HINTS FOR HAULIERS.
Page 22
Page 23
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
An Occasional Chat on Subjects and Problems of Interest to Thoe Who are Engaged, or About to Become Engaged, in Running Commercial Vehicles for a Living.
IMUST COMMENCE this week with an explanation. When I instructed the artist last week to draw the sketchee showing typical lettering for a haulier's lorry, I merely gaye aim the impression that all I wished to demonstrate was the relative size of the lettering whieh should be employed for the pure pose. He was not told that it was my firm conviction that all such lettering should be carried out artistically„ asat least with as much a pretence to art as Vie circantitances would allow, consistent with the need for plain easily-readable matter without frills. There will•bt:i• little difficulty in obtaining preliminary orders if the. methods which I described last week be adopted: They should be continued, so far as the gradual increase of the business allows. Canvassing lor work is really the best method of obtaining it., as the canvasser gets-a first-hand knowledge of conditions, and is better able to size up the possibilities which may exist in the way -of future business. In a one-man business, however, it can only be carried out to a limited extent, and the less opportunity that exists for it the better will the haulier be pleased., for sdi long as he has time for canvassing, it is plain that he is not.fully employed on the more directly . remimerative part of his business. The search for work, however, must go on cone tinuously, hem-ever' busy the lorry may be at anytime. Even the Most inexperienced man will realize that he may be occupied for the whole of the ordinary working hours of a week, or for several weeks together, and, therefore, be entirely unable to canvass directly or personally for nsore work, yet, at the same) time, the orders which he has on hand may easily be of the type Which do not recur, and, unless he adopts Some other method of finding work, he has to look forward to fairly frequent periods, (hiring which .Isis lorry is unemployed while he seeks for contracts.
Here I would like to digress for a moment to point nut something which I doubt if I have made quite clear in .preseeas. calculations of total working costs. Every reader of these notes is aware by now of my method of reckoningthe total expense of running a lorry. I take therunning costs, made up.of the cost of petrol, oil, tyres, depreciation, and maintenance, C42 the last named including the cost of sundry stores ; all the items; it should laenet;ed, are in connection with spending, which only goes. on, practically speak
• ing, while the lorry is on the road. Then / reckon separately the standing charges, such as wages, rent of garage, insurance, licences, and interest on the first cost of the vehicle. These are all costs which are incurred practically by the mere possession of a lorry ; at least, they run, on to -the same extent whether the lorry is idle or working, unless the' driver is periodically sacked and taken on again, a proc,edare which, apart from the injustice to the man him, self, is totally impracticable. (Remecnber that, even if you drive your vehicle yourself, your wages as the driver must still -be reckoned against it. before you clan claim to:be:working at a profit.) Now, in order to get at the real total cost. of svorkingt-per mile run,
i
it s neeessary to add to the running costs a preportionoof The standing charges, and I have usually explained this .as being the total of the standing charges per/week divided by the mileage run.. I have not made it, perhaps, so dear as I might thabit is not wise•or reasonable to take the mileages week by .week4aneltealeulate the workinga_costs per' mile for each.-week,-also week by week. The results .would vary so much that, presuming your charges were founded on your costs, as, naturally, they should be, they would be so inconsistent that your clients would never know from week to week what they would have to pay for your services, .a condition. which would be absolutely fatal to 'all chances of success. The mileage must be calculated' aver long periods of running, and then the average per week taken.
The Continuous Search for Business.
With this digression I will return to the business of showing how orders should be. obtained. Personal contact with possible clients-, other than those with whom he is at. the moment actually engaged, is out of the question when the haulier is busy all day with his lorry. The next. hest thing is to keep in touch with past and possible future clients by means of personal letters. The boek which was made in the canvassingdays, showing prospects of business, will now be very useful. It will afford information
as to whom to write, -and when to write, as well as information concerning the busmesa
of the potential client, what the goods are that he inay wish to have carried, the districts with which he trades, and so on. All of this information. should be carefully noted and used in the letters which have to take the place of the canvasser.
Tackle your correspondent in. the weak spots in his transportozystem, without telling him, however, that you consider his transport to have any flaws at all. "Always assume," runs an 'American business precept, "that your customer is right!' At least, I should say, ,do not start your canvass. by telling him, that he does not know how to run his. own business. If he already has motor vehicles, and you surmise, from your own knowledge of his circumstances, that his fleet is, either continuously or temporarily, inadequate for his needs, take the line, whatever the facts of the ca-se, that the cause of . the inadequacy is one which is beyond his control, preferably that it is-to his credit that it has got into that state, as, for example, that it is due to the successful prosecution of his business, which has resulted 'in the need for transport outstripping the • facilities which he possesses more rapidly than he can meet it by the purchase of -additional vehicles, particulaalyaowing to the pOor deliveries by the makers of such vehicles.
The Use of a Well-worded Letter.
Take the case of a general dealer in, say hard ware and household requisites, who is increasing his activities by the purchase of smaller businesses in new districts. You might very well approach hiin this way :— Dear Sir,—I note your recent acquisition of new premises in Brumpton, and should like to be allowed to congratulate you on your enterprise and on the success which has continually attended it, particularly daring recent years. I am not of course, acquainted with the inner workings of your business, but I have observed, with a professional eye, the excellence and efficiency of your transport service ; others too, have remarked, in my hearing,-on the promptitude of.the deliveries of your goods, and it is no doubt partly to this feature that you owe your success.
It occurs to me that, temporarily, owing to the purchase of this new bnsiness, you may find
• that your requirements in the way -A motor vehicles anay outstrip the excellent facilities which you already possess. It is common knowledge, too, that prompt delivery of new vehicles is nowadays unobtainable. In the circumstances it is possible that I may be able to afford you some assistance. I would -suggest that, in view ..• of the undoubted advisability of keeping' your smartly-finished vans entirely engaged on the work of direct deliveries to customers, the direction in which I could most advantageously assist would be in taking care of your carting to and from the docks and stationsand your principal warehouses.
I attach, a general scale of charges. As you will realize i , it s quite impossible to quote within fine limits without a clear knowledge of the eonditions; and I should therefore appreciate an opportunity to go into this matter with you in detail.—Yours faithfully, The wording Of such a letter would, of course, differ with every case. Nothing is more helpful than a little inside knowledge of the business of the man you are addressing, unless it is an acquaintance with individual characteristics. The letter-just given exemplifies the value of both of these little aidsKnow-. ledgeof his business helps you to realize -his weak Spots, in this case the addition of new premises at a time when transport facilities are most difficult to obtain. You have also observed his pride in the smartness of the existing service, and realized that he would prefer, above all, to keep the vehicle's which he has, and which are decorated in a style peculiarly his own, on the work of direct deliveriee, to customers. As regards individual -characteristics, he is a man who can stand a bit of soft soap, so long as he does not get the idea tat-you 'are pulling his leg —a procedure whiehls.absolutely fatal: The letter, it should be noted, starts with a little general congratulation,. which is then turned: to the particular, and applied to his transport Do not for the world let, him think that you are anything but full of admiration of his transport methods. Then to business: Take the practical line wliich you know will appeal. to -him, the 'conserving_ of his own vehicles, as has been described. Finally, give him. some idea of what your serviceis going to cost. The most aggravating thing about business at the' present day is the reluctance to quote. Your presentation of concrete figures will impress him at least with the fact that you have something to offer. ,
Haulage .Work Among Small Tradesmen.
There is a considerable field for exploitation just nowain small towns and suburban districts amongst small tradesmen who have to have fresh supplies daily from markets at a distance from their. premises. Those of my haulier readers who reside . or carry on their business in such places will be well _advised to look into the matter. There is considerable dissatisfaction amongst -traders of the class named owing to the tardy delivery of their goods at the hands of existing organizations, and this is particularly the ca-se when those deliveries are effected by the railway companies. Very often, the local -butcher, fishmonger, or greengrocer finds himself short of supplies at a critical period of the day, and any means of improving present facilities: will be most heartily welcomed.
You have, it may be assumed t already had -a little business of this riature, and are desirous of adding to it. This is all the more likely, since individual consignments are not generally large, and an in' creased clientele could be more economically served. Supposethat you wished to approach a. local buteher. A suitable letter would run something like this:—
Dear Sir —The difficillty in obtaining delivery of perishable goods, such as meat, fish,.or 'vegetables, from the markets is rapidly becorruing a scandal. I have no doubt that there are occaaions when you yourself feel that you would like better service in this connection. I havo made a special study of the matter, and beg to inform you that I have made arrangements of a nature which will, I am sure, give every satisfaction. A well-appointed van attends in the early 'hours of each morning at the markets, carefully collects any goods which have there been ordered, and delivers regularly in this town before ten o'clock each day, Reasonable charges are made—at the rate, of half-a-crown per cwt., with a minimum of one shilling per delivery. The service offered includes actual collection each morning from the wholesaler, and delivery, direct, without any further handling whatever, to the premises of the client. Not only is prompt attention to all orders offered, but each is made the personal concern of the-writer, who makes it his business to see that each client's goods are delivered in good order and early in the morning.—Yours
In a, letter. of this kind it is not advisable to lay particular stress on the fact that you are already serving other tradesmen in the neighbourhood wlia deal in they same class of goods. There is, very often, a prejudice against dual deliveries. The letter, in any case, will have to be followed by a peratinal call, when the advisability or otherwise of mentioning the fact that you are serving a rival tradesman
will be apparent. TEE SKOTCH.