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Hans Braun takes a look at how German own
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-account men are using tachographs to aid their cost analysis...
WHILE Britain continues to ignore European Regulation 1463/70 which required all new vehicles to be fitted with tachographs by January 1 last year, her European partners, particularly Germany are bewildered.
The British reputation as a patron of Western law and order is badly eroded.
Since 1463/70 further requires all vehicles over 3.5 tonnes to be fitted with the equipment by next January 1, the other partners, Eire apart, are even more bewildered since little has been done to have the equipment fitted.
The relative inactivity of the British Government, the passive resistance of the Freight Transport Association, and the confused views of the TGWU and URTU officials have added to the bewilderment.
"Who implements the law in Britain?" is the current question in 'European transport circles.
The supplementary question is "How long can the European Transport Minister, Irishman Richard Burke allow Britain and Eire to thumb their noses at the Council?"
Small chinks have been detected in the armour of the British "antis." Acceptance of the equipment for international journeys is seen in Europe as a start. It is possibly as much as fitting stations could cope with anyway.
Recalibration
The plan now to license recalibration stations has been identified as a first if late and minor move on the part of the British Government. Perhaps at last, the tide is beginning to turn.
Whoever first described the tachograph as the "spy in the cab" — can claim the credit for the delay. Cross-Channel operators smile at the description and ask "How can a tool in uniform, in full view of all concerned, and controlled by the driver be a spy in the cab? If the driver has nothing to hide what is there to spy on?"
Those in Europe who make full use of the information the tachograph provides argue very convincingly that their proper use cuts downtime, improves driving, increases revenue and reduces accidents.
One of the largest food distributors in Germany — EDEKA — is an example of making the best use of tachographs.
EDEKA employs 400 people and has a fleet of 65 vehicles with carrying capacities varying from 1 to 8.5 tonnes. The vehicles are dry cargo, controlled temperature and passenger carriers.
They supply 750 outlets in the Hamburg area and in size of operation might be compared with a British co-operative or supermarket area.
The fleet has been fitted with tachographs since 1967 and the information supplied by the charts includes start and finishing times, rest periods, terminal delays, driving speeds and technique.
The charts and the daily traffic workbook kept by the traffic clerk show tonne km vehicle deliveries — and departmental utilisation.
This information throws up departmental, delivery and vehicle costs and helps with route planning.
Fewer accidents
Allied to driver training, the tachographs are credited with a reduction in accidents. EDEKA pays 600 DM (£150) annually to every accident free driver, but it deducts 50DM (£12) for any blameworthy accident.
Th.e company's records show that since chart analysis began, standing time has been reduced by 50 per cent.
The increased productivity which resulted, meant that 15 vehicles which EDEKA planned to add to its fleet were not ordered.
Route planning, it says, was so affected that most unproductive mileage was eliminated. Driving standards improved with a consequent saving in fuel and an average increase of 9,000 miles in tyre life. Servicing and repair costs were substantially reduced.
General manager Manfred Wirrmann says: "'Without the objective data collection that the chart provides, it would be impossible to run this fleet efficiently."' And this is a view shared by einhold Zenner, operations lanager of another own:count operator, Streit Eigeneim, prefabricated houseuilders of Losheim.
The company operates 190 ehicles in every class from aloons to mobile cranes — all tted with tachograohs.
In the construction industry, is argued that site plant is the lost expensive piece of equiplent. SE estimates that its /IAN or Magirus vehicles with :rupp mobile cranes are the Fnes which it must watch, iarticularly in respect of costs.
It operates 11 of these units and while standing time or its elimination is the prime concern they use the tachograph to measure the use of the engine for crane operations.
This determines the precise amount of time required by a crane in the construction of any type of building.
The information is used to cost operations when estimates are being prepared for similar constructions.
Although tachographs are used conventionally by SE, their value in helping costings is given equal importance.
The speed aspect is more related to cars than commercial vehicles. In Germany the speed limit for cars is 120 km/h (75mph). Enthusiastic sales men can be tempted to exceed the limit "in the interests" of business, but at what cost?
Salesmen's expenses are based on the evidence of the tachograph.
But the main function of the equipment apart from the legal one, is costing and planning.
Reinhold Zenner says: "The tachograph is an indispensible aid as a data carrier for the planning and execution of work in the construction industry."
The story is different but not contradictory in Nuremburg where Quelle, a mail order house with 26 department stores and 150 small stores operates a fleet of over 1000 vehicles. This is a very precise type of buiness selling quality goods to the public which they take away over the counter or order by catalogue and expect delivery "yesterday"
Transport costs
The business has an annual turnover of £1,750m. Before transport costs were analysed they were constantly increasing. According to the distribution manager, they comprised six per cent of the selling price -which did not include warehousing.
Four years ago, the tachograph objective analysis system was employed and today the transport costs represent 3.8 per cent of the selling price.
The annual saving is one million DM or £625,000. That could turn a small loss into a substantial profit. In vehicle terms, Queele estimates that it has saved it 50 vehicles.
Why not tachos?
The charts in this organisation are used to measure the productivity of not only the vehicles but also the warehouses and stores. It analyses costs, the equivalent of 1DM per vehicle per day in the Quelle organisation which has, understandably, taken costs down to the last decimal point.
The cost per delivery averages 14DM (£3.50). The total cost includes the 1DM for chart analysis, but since the analysis cost is for 30 drops the cost per drop is infinitesimal.
This is how the German ownaccount operator approaches the British argument on tachograph installation costs. It considers they must be measured per drop or per mile.
Seen this way, even an installation cost of say £300 taken over the life of a vehicle would be less than 1 penny per mile. "Since all other costs are measured per mile for cost purposes, why not tachographs?'" asks Quelle's transport manager at the Nuremburg depot.