What the operators and manufacturers have to say on "The costs of maintaining commercial vehicles - .
Page 31
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
The users:
The response to Mr Wilson's paper confirmed several general points:Whole-life cost per goods ton-mile is more important than vehicle first cost. Calculation of whole-life cost must include down-time (at least E2 per hour off the road).
A certain amount of routine maintenance is accepted as inevitable, but avoidance of unplanned maintenance or breakdown is more desirable.
More instrumentation is demanded. Rapid-strip principles should be applied at the design stage.
The manufacturers
As assemblers of proprietary components, most makers control directly only a proportion of the complete design.
First cost has a direct effect on sales; there is a reluctance to innovate until an assured market is seen.
The C and U Regs have necessitated frequent design changes — and there is some doubt on future needs, which may be affected by EEC.
The heavy goods vehicle is accused of polluting the environment by its presence on the road; noise and vibration; exhaust emissions — and solutiont to these problems are by no means clear.
Some component manufacturers have, however, seen opportunities for developing items of monitoring and diagnostic equipment which may be expected to appeal to the more costconscious operators.