THE HAULIER'S INQUIRE WITHIN.
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In this Contribution a Proposal to Substitute a Fleet of One-tonners for a Mixed Fleet is Considered and Advice is Given Upon It.
INQUIRY No. 214 is a prodigious affair. A northcountry firm of fruit and vegetable merchants started some years ago with a 30-cwt. Napier. This was followed at intervals by others, first another couple of Napiers, then a W. and G., and after that a, Fiat, all being of 30-cwt. capacity. The final purchase was a Dennis 3-4-tonner. All these machines were operated and maintained by the owner until early in this year, when, more by way of an experiment than anything Eike, a change was effected, and:the management was entrusted to a local contractor, who bought up the whole fleet, together with its equipment, on the understanding that he was to supply, for a year, sufficient machines and labour to meet the firm's requirements.
Now, that work had previously been accomplished by the six vehicles which I have named, and ten men, four, of the machines carrying each a spare man to help the driver. The contractors, in their anxiety to show a saving, agreed that the work could be carried out by only five machines and five men.
This arrangement apparently worked all right until the strawberry season commenced, when deliveries fell behind, and a further two lorries had to be hired to help out. The failure of the contractor to carry out his obligations brought about a close inquiry into the working of the whole fleet, and of the transport arrangements generally, the outcome being that the firm has come to the conclusion that its best plan would be to purchase a new fleet of Ford tonners. I am asked if I think these vehicles would do the work, and what organization would be required to keep them in working order. I am informed that it is intended to sell the machines again after a couple of years' service, replacing them with new. • The troubles anticipated by my correspondent are in connection with tyres and the ignition. He has been advised by other users that these are the difficulties 11.SISallY encountered in connection with this make of vehicle.
I am further informed that the main part of the work which .these lorries have to carry out is retail delivery to shops in the district, and the collection of empties from those same shops. There are loads to be collected frern the stations and docks, as well as other minor items on what is clearly a varied programme.
Finally, the question of tyres is referred to again. Experience has shown this correspondent, he says, B42 that only pneumatics are of use for the conveyance of soft fruit, and he will not hear of the employment of any of the semi-pneumatic tyres which are on the market. That definitely forbids me to suggest the use of N.A.P.s, or other tyres of that description, as the solution of his puncture trouble.
On the general question of the suitability of a fleet of " tonners," either Ford or other make, there does not seem to be any doubt. It is clear that ten men are required in any case, so that by replacing six vehicles and ten men by ten vehicles and a like personnel we are not adding to the labour cost of the organization. I assume that, having seriously considered this question, and having themselves put forward the idea of using ton lorries throughout, it is superfluous for me to ask if there are likely to be any loads which could not be carried by a vehicle with a capacity limited to one ton. I may reasonably take it that there are no such loads, and that whatever loads do offer may conveniently be split into lots of one ton. On that basis, then, it is clew that ten vehicles are better. than nine, much better than eight and considerably better than six, which was the original number, for the simple reason that ten clients can be served at a time with ten vehicles, whereas only six can be served by that number of lorries. Therefore, on the general question, I can advise the firm to go ahead with this proposition Now for the organization. Frankly, I would hain none. In London—and, therefore, presumably in any large town or city—a Ford tanner can be maintained by a good service agent for a charge of 210 for the first year and a little more sometimes, and sometimes for the same amount, for the second year. As it is the intention to sell these machines after two years' use, then it is more than likely that they can be maintained in first-class mechanical condition for £100 the lot per annum. No internal organization of any kind could be got together for many times that sum, and the proper course is, therefore, obvious. Mind, I am not pure that this figure for maintenance is universally quoted by Ford service agents, but I do know that it is actually quoted in London, and,.as most of these Ford depots are run on the same lines (such as those of Joseph Lyons and Co., Ltd:), then it is likely that a contract for maintenance on those terms will be entertained by any repttable authorized agent of the Ford Co. As regards the tyre and ignition troubles, I think that this correspondent, by anticipating them, has 'gone a long way towards eliminating them. They neto ignition.) The Ford ignition may have its drawwhole fleet should he at once equipped with h.t. magwill only occur under mismanagement. The ignition proper attention. I should imagine that if a contract for maintenance be entered into with a local I certainly would not interfere with. (I should say that; in the ldtter, there is a suggestion that the backs, but they are such as are easily overcome by agent, he will ' insist that the existing ignition be retained.
The same remark, as regards the effect of mismanagement, applies to the tyres. The length of life of a pneumatic tyre is dependent very largely upon the treatment which it gets in service. The trouble from punctures is largely reduced by care, not merely in driving, but in connection with the use and management of the tyres themselves. It also depends on the quality of the tyres in the first place. I should fit oversize tyres ; that is always a good idea, and is particularly so in this case, where it is important that effective cushioning be given to the load. Large tyres need not be inflated to such high pressures as are necessary in the case of those of standard size ; in their under-inflated condition they are more shock absorbant than are the standard tyres at correct pressures. Punctures can be practically eliminated by careful selection of good tyres, in the first place, • by reasonable -cam in drivitg, and by careful daily inspection of the covers.
t now only remains to discuss the probable cost of running these vehicles, assuming a weekly mileage of 200, or 10,000 a, year. Fuel at Is. 3d; a gallon, and assuming that 15 miles per gallon can be achieved, will be Id. a mile. Lubricants—say, oil300 m.p.g., and at 4s. 6d. a, gallon, is 0.18d. a mile, plus about a twentieth of a penny for grease—say, 0.24d. per mile. Oversize tyres for this type of vehicle are, for the rear, 33 ins. by 5 ins., and, for the front, 31 ins. by 4 ins. The prices of these to-day, according to the Dunlop list, are 29 7s. and 16s. 9d. for the covers and tubes of the rear wheels, and 25 Os. 3d. and us. 6d. for the front. The total cost of the covers is, therefore, 229 6s. 6d. Assuming a life of 6,000 miles per cover (this is more often than not exceeded), the cost for covers will be I.4d. mile, and for tubes, at twice the distance, 0.06d. ; total for tyres, 1.4d. per mile. Maintenance is going to cost 210 a year, which is, therefore, 210 for 10,000 miles-1,000 miles for 21, or 0.24d. a mile. This is for the mechanical upkeep of the vehicle alone. There will be other expenditure on the part of the owners for cleaning materials, lamp requisites and sundries, which may very well double that amount, and we shall not be far out if we quote 0.5d. a mile for this itein. The dePiebiation will depend on what can be got for the machines at the end of the second year of use, when, as has been stated, it is intended to sell them. It is not likely that much more than 260 will be obtained, or at the most 265, with tyres for each as it stands. That is to say, we must reckon on a total depreciation, during the two years, of £50 for a mileage of 20,000. The depreciation per mile will, therefore, cost 0.6d. Total running cost, 3.8d. per mile.
The standing charges per week will be :—Licences, 8s. 4d. ; wages, 22 10s. ; rent and rates (of garage premises), Ss.; insurance, 59. 6d. ; interest on first cost, 2s. ; total, £3 10s. 10d., which, for 200 miles per week, is 4.25d. per mile, and the total cost per mile is 8.05d. With the very probable improvement on the tyre mileage, which could be easily effected by the extra care which I have already advised, so as to diminish the risk of delay due to punctures, the cost per mile should be less than 8d. for 200 miles
per week. THE SKOTCEL