Radio Raises Tipper Fleet Efficiency
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by Kenneth Bowden
NE imagines that the installation by a road-haulage concern of something as. up to the minute and as expensive as a short-wave two-way radio system presents much the same situation as the average individual finds himself in when buying a first car. It is costly and complicated, somewhat strange, and perhaps a bit of a gamble. The plunge takes rather a lot of making. But in a very short time the motorist finds himself in the situation where almost no extremity would force him back to footslogging. He hardly missed it while he didn't have it in no time at all he wonders how he ever got by without it.
Certainly this is the case with the Croydon, Surrey, Henry Streeter Group of companies. Founded originally in 1861 by a Mr. Henry Streeter, who supplied building materials to site with horse-drawn tipper carts, the company today is one of the larger producers and distributors of aggregates serving greater London. The installation of a Pye system of two-way radio throughout the fleet and its ancillaries is one of the most interesting developments in the rapid expansion of both the company and of its scale of operation over the past-six years. And, although it has at the moment been in service something short of a year, the system looks like playing a big part in future expansion. As a passport to fast and economic operation of vehicles. and to site and customer contact, especially of the "crisis' type, Streeters believe there is nothing to rival the radio link-up.
Provision of exactly the right service. at exactly the right moment is a prerequisite to survival in the hard, highly specialized and intensely competitive business of supplying building materials to site. In London, and. particularly on major works such as the Hyde Park Corner Improvement Scheme (one of a number of big projects on which Streeters are engaged), the problems are immense. A mishap. a mechanical failure, a wrong load, even a had traffic block. can cost a contractor heavily, and a tipper operator a customer's goodwill, if not his business. Short-wave radio does not prevent the untoward occurring, but in the experience of Streeters and some of their competitors who have also gone over to radio, its use can considerably reduce almost any ill-effect by the sheer speed and convenience with which remedial action can be taken.
To illustrate more fully the part played by the radio system—and not only in terms of actual vehicle direction— some background to the Streeter organization will help.
Expansion over the past five or six years has been truly remarkable, and it might fairly be said to date from the day, eight years ago. when Mr. F. J. H. Green took over as managing director. The company to whigh he came. from a long career in the ,movement of sand and ballast. was a small one, its fleet consisted of nine mostly timeexpired Dodge timber-bodied tippers. The business then was simply distribution of aggregates not their production.
Today the number of projects, large and small, in which Streeters have or have recently had a hand is impressive. Among the larger ones, in addition to the' Hyde Park 5 Corner scheme being undertaken by the Cubitts Fitzpatrick Shand consortium, is the new B.B.C. Television Centre (Higgs and Hill, Ltd.), the Staines By-pass (Richard Costain, Ltd.), and London's new hotel. the 19-storey Carlton Tower (Sir Robert McAlpine and Sons, Ltd.), opened in January.
Perhaps the only notable link Streeters retain with the fairly recent past is an exclusively Dodge fleet. Today, however, there isn't a timber body to be seen, and instead of nine, the fleet totals at the moment 23, with new vehicles on order to bring it in the near future up to 30.
New Headquarters The fleet, which includes six comparatively new vehicles. is operated by Henry Streeter (Transport), Ltd., a company formed in 1953. The headquarters, in Leslie Park Road, Croydon—the concern's home for 100 years—saw the completion of a new office block in 1959, and at the present time the final work is being done on a spacious, fully equipped, three--pit workshop, in unit with a tyre bay and modern stores and records office. Concreting of the yard and removal of the relics of tipper-cart days in the near future will complete a base as efficiently modern as that of any concern of comparable size.
The Streeter transport staff are anxious to stress that Mr. Green is essentially the driving force behind this six-year rebuilding revolution, and the go-getter" whose workwinning has made it possible. Similarly, no doubt, he is the power behind the quarrying enterprise into which the group entered some 18 months after the inception of the transport company, with the formation of Henry Streeter (Sand and Ballast), Ltd. The first pit, at Wraysbury, near Staines, was bought and began operating in 1955. In 1959 there was a further expansion when Henry Streeter (Sunbury), Ltd., was formed to develop a new 80acre site at Sunbury-on-Thames, Middx. These two pits are now capable of producing over 500,000 cu. yd. of aggregates a year, and negotiations are currently proceeding for the purchase of a third site.
As stated, the current fleet of 23 vehicles are exclusively Dodge units, and there is similar standardization in the bodywork and tipping gear, most vehicles employing Pilot bodies and all utilizing Pilot tipping gear. Capacities are 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 Cu. yd., and the larger yehicles are among the newcomers to the fleet—two 8-ton forward control six-wheelers incorporating the York trailing axle, fitted with Pilot Ushaped alloy end-tipping bodies and Pilot U9/S twin-ram underbody gear.
The larger vehicles, including the new six-wheelers, are used mainly on big contracts. Work around London, where site conditions often call for a high degree of manceuvrability, has been found to require short-wheelbase vehicles. For this purpose four 8-ton forward-control Dodges have recently gone into operation, and more are on order. These are powered by the Cummins 354-cu.in. direct-injection oil engine introduced at the last Commercial Motor Show, and are equipped with all-steel stitch-welded end-tipping bodies of 7-cu.-yd capacity and Pilot U2 underbody gear.
As with most operators engaged in high-intensity tipping work demanding maximum use of the fleet and precise scheduling and timing, Streeters have always believed that it pays to standardize to the maximum in vehicles. Standardization offers big advantages in terms of replacements and additions to the fleet, and in the fullest employment of drivers. But perhaps the major benefit comes in maintenance and repair. Three mechanics are engaged full time at Croydon, where the servicing schedule is one vehicle a day. Each mechanic is 100 per cent. at home with Dodge and Pilot units, the foreman having had extensive training and long experience in these types. Consequently there is no "learning as we go," as often happens in the workshop of a variegated fleet. It is interesting also that Streeters do all their own tyre servicing, vulcanizing equipment having paid for itself in a matter of months. Most of the fleet currently runs on Firestone tyres, but experiment is being made with Goodyears.
Modern Approach It will be apparent from the foregoing that the Streeter organization is of a kind able to take the fullest advantage from a development such as two-way radio for control of its operations. The fleet and its ancillaries are modern, and so is the thinking of the people who control them. Business, although not "easy "—it is never that—is good, and is being energetically expanded.
Nevertheless, the outlay of a large capital sum on installation of a radio-control system, and a weekly charge per set for its use, is something that requires very careful balancing against what its effect is likely to be in terms of increased income. The initial outlay in this case was about 0,000, and the weekly operating cost per vehicle is approximately 30s. per set. Streeter's equipment is supplied and serviced by the Pye organization. There is a main control room at the Croydon headquarters, presided over by the transport manager, Mr. M. Baldwin, and each vehicle is equipped with an unobtrusively fitted set and headpiece, powered from the vehicle battery, Technically the main problem arises in mounting the sets so as to withstand the vibration and shocks arising from a tipper's normal work. Rubber mounting to the rear cab Panel is the method chiefly used.
Maximum range is officially 25 miles radius from Crystal Palace, the transmitting point to which the Croydon control room is connected by landline, but adequate contact has been made in excess of 30 miles.
A Snag
Although the mechanics of the system are a Pye responsibility, the operating frequency is controlled and allocated by the G.P.O. In Streeter's case a frequency is at present shared with a number of other networks, and the variable interference resulting from this is one of the few snags encountered to date.
What are the adVantageS? To begin with, the main purpose of the system and its major advantage lies in the immediacy and precision with which the movements of every vehicle, driver and job can be checked and directed. There is hardly need to enumerate examples. It is probably sufficient to say that, from 7 a.M, in the morning. when the fleet is generally well about its business, until 5 or 6 p.m: in the evening, the movements of every vehicle and the progress of every job can be ascertained simply by calling up the driver. Suffering as most tipper operators do today from sometimes inexperienced drivers. Streeters find the radio system a wonderful replacement for any kind of service-recorder, • and one that isn't likely to be "interfered with," nor which causes the resentment and malcontent which other devices sometimes do. .
Another major advantage of the. system has been found in the facility it provides for direct contact with site officials in the event of a query, dissatisfaction, or a wrong load. If the.driver is not able to solve the problem, he is able to invite the site man to discuss it directly with the headquarters staff by radio.
Breakdown Service
Yet another advantage, and an obvious one, occurs in the event of breakdowns (the two service vans are currently due for fitting with two-way sets). As soon as anything goes amiss, drivers can make immediate contact with the maintenance men, describe their location and symptoms, arrange with the transport manager what action should be taken regarding the jobs they are on, and generally save everyone concerned a great deal of time and effort. Unfortunately, this facility did not stop Streeters recently having a damaged transmission due to a driver not recognizing that something had gone astray in the rear axle, and driving all day with a faulty crown wheel! Generally, however, it works extremely well.
Yet another advantage, and this time. not so obvious perhaps, is the increased efficiency of the executive staff through the fitting of sets in their cars. Each of them is Ible to go about his business secure in the knowledge hat there will be a direct and immediate contact from teadquarters should his services "ee required. Further
more, should a customer call the head office for information or assistance, . perhaps an urgent. prieing, evenin' the absence of a qualified man in the office a Call Over the radio to the particular executive concerned will provide a rapid, custom-catching answer.
This is of particular value to Streeter's general manager, Mr. Hunt, and to the transport Manager, Mr. Baldwin, who are able to remain in direct contact with every operation at all times, wherever they may be—even to solve one problem while on the way to disentangle another.
Personal Experience I had personal experience of bow well this works as my introduction to Streeters when calling to prepare this article. Mr. Hunt and I had somehow confused the times of My appointment and he Was out. Without delay we were able to apologize to each other, and to decide what was to be done about it!
There are, of course, many other benefits, minor and major, to be had from radio control, as proved by the number of concerns in and out of transport who have adopted it. But as a general impression I would say that the big advantage is the highly intensified working capacity brought about by direct and positive contact with all aspects of the job. It would seem, in running tippers, that the first time the radio switch is thrown many problems of control and administration are virtually halved. Certainly as much can be done for far less effort administratively.
It has always been recognized that transport is one of the best customers of the G.P.O.emost phases of it being conducted and controlled via the telephone. The use of radio is increasing in many industries. Could it be that transport, tipper operations in particular, will pioneer it on the broad scale?
Certainly one can envisage many instances where the application of a two-way radio-control system would benefit a road transport undertaking, and it is a fact that a number of tipper operatOrs are now virtually dependent on the system for the volume of work they are able to handle. Undoubtedly installation and hire charges are the drawback, but these are likely to decrease as usage becomes more widespread.