A POPULAR EXPRESS DELIVERY SERVICE.
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The Activities of a Prominent Company in South Wales Whose Transport Ramifications are Extensive. A Delivery Service Which Has Proved a Boon to Local Tradesmen.
TPROGRESS made by the motor vehicle department of Messrs. Hall, Lewis and. Co., whose headquarters are at Cardiff, figures amongst the notable road transport developments which have taken place in South Wales during the past two years. The ramifications of this company are most extensive, and, apart from being bodybuilders and general engineers, they have launched out as haulage contractors and proprietors of an express delivery service ; in addition, they also control a private-hire motor coach and touring car business.
The company's main activities are conducted through their Cardiff premises, but branch establishments are located at Newport and Swansea.
A composite fleet of lorries, consisting of those of Berliet. Packard, Selden and G.M.C. make, with carrying capacities ranging from 2 tons to i tons, is in the service of the heavy haulage department of the company, which is the oldest section of their road transport business. The fleet in the service of this department totals 22 machines, and additions which are being made will augment the total to the extent of some 30 per cent.
The company have found that endtipping bodies art particularly suitable for heavy haulage work and, with the object of standardizing on a body of this .type, they are converting the bodies of those vehicles which are not arranged to discharge their loads at the rear.
In some cases the bodies have been built by the users, whc have likewise made certain of the conversions, but where the work has not been effected in their own shops it has-been entrusted to the Northern Counties Engineering Co., Ltd., of Wigan.
Haulage operations are carried out over a large area, and one of the company's vehicles recently undertook a journey from Cardiff to Harrogate, Yorkshire. Apart from general haulage, much quayside clearance work is undertaken, as well as the transport of petrol on a large scale. The vehicles are all fitted with Dunlop tyres, which, in the opinion of the transport manager, have proved to be best suited to their requirements, both for light and heavy vehicles.
Each of the heavy vehicles in the fleet' accomplishes a mileage of about 12,000 per annum, and the petrol and oil consumption returns show that on an average each lorry consumes a gallon of fuel for every seven miles run, and that a like quantity of oil is consumed every 120 miles.
The company's haulage activities have considerably extended during recent months and, including the vehicles which are now on order, 18 lorries have been added in as many months.
With regard to the coach hiring section of the business, three 18-seater Guy saloon vehicles are employed. These coaches, which run on pneumatic tyres, are particularly well appointed, and the bodies were constructed by the Northern Counties Engineering Co., Ltd. They are of the saloon type with a central gangway, on each side of which wellsprung seats, upholstered in leather, are disposed. Bedford cording is largely used in the interiors, and the use of such material for covering the undersides of the roofs lends a note of distinction. These.vehieles have proved very popular during the past season. This side of the business, as well as that dealing with the hire of private ears, is to be extended.
The success which has attended the efforts of the company to provide an efficient express delivery service has been remarkable, and, perhaps, is the most interesting side of their road transport operations. Twelve months ago no longdistance delivery system of this nature existed in South Wales—and there was very little local express delivery work undertaken. In January of this year, however, Messrs. Hall, Lewis and Co., inaugurated a service 'which, by reason of the calls made upon it, has undoubtedly met a long-felt want amongst tradesmen in this area.
Much work was entailed in the formation of this phase of the business, which, started as an experiment, has now proved an established and important section of the company's activities. The area of operation is being extended, and for the .xturpose of meeting fresh demands which are likely to he made on the service several vehicles of a light typ.ehave recently been purchased.
The management has taken considerable trouble to arrive at what is considered to be a just scale of charges for the conveyance of parcels by this service, and the schedule now in operation is as follows :- The vehicles .engaged on parcels delivery work solely are two 7-cwt. Fords, three 1-ton Fords, three 1-ton Chevrolets', and two 30-cwt. FiatsVan bodies are not used for the heavier vehicles, which deal with goods in bulk rather than weight, and, consequently, it is found an advantage to use hoopstieks and tilt covers, Which can be adjusted to meet the requirements of the load.
Each of the parcels delivery vehicles covers tin approximate mileage of 30,000 per 8.11111.1M, and the petrol consumption for the fleet in this service has been found to average about one gallon for every 20 miles. Parcels are accepted at the Swansea and Newport branches of the company for • distribution in the areas of which these towns constitute the business centres. Eight vehicles leave the cotepany's East Moors garage at Cardiff at 8.45 a.m. daily, and work to a definite itinerary. They collect tradesmen's parcels for delivery locally and also -farther afield. The parcels are conveyed to the warehouse at East. Moors, which is specially adapted, for sorting and delivery work and covers an area of 18,000 sq. ft. Sorting is completed here, and delivery Hats prepared for the drivers, each vehicle subsequently Inav ing about mid-day for the purpose of delivering its load in whatever area may be allocated to it.
The area of delivery extends from Cardiff to Swansea in the west, to Abergavenny in the east, and so far_ north as Brecon. Some of the main centres which figure on the delivery schedules include Neath, Port Talbot, Porthcawl, Bridgend, Barry, Penartb, Newport, Pontypridd, Aberdare, Merthyr, Pontypool, etc. As many as 30 tons of light parcels for delivery are sometimes to be seen at the Cardiff warehouse.
Each driver of a vehicle used on delivery work has the assistance of a boy, who occupies a place at the rear of the van, from which position he is able to protect the load and, at the same time, make speedy delivery of parcels to consignees, from whom he also collects receipts. This assistant is equipped with a whistle, so that he can signal to the driver without the need for verbal communication when it is required to stop or restart.
After the vehicles have completed their deliveries they return to Cardiff the same day with parcels collected from outside areas which have to be distributed the following day.
Not only do the tradespeople in most of the South Wales centres appreciate the parcels delivery system introduced by the company, but manufacturers much farther afield have discovered its value; and frequently consign goods to Cardiff for local delivery by the vehicles of Messrs. Hall, Lewis and Co.
The company have garages in Malady (where fully equipped workshops capable of undertaking general motor and bodybuilding are also located), East Moors (the sorting warehouse is here), Newport and Swansea. The garage at East Moors is capable of giving accommodation to 50 heavy-type vehicles.
The company's system of costing is most complete. They maintain a careful check on the issue of all stores, fuel arid oil, and carefully analyze the drivers' daily reports, as well as running costs and various charges, in order to ensure that every unit of the fleet is giving the utmost economy and efficiency in operation.
The directorate of Messrs. Hall, Lewis and Co. consists of Messrs. 0. G. Hall, S. H. Lewis and Henry Brining. The transport manager is Mr. A. V. Bayliss.