Transit automatics on bakery rounds
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By P. A. C. Brockington
AMIIVIechE
A RETAIL delivery vehicle that "possesses
the salient features of a battery-electric type but would be suitable for high-call, highcash, nigh-mile runs'', represented the concept that decided Matthes Ltd., Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk, to acquire a number of Ford Transit parcel vans, equipped with Borg-Warner Type 35 fully-automatic transmission for operation on multi-stop bakery rounds on country routes. The company runs 25 batteryelectrics on town deliveries an average daily distance of 10 miles, and these vehicles are ideal for this type of work in that they are easy to start and to drive, driver fatigue is reduced to a minimum, they are extremely reliable and maintenance is negligible. Their range and maximum speed are not sufficient for country routes, however, and it has been necessary to employ internal-combustionengined vans having conventional gearboxes for these runs.
The gearboxes of the petrol and dieselengined vans engaged on such work normally have a useful life between replacements of less than 15,000 miles and the back axles are overhauled at approximately the same mileage as a routine measure. Moreover, starting and gear-changing occupy valuable seconds, a high rate of acceleration is generally achieved by "over-revving" the engine (which adds to wear and tear) and frequent use of the gear lever tires the driver. On a typical day's run of some 40 miles, the driver/salesman makes upwards of 200 calls, necessitating some 150 stops and much time and effort are unavoidably wasted.
Although the first Transit automatic to be acquired has been in service for only nine weeks, the ease of driving provided by the transmission promises to give substantial overall savings in delivery time and driver fatigue, and it is considered that fuel consumption will be satisfactory. Only highly experienced men have so far been employed to drive the vehicles, the operational characteristics of which should, it is anticipated, provide greater advantages in the case of less experienced men with regard to time saving and wear and tear. Because of the smooth action of the torque converter when starting from rest, the elimination of repeat clutch engagements and the fact that ratio variation is outside the control of the driver, it is also anticipated that the back axle as well as the gearbox will have many times the life of conventional units and that, possibly, tyre life will be increased.
Four automatic 290 cu. ft. parcel vans are in service, two are being fitted out in the body shop and 10 additional vans of this type will be acquired in due course. The power unit is a Perkins 4.108 diesel developing 52 b.h.p. at 4,000 r. p.m. and a torque of 79 lb. ft. at 2,100 r.p.m. Five standard types of diesel-engined Transits providing the same payload space have been operating in the fleet for about 12 weeks and have been returning over 20 m.p.g. on runs that also give an average of 200 miles per week. Standard features of Transit vans that are particularly approved by Matthes include the wide vision provided, easy access to the driving compartment from both sides and the use of a beam-type front axle, which discourages high-speed cornering and so leads to improvement in tyre life. Non-standard accessories on the Transits that aid the driver include Wingard. 14 in. by 6 in. outrigged rear-view mirrors. Following normal Matthes practice, the interior of the new Transits is fitted out in the body shop to provide for easy loading and handling (mainly of bread and cakes) in the minimilm space, and to safeguard the quality of the load, the sides and rear doors of the body are insulated with 1 in. of polystyrene. The loaves and cakes are packed in the cardboard liners of wire baskets which are stacked up to six-high on wheeled trolleys and afford a total of 42 shelves that are retained by adjustable belts of the Canadian cargo-control system type and can be withdrawn selectively. At the front, staggered panels act as bukkheads but permit entry from the driving compartment. The sides and the roof (apart from the centre glass-fibre panel) are lined with Formica and the sides are fitted with vertical rubbing rails of timber, plated with polyurethane. It is estimated that, compared with a conventionally-fitted body, the interior offers a saving of useful space of about one-third.
Of the total of 225 i.c.-engined vehicles in the fleet (which include 20 cars) 185 are of Ford manufacture, the oldest model of the 150 retail delivery vehicles being a 1954 E83W petrol-engined 10 cwt. van. Bedford 10/12 cwt. and Commer Superpoise vans make up the remainder, but in due course will be superseded by Ford vans in pursuance of a policy of standardization.
'Abnormal users'
Matthes describe themselves as a -crank user" of commercial vehicles, which denotes a highly specialized operator who must match the vehicle body to the load and have the right kind of chassis (or tractive unit and articulated trailer) for the body and load in terms of detailed dimensions, capacity, power output, transmission ratios and so on, as well as a vehicle that can be readily serviced and for which all types of spare part are available. With the advent of the D Series models and Transits, the Ford range of models covers all Matthes' multiple requirements (this also applies to the cars), and the options offer a comprehensive choice of power units, gearboxes and axle ratios: also, service is found to be good, which is exemplified by the availability of spares for the 1954 model.
A major consideration in planning a policy of standardization, in the Matthes view, is the opportunity to operate a -sub-assembly
overhaul system" in the ratio of a set of units such as engine, gearbox and axles per group of 10/12 vehicles of the same model. Matthes recondition sub-assemblies in their workshops and have a regular throughput of units, the overhaul of which can conveniently be organized in conjunction with routine servicing and maintenance work. Standardization of the combustion-engined fleet will enable reconditioning to be arranged more efficiently in terms of labour and equipment utilization.
According to Matthes, the common complaint that efficient operation of a fleet of vehicles is frustrated by a shortage of spares is rarely valid: forward planning in the purchase of spares and in reconditioning major assemblies should obviate spares shortage problems.
Maintenance is performed on a time basis (with the exception of a minority of the larger long-distance articulated vehicles), fire services covering all aspects of preventive maintenance being performed in 20 weeks. All mechanical work is performed in the workshops with the exception of reconditioning or overhaul of starters, generators, diesel injection pumps, cylinder re-boring and crankshaft grinding.
The frequency and thoroughness of servicing and maintenance has enabled an "as-andwhen" replacement policy to be followed, which is individually dependent on the useful life of vehicle components with due regard to the feasibility of repeat utilization of reconditioned units. It is noted that a "breakdown is just as much a breakdown-, whether the cause is a major engine fault or a broken electrical connection.
Retail and wholesale delivery vehicles operate from 10 depots within an area of 75 miles of Gorleston.