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T h E

19th July 1968, Page 64
19th July 1968
Page 64
Page 65
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Page 64, 19th July 1968 — T h E
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luiet Revolution

IT IS EASY to overlook the enormous improvements that have been made in the last 20 years in road transport depots and in the organization of the industry. In the course of a recent visit to the new Hull depot of BRS Parcels Ltd. Mr. H. L. Fenton, North Eastern area manager, told me that about 80 per cent of the parcels depots in his area were either new or substantially rebuilt. The contrast with the premises which were originally taken over after the 1947 Transport Act was remarkable.

The new depots that have come "on stream" in recent years are something of which the industry may be proud. Certainly the stalwarts who operated from the primitive depots built 20, 40, even 100 years ago, can scarcely have imagined the scale of some of the new premises, still less the amenities provided as a matter of course by

the company. And one must not omit to stress that the new building programme has been paid for out of profits earned; no question of public subsidies is involved.

In the Midland division where I had a pre-view of the fine new Leicester depot, and a smaller depot at Droitwich just coming into full operation, it is the same story. Mr. C. W. Bramford, Midland area manager, showed me round the giant Western Boulevard depot in Leicester with justifiable pride. A subsequent trip round the Great Northern, Belgrave Road and Gipsy Lane depots in Leicester that will close when the Western Boulevard depot opens on August 26 was revealing. Cramped platform space, restricted headway, a generally oldfashioned, even antiquated appearance spoke volumes for the dedication of management, supervisors, platform and driving staff in operating profitably in such difficult circumstances. Yet this has been the profit-earning base in Leicester.

Parcels operations at Hull have expanded in striking fashion since the 20s. The first depot, still used by Pickfords as a furniture store, is a tiny wedge-shaped building with an attached warehouse, which began life as a reform school. This was the terminal point for an express parcels service which began about 40 years ago. Then, as now, I have no doubt that the flourishing hosiery and footwear business of Leicester provided much of' the traffic.

Reform Street depot, a vastly larger building, was occupied by BRS Parcels Ltd. in 1949 and its original 7211 X 50ft platform was enlarged to 144ft X 60ft in 1958. The growth in traffic and the potential for expansion justified still larger premises and the new depot, at 240 Leads Road, Hull, is the result.

Mr. B. R. Gray, Hull manager since 1955, has seen his fleet strength increase from 17 to 32 vehicles in the intervening period. He—like most "parcels" managers —is dedicated to an exacting job but he brings to it much humour. His entry into road transport 24 years ago, via the theatre —where he was an accomplished pantomime dame—and Lord John Sanger's circus where he drove pantechnicons, would make a story in itself. Mr. Gray is also a musician, and his new depot is certainly worth a few trumpet blasts.

The parcels depot, with a fully enclosed transit shed housing a 26111 loading platform, is adjacent to the BRS general haulage depot in Leads Road. The 14-acre site allows ample room for both depots to expand and their proximity has enabled communications services to be shared, advantageously. The teleprinter equipment, used by both depots, is on the general haulage premises and messages can be rapidly transmitted via a pneumatic tube buried under the intervening tarmac. An indicator light tells the telephonist a message has arrived.

The Kingston-upon-Hull telephone service, famous for its lower charges, is also very much on the ball in encouraging the use of new telephone equipment. The neat and compact desk "switchboard" resembling a portable typewriter—which switches customer calls to any extension in either depot—is a great improvement on the bulky cabinet switchboards. The shared communications system saves one telephone operator and presents no difficulties in practice apart from the obvious one of apportioning phone charges. At Hull, a formula based on each depot's phone costs for the previous year was worked out.

Another useful idea at Hull is a four-tier circular file storage system purpose-designed to hold current and past periods' delivery sheets and waybills. With all relevant documentation relating to the previous day on file by mid-morning, phoned proof of delivery inquiries can be dealt with promptly.

When the site permits, most modern road transport depots are designed from the outset with expansion in mind. At Hull a 5000 sq.ft. warehouse constructed con

tinuously with the transit shed platform would be absorbed if platform extension is necessary. Provision has been made for the installation of a parcels conveyor belt in the platform floor. The Canadian maple flooring gives almost a "ballroom" feeling. The "well" is flush surfaced with the same narrow planking.

In the trailer parking area, outside, narrow strips of concrete are let into the tarmac to coincide with wheel-loading positions. Specially robust, high concrete kerbs prevent damage to the high wire fence that separates the two depots. Also noteworthy were the well contrived "undulations" in the external surface areas to promote efficient drainage.

I had not previously seen a variable level floor surface in a large depot. though I gather BRS has employed this system for some time. This has been arranged at Hull and, indeed, at the new Leicester depot, to meet the variable platform heights of collection and delivery and tninking vehicles. The solution has much to commend it though it does mean that most careful thought must be given to the layout of the respective platform areas. It would not be difficult to "fill up" the low areas but somewhat expensive to excavate the high areas. • There cannot be many sites as large as 6i acres available in the centre of Leicester, or other large towns for development as a road transport depot. Western Boulevard was a former rail warehousing and administrative centre and the large multi-storey warehouse is now being used by a variety of customers for storage and distribution work. Part of the upper storey will be set aside for kitchens and canteen facilities for the depot and office staff, expected to number around 450 when the 140-vehicle strength at Leicester is deployed.

The former rail offices, a substantial Victorian block, provide accommodation for the administrative staff of the area. Some minor alterations were necessary but I was interested to note that the bulk of the building is already occupied—indeed, a drivers' training course was in session in a lecture room.

The most striking feature of Western Boulevard depot is the loading platform which bisects the massive 700ft X 160ft transit shed. The design of the platform, incorporating a carousel belt, was influenced by the slightly smaller Glasgow depot opened in 1966. The platform width, 55ft for 351ft, narrows to 45ft for a further 306ft. On both sides of the platform 90ft cut-outs are arranged to facilitate trunk or C and D loading or off-loading. The purpose of the cut-outs, with their variable floor levels to cater for the differing platform heights of trunk and C and D vehicles, is to minimize parcel movement distances and thus to increase the productivity of the transit platform. The theory on which the new layout is based stems from vast practical experience and it will be most interesting to see the operation when the depot—to be managed by Mr. Maurice Hill, formerly branch manager of Gipsy Lane depot, has been fully "run in".

The total platform area of Western Boulevard depot, 28,000 sq.ft., with 1,400ft run-on platform edge, exceeds the 21,000 sq.ft. platform area and 1,100ft run of the Belgrave Road, Gipsy Lane and Great Northern depots it replaces. If practice matches theory there is scope for greater productivity and for substantial growth in throughput—to be expected in any event—despite British Railways' recent traders' opinion survey in Leicester, where at present BR handles a mere fraction of the parcels and smalls business. The Leicester project, including the modifications to the area offices and warehouse has cost about £560,000, and Mr. Bramford is confident that— higher property charges notwithstanding —Western Boulevard will very soon handsomely justify its building.

The 290ft X 40ft loading platform at Droitvvich compares in size with the Hull depot. The side elevation of the depot is unusual, with a centrally broken roof line—a design feature requested by the Development Corporation. Mr. B. W. Lennard, the branch manager, says the feature has not been at all detrimental—the natural lighting of the building, directly above the loading bank, coincides with the roof line break, and working visibility is first-class. I was interested to learn that the destination sign boards—with novel stick-on paper "labels"—are movable. They are simply hooked over a long rail incorporated into the roof structure—a feature that illustrates Mr. Lennard's determination to experiment before laying down any firm loading platform bay dispositions.

Space forbids a full description of this most pleasantly situated depot. The electric time clock fitted automatically triggers off a bell to signal breaks for meals or refreshments; "security" glass grilles separate drivers—and marauders—from traffic clerks handling cash; the exterior road lighting by strip lights is a feature; and a range of tanks for engine oil, waste oil and heating oil, located on a balcony in the maintenance workshop, looked very serviceable. (The waste engine oil is pumped automatically from the pits to the balcony tank.) Within a few weeks three modern depots have joined many others operated by BRS Parcels Ltd. throughout the country. The expanded facilities they represent and the enterprising managerial approach which has brought them into being are welcome signs of the virility of the road haulage industry dedicated today, as always, to customer service. Mr. Fenton in the North East, and Mr. Bramford in the Midlands, can take pride in their contributions to transport efficiency.


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