Operator behind with trailer care
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['HOUGH the tractive units rated by wastepaper mernt John Ford (West Bromh) Ltd were in a satisfacr condition, it was a difT3rstory when it came to the lpany's trailers.
his was said by Mr E. Sagar, loE vehicle examiner, when company appeared before A. A. Crabtree, the St Midland Licensing Autho., last week to show cause y its 0 licence should not revoked, curtailed or susLded. The licence specified tractive units and 16 trailers with four tractors and four trailers to be acquired.
Mr Sagar said he had examined seven of the trailers and imposed one immediato and four delayed prohibitions. Maintenance was undertaken on two levels : the vehicles were inspected by a commercial garage on a monthly basis; and the maintenance records were based on forms provided by the Road Haulage Association.
The trailers were inspected every six months by a commercial garage and a monthly check was undertaken by the company's foreman. The condition and appearance of the trailers was nowhere near as good as that of the vehicles.
Mr Crabtree commented that it was obvious that the vehicles were being looked after and that the trailers were not.
For the company, Mr Norman Carless said since the vehicle examiner's visit the period between inspections for the trailers had been cut to 10 from 12 weeks. The practice was to leave trailers in factory premises for up to a fortnight a a time to be loaded Consesequently, the trailers did nowhere near the mileage being done by the vehicles. He accepted there was a school of thought that said vehicles that were standing deteriorated and still required regular inspections.
Mr D. W. Berridge, transport manager, said he had taken up his appointment 12 months ago and quickly realised that the maintenance programme needed reorganisation. He instituted a new system using a wall chart for easy reference. He was constantly urging the company's drivers to be on the lookout for defects.
Taking no action other than to record a warning, Mr Crabtree said he hoped that the company had now got the trailer position under control as it could expect to be subject to further inspection by vehicle examiners.