NORTH AMERICAN DIARY-3 by ALAN HAVARD
Page 71
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Operator Representation is Highly Organized
WHEN I ended last week, I was recounting my interview with the vice-president (engineering) of Mack Trucks, Mr. W. M. May, and his colleague, Mr. F. R. Nail. Here is the rest of that interview:
In the U.S.A. these days all cars seem to have power steering—you very nearly have to specify manual steering as an optional extra! But on trucks it is a different story, much the same reason prevailing as in this country. If an operator puts it on some vehicles his drivers promptly want it on all. The resistance, in short, is from the employers, rather than from the drivers. Nevertheless, its adoption is growing. A total of 21 per cent of Mack's production in 1963 had power steering fitted. This compared with 15 per cent the year before and 10 per cent in 1961, Mr. May's rule-of-thumb guide is that where there is a load in excess of 5.4-5-8 tons on the front axle of a vehicle, then power steering is necessary.
Whilst they were polite about them, neither Mr. May nor Mr. Nail thought there was much of a future for such engine designs as the Wankel or Renault rotary-valve engines. They were no more enthusiastic about the Dyna-Star radial diesel engine. This is not to say they had closed their eyes to such developments: they have examined them and (like our own John McHugh, of Leyland Motors) decided that the present four-cycle diesel is likely to be the main source of motive power in the foreseeable future for on-highway vehicles.
Future Engine Designs There was no doubt in their minds, however, that the future is going to lie with V diesels, because this configuration is the most natural way of achieving both greater power output and decreased box dimensions. Mr. May thought the demand in the U.S.A. would go up to the 400/500 gross h.p. braCkets. For the rest of the world he forecast a demand in the 200/250 gross h.p. ranges.
Later I was to find considerable confirmation of this opinion from other manufacturers, although operators evinced practically no interest in whether the power unit was in-line, vee, or any other layout. They were, understandably, concerned with output, reliability and price! It is, incidentally, particularly relevant in view of a subsequent visit I was to make to the Cummins Engine Co. Inc., from which I wrote the article that appears on page 58 of this issue.
One abiding impression I received of the American truck-operating industry was the tremendous volume of statistics about it which abound in every quarter.
I suspect there are two reasons for this. One is the average American businessman's innate love of totals, averages and percentages. The second reason is, to my mind, the very highly organized body of operator-representation; so many trade organizations could hardly help produce many totals. I will return to this subject on several occasions during this series, in particular when I tell you about some of the people I met in Washington. For the moment, just a few words about my first look at one of these associations.
Meeting T.A.A.
This opportunity arose, still whilst I was in New York, when I met Andrew G. Anderson, New York manager of the Transportation Association of America. Andy is an operator bred and born (undoubtedly the best kind of man to be on a body such as the T.A.A.), having been manager of the Socony Mobil Oil Co. Inc. fleet, which numbers 2,368 rigids, 818 tractive units and 1,349 semitrailers (as well as 974 cars). He is, apart from many other interests, also a director of the Association and chairman of its user panel.
What is the T.A.A.? It was started about 20 years ago, as an all-modes-oftransport organization, under a threat of Government control of the railways in America. It is, in Andy's own words, " Very anti-nationalization in outlook ".
Its official objectives are:— (a) To develop a favourable climate assuring the best possible transportation service at the lowest possible costservice that is fair to all interested groups.
(b) To promote and nurture public understanding of the importance of sound transportation and public awareness of transport problems.
(c) To resist steadfastly all trends which might lead to Government ownership or operation of any form of transportation.
When you stop to consider these objectives you get a clue to the essential simplicity of approach which T.A.A. adopts, under its president, Harold F. Hammond. The objectives of the Association are clear-cut and direct. So is its work to achieve these aims. I have no idea what tonnage of paper is produced in one year; but I am quite sure it is a staggering amount And the staff is surprisingly small—three regional managers and an executive of about half a dozen. Not, for instance, so big as our own R.H.A. Unfortunately, I did not meet the top executives of T.A.A. in Washington. My arrival in the American capital was delayed because of pressure of work, and as I flew down to that city they were all flying up to New York for the National Transportation Institute (Conference) which T.A.A. held among the sky scrapers. So our appointment had to be scrapped, especially since I was due down in Kentucky on the day the Institute was actually held in New York. I did manage to meet the T.A.A. director of research, Frank A. Smith, more of which later. Anyway, having drawn your attention to T.A.A.'s objectives, let us now look at how they set about achieving them. Although, as I said, they produce a stag gering amount of literature each year, a vast amount of their time is spent in lobbying at the Capitol to ensure trans port's views being correctly interpreted in legislation. A great deal of time is also spent in keeping a weather eye on activities of the Interstate Commerce Commission, which is the controlling body for all forms of interstate transport. Just as their stated objectives are simple and confined to three points, so
are their methods which, as explained to me, are:—
(a) To bring together representatives of all forms of transport, users and investors to resolve their conflicts so
that sound transportation policies in the national interest can be developed.
(b) To bring together leaders from all parts of the nation to study trans portation problems, to consult on national policy issues, and to build a bulwark of public opinion supporting sound transportation policies.
(c) To conduct nation-wide educational efforts, through Transportation Institutes and Conferences, other meet ings, and printed material, dedicated to stimulating an understanding of the importance of a strong transport system under private ownership and operation. Much of the detail work is carried out through the National Co-operative Project on Transportation Policy with its eight panels, its co-ordinating committee and its policy committee of the T.A.A.
board of directors (whose chairman is George P. Baker, Dean and Professor of Transportation, Harvard Graduate School
of Business Administration). T.A.A. is not, in any sense, a body of sectional interest;it devotes itself to transport as a whole, but does much active work with national trade organizations.
Oh for some co-ordinating body like this in England, so that transport could speak with one voice!