a As a measure of vehicle utilization and productivity are any figures available as to average annual mileages for commercial vehicles?
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AUnfortunately, this is one of the many fields in road transport in which there is a shortage of reliable statistics. In the most recent official Highway Statistics 1965, table 21 is devoted to estimated average annual mileage for various classes of vehicles. The latest year for a complete set of figures is 1964, when it is claimed that the average annual mileage for all goods vehicles is 13,300, broken down as between light vans (not exceeding 30 cwt unladen) 10,800 miles and -other goods vehicles" 16,500.
But as this latter group includes such a wide range of vehicles, the overall average figure is of little more than notional value. Certainly the operator of a medium sized four-wheeler, say a 7-tonner, would look upon double that average annual mileage i.e. 30,000 or more—as a normal average. while many operators of multi-wheelers, even when operating on single shifts, would hope to average in excess of 1,000 miles a week.
All of this, of course, is only relevant to productivity when related to loaded mileage, and coupled with increasing road congestion the opportunity provided by the amended C and U Regulations to operate larger vehicles, is probably the main avenue for increased productivity in the near future.