OPINIONS and QUERIES The New Daimler-Benz Aero Oil Engine.
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The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[4048] Sir,—The very up-to-date news in your issue of March 31 concerning the new Daimler Benz aero oil engine is of great interest to all those here who are studying the development of the high-speed oil engine. It may be said at once that it is indeed a great achievement and one well worthy of the great company which has produced it. From personal experience with that concern I know what dogged perseverence and determination have been exerted to obtain such a fine result. To get the weight of a 750 b.h.p. engine down to 2,090 lb., or 2.78 lb. per b.h.p., and the consumption of a pre-chamber engine down to 0.892 lb. (177.77 graMmes) is a feat which can be described only as extraordinary.
From the road-transport-engine point of view it is also most interesting and significant to note that the speed is given as 1,700 r.p.m. This again confirms—in spite of much controversy and many contrary opinions —that in the present state of our knowledge of oil burning this is about the maximum speed at which these engines should be run if we want to keep them to their best economical combustion conditions, and be able to rely on them for long periods of hard work without any attention and with low maintenance costs.
This engine appears to be of 53.84 litres capacity, which gives nearly 14 b.h.p. per litre, a highly satisfactory performance. In the light of the recent catastrophe to one of our great passenger aeroplanes, one may hope that oil engines will soon be employed generally for air transport, thus eliminating the terrible and ever-present danger of fire when employing petrol
as a fuel. W. H. GODDARD. Leeds.
Pointers on Preparing a Haulage Contract.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[4049] Sir,—Recently we have suffered a great deal from rate-cutters. They evidently do not care to look for new work, work, we mean, which has hitherto been carried by railway, but as soon as someone else like ourselves gets work of this nature they go in and cut rates, and often we lose work after all the trouble of getting it, We recently commenced working for a firm of wholesale newsagents, calling daily at their place and up lifting their goods for , a distance of 23 miles. We have been charging them at the rate of is. per cwt., which is about the railway figure. Our service, however, is miles ahead of the railway. The firm in question are very well pleased with our way of working, and we have suggested to them that we might be allowed to contract for the work.
Would " S.T.R.," from whom we have had valued advice in the past, be good enough to draw up a simple 3336
contract for us? We have a small fleet of recent-model Albion 30-25 cwt. and MorrisNCommercial 2-tonners. Our work is that of daily carriers. We have steady return loads and our average price is about 18s. per ton in small lots. We have been readers of your splendid paper for the past 13 years and we would take this opportunity of congratulating you on the excellent in formation contained therein. CARRIERS.
[I am always a little chary of usurping the functions of a solicitor, and in setting before you the following points which you should have in mind in the contract you are about to draw up, would advise you to have the actual work done by your legal adviser. Your contract would begin by a preamble which would set out the full descriptions and addresses of yourself as contractor and of the customer. They would, no doubt, be described as contractor and customer, or something to that effect, throughout the body of the contract. The contractor would agree ' to carry the parcels, newspapers and similar goods of the customer from the premises (here follows address) or other place adjacent thereto, as may be selected by the customer from time to time, to (here give the address or addresses in -) or similar destinations for a period of twelve months from the date of this contract, at a flat rate of is. per cwt. The customer for his part agrees that so long as this transport is carried out in accordance with the terms of this agreement he will offer the whole of the goods which he desires to have conveyed between the above-mentioned addresses, to the contractor and will not accept the services of anyone else. The contractor undertakes to be responsible for the safe delivery of the aforesaid goods and guarantees a minimum delay in the collection and delivery thereof. (The customer may possibly desire to insert here a statement of the latitude permissible in respect of such delay). The contractor to insure the goods against fire, theft or damage from any other cause. A policy to be taken out with a responsible insurance company approved by the customer. In ease of accident or other possible cause of delay the contractor undertakes to pick up the goods with another vehicle and deliver the game without avoidable loss of time. The contractor agrees that no part of this contract shall be sub-let without permission of the cus
tomer. It shall be proof of satisfactory delivery of the goods that the contractor shall have obtained from the consignee writen acknowledgment of their receipt. Payment to be made (here follows statement as to terms of payment, etc.).—S.T..Et.]
Vehicles for House-to-house Delivery.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR, [40501 Sir,—I am requiring some vehicles for the house-to-house delivery of some comparatively small but rather heavy packages. The total mileage of the vehicles per day would not be very high, but, as you will appreciate, delivering goods from house to house naturally involves a tremendous lot of stopping and starting over very short distances, perhaps from 50 yds. to 100 yds. Could you give me any advice as to the most economical vans on the market for this purpose? Naturally, speed is not essential and assume that the greatest difficulty to be overcome will be the excessive petrol consumption due to so many stops. According to information at present in my possession I am inclined to think that a horse-drawn van might be most suitable for the job. STOPS. Grimsby.
[Yon have omitted one important item of information from your inquiry, namely, the size of vehicle that you are considering. However, the class of work you have in mind appears closely to resemble that of refuse collection, for which purpose, as you may have heard, motor vehicles are rapidly displacing horses because of the all-round economy they show. You should get into touch with makers of special low-loading chassis, also investigate the electric vehicles, the latter, however, only after you have satisfied yourself of the availability of charging facilities in your district. Either of these types will probably meet your requirements, but I should be able to help you better if I knew more about the work you have in mind.—
8.T.R.]
Moving 100 Tons per Day.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL ATOTOR. 4051] Sir,—Will you be so good as to give me any information from the costs viewpoint as well as of the kize of vehicles on the following problem? One hundred tons per day, working six days a week, to be shifted about 360 miles to the place of Unloading. The load per day may rise. The existing method by railway is not cheap or convenient, and I should be grateful far your opinion as it is generally regarded as useful and accurate from the user's point of view. Lanark, PUZZLED. [Yon would, in all probability, be best served by oil-engined rigid-type six-wheelers, of a load capacity of 10 tons each. You do not state what is the nature of the goods you desire to convey, but if they be such as to necessitate the use of a van body, you had better specify one of aluminium-alloy, otherwise the vehicle will be too heavy: You will need 32 vehicles, working double shifts, and on that basis 10 would leave each day, taking three days for the round journey and doing two journeys per week. The net cost per week for each vehicle in operation, allowing a small amount for contingent expenses, will be 145, which, dividing by 20, gives 12 5s. as the price per ton. —S.T.R.] How to Quote for Contract Haulage.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR. [4052] have been offered certain regular con tracts. One would be to deliver clippings from five miles to 40 miles from the quarry. My lorry is an oiler, the average loading would be 4 tons on the body and 6 tons on the trailer. Would you advise quoting for five miles to 20 miles at one price and for 20 miles to 40 miles at another? What would you consider a fair price per ton for each? CONTRACTS. Bridgwater. [It is usual in the case of contracts of this type to charge according to the number of miles the load is hauled. In your ease you should calculate your charges on the basis of 7s. per hoar plus 6d. per mile. What that will amount to per load depends upon the time needed for loading and unloading. If you can load and unload in half an hour, then your proper basis is is. 6d. per ton for the five-mile lead and 4d. per ton for each additional mile. If it takes three-quarters of an hoar, make the corresponding charges is. 9d. and 4d., and if it takes an hour to load and unload, 23. and 441.--S.T.R.]