Success of Van Pool of Leading Liverpool Stores
Page 16
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THE Liverpool Stores Delivery Pool, operated in the interests of five' of the city's largest stares, has been much quoted at meetings of retailers, when they have been discussing schemes for economizing in the use of van transport. Despite the big shrinkage in parcels traffic since the scheme was launched in May, 1940, the Liverpool stores pool, conceived and administered under the direction of Col. A. Jerrett, transport controller of Lewis's, Ltd.,. has been, and is, outstandingly successful. Unfortunately, facts about this pool, quoted at many tradesmen's meetings, are quite out of date.
The five firms, in the pre-pool period, had 99 vans, 32 of them being employed for furniture deliveries, etc., and excluded from the pool. From the balance of 67 vans, the transport com
mittei . of management Selected 30 vehicles as sufficient for delivering 15,020 to 20,000 parcelsweekly; thus halving the petrol consumption. The authorities promised sufficient petrol for the 30-unit fleet for journeys within a 20-mile radius, Within the first three months of the pool, a 40 per cent. petrol saving was effected.
To-day only 13 vans arc in the pool —a reduction in almost exact ratio to the 'decline in the number of parcels for delivery, following the 'local " carry your parcels" campaign. All vans ger out fully loaded, journeys have been merged, and c.o.d. traffic below the
£10 mark -eliminated. Redundant vehicles were ieturned to their respective .owners, and, in some cases, have been diverted to emergency war transport.