P.s.v. Standards Should be Applied to Goods Vehicles
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EASTERN COUNTIES DIRECTOR AIRS HIS VIEWS ON MAINTENANCE AT IRTE 'CONFERENCE Athe first national conference to be held by the Institute of Road Transport Engineers in the Grand Hotel, Birmingham tomorrow (Saturday), Mr. E. B. H. Elsbury, deputy transport manager of the North Thames Gas Board, will read a paper "The road transport engineer, his present and his future", and Mr. W. T. Skinner, director and general manager, Eastern Counties Omnibus Co. Ltd., will present "Public service vehicle engineering practices . . for all road transport engineers?"
Mr. Elsbury's paper was originally prepared for the COMMERCIAL MOTOR 1965 Fleet Management Conference with the title, "The status of the road transport executive", a summary of which was published in the November 19, 1965, issue of the journal. Reference to the paper will, therefore, be limited to an account of the discussion, to be published in next week's issue, which will also review the discussion on Mr. Skinner's paper.
In his introduction, Mr. Skinner refers in some detail to the findings of Ministry of Transport examiners following roadside checks of goods vehicles, notably to the Derby "blitz" check of September 22 and 23, 1964, in which 1,302 vehicles were inspected, 718 were issued with delayed prohibitions and 138 with immediate prohibitions. It is particularly noted by Mr. Skinner that of the 215 vehicles presented by operators for clearance during the three days following the check, 41 were refused clearance either because the defects had not been rectified or because of the poor quality of the repairs.
Judging by this check and others involving motorway vehicles, Mr. Skinner contends that the sterner measures the Ministry is planning to introduce with regard to vehicle maintenance are justified, but he observes that the more reputable goods operators are not deserving of the adverse criticism levelled against the industry in general.
Outlining p.s.v. maintenance routines and procedures that might profitably be applied to goods vehicles, Mr. Skinner emphasizes that implementation of the 1930 Road Traffic Act necessitates compliance with regulations of possibly greater complexity than those currently envisaged for goods vehicles.
Maintenance systems evolved to satisfy the terms of the Act have stood the transport engineer in good stead (when properly applied) and many hauliers use comparable systems. The Act aims at enforcing an acceptable maintenance routine at an economical cost and demands a high standard of supervision, inspection and staff communication, as well as an engineering department that is "self critical from the top to the bottom". The fleet engineer is accountable for the condition of the fleet, and other assets such as plant and buildings, and he should be capable of directing, controlling and verifying all matters under his jurisdiction.
Accepting the principle that serious defects are usually the result of neglecting minor defects, any vehicle fault developed during the day should be reported by the driver in writing. In the case of smaller organizations, the driver may with impunity be given the job of rectifying the faults, but only if he has received suitable training; normally it is preferable that a qualified mechanic be employed for the work.
Most important phase Routine inspection, Mr. Skinner claims, is the most important phase of maintenance as it minimizes the possibility of major repairs becoming necessary before the next maintenance dock. Depending upon the type of vehicle and service, the vehicle should be docked at mileage intervals of 30,000 to 60,000, and parts should be replaced if any doubt exists regarding their serviceability to the next dock as a means of making the most profitable use of the labour force.
It is debatable whether the normal p.s.v. procedure of changing major units at specified mileages can be advocated in the case of goods vehicles. Scrapping the vehicle is sometimes preferable to incurring the cost of replacement units. The smaller operator who cannot support his own . workshop could generally obtain the type of maintenance service outlined from the vehicle manufacturer in preference to sending the vehicle in for attention for specified repairs. To reduce the cost of maintenance, would it not be possible, asks Mr. Skinner, for a number of small operators to establish a group workshop company which would also cater for the needs of other operators?
In a reference to lubricants, Mr. Skinner poses the questions as to whether operators consider cost as the prime factor and are reluctant to make changes because grades in use for 10-15 years have proved satisfactory. The correct but more costly lubricant may produce dividends in the form of savings on labour and materials and obviating GV9s. Care should be taken to ensure that lubricants are not contaminated.
It is essential to keep accurate records of mileage, gallonage and work done, otherwise the resultant chaos increases workshop as well as office costs.
Technological advance Because of the shortage of craftsmen, it will be necessary to replace much unskilled staff by machines and to employ a smaller number of educated and trained technicians, which undoubtedly will be stimulated by the Industrial Training Act. Technological advance will assist in reducing maintenance. Operators should think ahead and impress their views on chassis and component manufacturers; they should be prepared to pay for improvements, including the use of an adequate engine. This could be derated and its useful life would then be sufficient :o outlast the vehicle without removal from :he chassis.
New and exciting materials are being developed and manufacturing techniques are mproving, comments Mr. Skinner; at the same time the world is becoming smaller, which enables engineers in this country to Lake advantage of developments elsewhere. Engineers should be ready to recognize the value of developments at home and to evaluate them in terms of overall economy.
In his conclusions, Mr. Skinner observes that the proposed testing scheme will tend to uplift maintenance standards as required and will highlight weaknesses in design.
Conscientious operators have little to fear, lie emphasizes. Ministry examiners will Expect fair play from operators and in return help and advice will be given in times of need. Operators penalized by the tests will be those who cut their rates at the expense of maintenance and were described by a farmer Minister of Transport as the "lunatic fringe". Either these operators will fall into line or be forced out of business by vie withdrawal of the licence to run their vehicles. To deprive a man of his livelihood may be a drastic action, but the killing and maiming of human beings through accidents caused by mechanical defects requires drastic remedies.
The code of p.s.v. engineering practice resulting from the 1930 Act should be the minimum standard at which all engineers saould aim.
If the Institute could assist in raising the general standard of road transport maintenance to an acceptable level, then its status and image would be materially elhanced.