Commers Save on Concrete Delivery
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BYemploying Commer chassis as the bases of vehicles used to deliver ready-mixed concrete, the Trumix Concrete Organization of Lime-Sand Mortar, Ltd., Knaresborough, Yorks, reckon to save substantial sums compared with the use of heavier types of vehicle.
After the company had opened their first ready-mixed concrete plant at Leeds in June, 1952, transport operations started with petroland oilengined Commer 7-tonners with 2-21cu.-yd. mixers.
In May, this year, a second concrete installation was opened at Reddish., Stockport. Mr. B. J. Ray, the manager, using his experience with the satisfactory performance of the vehicles employed at Leeds, has built up a fleet of 13 vehicles, 11 of which are Commers with Rootes oil engines.
These chassis are equipped with Ransomes and Blaw-Knox Rex mixers. Concrete is made with North Staffs quartzite. granite or limestone, as
requested, and the Reddish works are capable of producing 800 cu. yd. of ready-mixed concrete a day.
Founded in the late 1930s by the present chairman, Mr. C. P. Clarke, and two of his co-directors, Lime-Sand Mortar, Ltd., are now part of the Tilling Group. They have mortar plants at Knaresborough, Trafford Park, Gerrards Cross, Sevenoaks, Birmingham, Glasgow, and in Toronto. Canada. There are quarries at Knaresborough. Carlisle, Newcastle upon Tyne and Catterick. New concrete works are being built at Bradford and Glasgow.
Trumix concrete plants produce highclass concrete for a variety of civilengineering purposes. Installations use hulk quantities of sand, gravel and cement, hatching them in accurate proportions, and mixing concrete according to the customers' specifications.
Concrete may be supplied in two ways, either mixed during transit or premixed and agitated. Most demand is for pre-mixed concrete and although many people believe that it can be agitated for about only 20 minutes. the company have proved to their own satisfaction that it can he agitated for up to 33hours without loss of strength.
Fifteen miles is the radius from a batching plant up to which deliveries may be economic. although special journeys of up to 30 miles are performed. Much concrete is supplied to householders and handymen who like to do their own small building operations.
Speedy delivery is essential and is planned to timetable, so that contractors are not kept waiting at sites for loads. Many sites are extremely rough and vehicles are often axle-deep in mud.
Maintenance work is kept to a high standard of efficiency, as is indicated by the fact that the original Commers introduced at Leeds five years ago are still in daily use, The fleet there now includes approximately 30 of these vehicles.
Overhaul and repair facilities are provided at each of the works.