The "Q" and 'A Bureau is a CM service. its
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expert staff will gladly answer your queries. Letters should be addressed to:
and
Ti and 'A' Bureau, .Commercial Motor, Dorset Nouse, Stamford Street London SEl.
QYou recently reported on the successful resolution put to the IRU Congress by the Road Haulage Association, calling for an improvement in some of thefacilities provided under the TIR Convention. You mentioned the RHA' s request for a standardization of pro cedures for the payment of customs dues. I was under the impression that these procedures were virtually standardized. Am I wrong?
AAlthough procedures for customs clearance and for other aspects of international freight movement have become much more standardized in recent years, the customs authorities in each country still have their own ways of dealing with dutiable goods. For example, although the TIR Convention holds the national guaranteeing associations and the road carriers liable for the payment of duty on goods — as a safeguard against evasion of financial commitments — this requirement is not treated identically in all the countries which have signed the convention. There are some in which, like Gt Britain, the customs authorities take proceedings against the consignee for non-payment of duty, and the transport operator need only provide evidence of delivery of the goods. But in many countries the claims are made against the carrier even though the goods may have been delivered to the consignee who, it is reasonable to suggest, is liable for the duty.
Also some countries are, as the RHA director-general pointed out to the IRU Congress. very harsh in applying fines for minor breaches of the convention regulations, and this occurs partly because the customs regulations do not make specific distinction between wilful offences and those committed unknowingly.
QWhat is the difference between a recuperator and a regenerator as applied to gas turbine engines? And in what way does either system increase output? I am aware that they enable exhaust heat to be employed to increase the efficiency of the unit. But, if heat can be fed back into a turbine, why cannot this be done in the case of a petrol or diesel engine?
AA gas turbine is an external-cornbustion engine and heating the air that is fed to the burners by using exhaust heat does not reduce the weight of air that
is utilized in combustion. In a piston engine, raising the temperature of the intake air reduces its density and less air is available for the combustion process. The hot spot that is incorporated in the intake system of some petrol engines helps to vaporize the fuel droplets when the engine is cold and thereby aids distribution of the mixture between the various cylinders. At higher speeds, heating is minimal and does not reduce efficiency to any extent.
A recuperator of a gas turbine is a static heat exchanger comprising multiple small tubes through which the air for combustion passes and which are heated by the exhaust gas passing over the tubes externally. While the heat exchanger of a regenerator is of the same general form, it is constructed as a large disc that is rotated slowly by mechanical means. In the first stage of movement, air and exhaust gas are separately passed through the two sections of the disc in opposite directions, and after the disc has rotated 180deg the air is directed through the hot part of the disc and the exhaust gas through the cooled section. A much higher efficiency of heat transfer can be achieved, compared with a static recuperator.
QCould you please provide details of the relative profitability, size, etc, of National Carriers Ltd and BRS Parcels Ltd? In what way do the services provided by these two companies differ?
AWhen National Carriers Ltd was taken over by the National Freight Corporation at the end of 1968 it was said to be operating an estimated annual deficit of some £20m. The losses have been reduced by £11.5m in three years and the operating loss for 1971 was £7.03m, excluding interest charges. NCL will receive a Treasury grant of £3.7m for 1972. It is anticipated that the Government grant will be needed in 1973.
NCL has a staff of 21,300 and a fleet of 7750 motor vehicles. BRS Parcels Ltd employs some 10,000 staff and has 3600 vehicles. Its profitability was reduced by a serious labour dispute in 1969 but by 1971 gross receipts £29.6m (1970 £25.9m) yielded an operating profit of £2.53m (1970: £0.8.0m).
Although both companies operate in a similar field full integration was once a possibility — there has been a sustained attempt by the NFC to define distinct marketing sectors.
BRS Parcels Ltd is developing its plans for 24 /48 hour service for all traffics moving between main centres. The stress is on the elimination of costly transhipment operations.
NCL is concentrating on the market sector requiring reliability and regularity rather than high speeds as many traders require the facility of a national small freight service.
Both companies are involved in specialized warehousing and distribution operations.
QCould you tell me the correct procedure for keeping maintenance records? At the moment we undertake the general servicing and smaller mechanical jobs on our vehicles ourselves; the ntrilor ones are done at a local garage. The bills from the garage are kept and recorded, together with the jobs done by ourselves, in a ledger. Is this sufficient? Is some form of recorded maintenance book required? If so from where are they obtainable?
AThe law does not specify any particular form of vehicle maintenance records. It only requires that records are kept — for 15 months — of inspections of vehicles to ensure that they comply with Construction and Use requirements, and of the action taken to remedy any defects discovered on the inspection.
Provided, therefore, that you keep detailed notes in a ledger or on specially prepared forms of the inspections, the repair work done, what parts were fitted, who did the work and, of course, the date the work was carried out, this should be acceptable. Where work is done by an outside garage it is advisable to obtain detailed invoices or job sheets showing all the work done and the parts used. A blanket phrase covering a major service would not be sufficient. Details of the work are required.
Maintenance repair forms suitable for your requirements are available from private printers -The Charnwood Publishing Co Ltd at Coalville, Leicester, is one — from vehicle manufacturers, from some of the oil companies and from the trade associations if you are a member.