OPINIONS and QUERIES
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HEAVY LOADS ON LIGHT VEHICLES.
[4636] I have never been able to understand why • it. is considered in certain quarters inherently immoral to work any machine to capacity—within safety limits, of course. Surely the whole matter is one of policy— whether it is better to have a perfectly serviceable but obsolete machine at the end of a number of years, or to work a machine to death over a comparatively short period and reinvest in. the latest and most economical on the market.
It is true that certain lorries have been called 2-tonners and 3-tonners, possibly because when they were inaugurated the manufacturers, with true British conservatism, allowed for a factor of safety since proved to be unnecessarily large, but now that the trade has become used to the designation it is continued because everyone knows what it represents; however, I have yet to see any pronouncement from the manufacturers concerned that their products were only designed for the alleged nominal capacity and, failing that, I cannot understand why so many operators and writers continually refer to " the load for which the vehicle was designed." They express opinions, unsupported by personal experience, that this, that, or the other thing is "obviously " dangerous and make rash generalizations, whereas the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
Until my firm ran light vehicles, we were just as much against the practice; but we have found that, over a period of years, the Fordson 2-tonner, for example, can stand up to a 4-ton load safely, in spite of hard conditions, and get away with it without high maintenance costs. Of course, whatever the load that a vehicle carries, one must bear in mind safety conditions—brake efficiency, the safety of the public and the driver ; only a criminal lunatic would run a vehicle in an unsafe condition, and there are adequate methods of dealing with him.
There is no formula which could be acceptable for the adjustment of laden to unladen weight. Such a formula would checkmate any advance in design, and apart from that, who is to say what is the ultimate sale limit of any vehicle? The mere fact that manufacturers are " allowing " an overload without vitiating the guarantee is itself a proof that an alleged " 2-tormer "
was never designed for loads not greater than 2 tons— they know that even with the " overload " the vehicle. still has such an ample Margin of safety that it will not cost them any more for rnaintenauce.under the guarantee. •
Leaving aside " straight " machines—those in the same state as received from the makers—there are various modifications which can be added, chassis extensions, extra axles, oversized tyres, helper springs, etc. Do not these make any difference to the Sate carrying capacity? The makers cannot forbid a buyer to add anything he wishes to his own vehicle, or to modify it in any way, and even if the law said that a Bedford 2-tonner might only carry 2 tons, what is to prevent an operator calling one of these hybrid machines an S.T.R. Special 6-tonner, for example, and so dodging the law? Besides, it is certain that if such a law were passed, every maker would immediately regrade his products; but would such a change of name make a lorry more capable of carrying the loads which we know it to be perfectly able to carry to-day?
To hear some operators talking, one would thint that what they call " overloading " a light lorry is on a par with cruelly maltreating a horse, or gambling with marked cards—a thing that no pukka sahib does, you know! They consider it, for some unaccountable reason, " unfair " ; for the life of me I cannot understand why. The truth of the matter is probably sour grapes. They themselves are probably stuck with something heavy and antiquated and wish that they were not The law says, " Up to 1 tons on lour wheels." There are some hauliers, at least, who have the greatest respect for the law and do their best to comply with it. G. W. IuwiN, Linton. For Linton Haulage Company.
A NEW CARRIMORE EIGHT-WHEELER TO CARRY 16 TONS ON 6 TONS.
[4637] We have some difficulty in appreciating the views of your correspondents, Messrs. Hobley's Transport, on the subject of the light articulated six-wheeler. The amazing increase in the ratio of pay-load to unladen weight is unquestionably one of the notable advances in present-day transport development. A well-known manufacturer has recently announced the introduction of a new 5-tonner with an unladen weight not exceeding 50 cwt.
Carrirnore light six-wheelers, constructed for loads up to 8 tons or 9 tons, according to the tractor chassis selected, weigh under 3 tons, and are, therefore, taxed at only 135. We have now produced a; tandem-bogie eight-wheeler with an unladen weight of less than 6 torts to carry a pay-load of :16 tons.
There are some thousands of Carrimore light articu. lated six-wheelers in use and their well-deserved popularity is daily increasing.
Carrimore semi-trailers are equipped with powerful large-capacity brakes servo-operated to take care of the braking of the extra loads carried, and with brakes on six wheels or eight wheels controlled by the pedal and operating most powerfully on the trailing wheels, the highest standard of safety is ensured.
Messrs. Hobley's Transport are evidently regretting the passing of the old days, but progress is inevitable and the light machine with much greater loads has come to put the old ideas out of date.
The Carrimore six-wheeler with low first cost and running expenses has come as a boon to the road operator to meet increased costs.
A visit to Continental countries would, we think, be a revelation to Messrs. Hobley's Transport. The writer recently completed a business tour of Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, and in all countries the universal type of machine is the light sixwheeler-and-trailer combination.
This type of transport has been adopted in the face
of the intense competition and the vital necessity of studying costs during the past period of trade depression. Your correspondent will recognize that it is easier to haul than to carry direct, and this is the principle that underlies the successful operation of all trailer transport. H. R. HOOD BARES, Managing Director. (For Carrimore Six Wheelers, Ltd.) London, N.12.
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GARAGE ERECTORS.
[46381 I read with interest Mr. H. Scott Hall's article on a commercial garage in last week's issue of The Commercial Motor. I want to build a garage in the country for about 10 vehicles, could you give me the name and address of any concern that would erect a modern garage for me, the building to be of steel-framed structure with walls and roof of corrugated iron?
Newmarket. HAULAGE CONTRACTOR.
[We suggest that contractors undertaking this class of work should send us their names and addresses, which we would not only forward to our correspondent but would include in The Commercial Motor.--E.]