That's the spirit
Page 28
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by Johnny Johnson FULFILLING a dual role of trunking and distribution vehicle, a new sliding-door, 16-ton-gross unit which has been put into traffic by the Worthing-based company, Roberts Off Licences, has resulted in lower transport costs.
The firm is a medium-size retail wine and spirit merchant with a small fleet now comprising two 16-ton, .three 7-ton and two 2i--ton gross units together with a number of small vans. It services about 50 of its own retail outlets throughout Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire. The company buys and collects its own supplies from shippers and wholesalers in London and Southampton. These it takes into store in its Worthing warehouse for order picking and distribution to its chain of shops.
Before the advent of the new unit, the London and Southampton trips were undertaken by a 16-ton rigid boxvan with limited access to the interior by narrow roller-shutter doors on each side of the body. The use of this vehicle caused delays at the picking-up points, which might be as many as three in London.
It was found that as mechanical handling of palletised wines and spirits increased among the London suppliers, Roberts vehicle was held up in favour of other operators' vehicles more conveniently designed to accept palletised loads.
The resulting delays were considerable, causing late arrival at other suppliers' premises and delayed return to base. All of which tended to add to the transport costs; .trunking journeys were increased too.
With this and faster High Street delivery in mind, the company decided to acquire another 16-ton-gross vehicle incorporating features which
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