenance. As my correspondent has given me no particulars of his actual outlay on such items as are covered by maintenance, I have bad to imagine something, and have drawn up, in two columns, what might have been expended on the two lorries in the course of the past week. This is not necessarily an average week. The expenditure, in fact, is somewhat heavy, particularly in the case of lorry No. 1, which, as it will be observed, has had the steering gear overhauled during the Saturday. The, page of the rough notebook in which details of maintenance cost should be entered should appear something like the two columns which are reproduced herewith. Each day the total expenditure should be transferred to the log sheet, which will appear then as given in the two tables reproduced on they preceding page. THE SKOTCH.