TRANSPORT TIPS FOR TRADESMEN.
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Particularly Addressed to Those Who are Replacing Horsed Vehicles by Motors, or Contemplating So Doing.
IT IS GENERALLY a mistaken policy to fit commercial vehicles of any kind with tyres that are at all on the small side. This is not infrequently done, because the smaller tyres cost less in the first instance.
Tyre Dimensions.
Though this is so, the larger tyre is generally the better investment because the percentage increase in mileage covered by it is usually appreciably greater than the percentage increase of cost involved. The -use of unduly small tyres is generally brought about by the.motor owner rather than by the manufacturer. The tyre manufacturer is consistently opposed to it, not because he gets more money for the larger tyres, . but because his reputation suffers when smaller tyres are used, and the profit resulting from the need of . frequent replacements do.es.not compensate him for this lose of reputation. If tyres of really ample dimensions were always fitted, thmasuperior lasting powers would mean a smaller turnover for the manufacturer in respect of the use of any particular fleet of vehicles. He must, and does, however, look further than this. Dissatisfaction, in reality due not to poor quality in the tyres but to their inadequate dimensions, may lead the user to give up his make of tyres and go to somebody else, who may be successful in persuading him to fit tyres of a larger section. In that case better results are probably secured, and the competing manufacturer, therefore, gets a fictitious reputation for superior quality of his tyres.
The chassis manufacturer also dislikes fitting small tyres. They give less adequate protection to the mechanism and he knows, in the long run, that they do not represent an economy. His hand is, however, very often forced by the insistence of the user on a low total price of the complete vehicle with tyres. Under-tyring is, therefore, mainly the user's responsibility, directly or indirectly. As one of many ex. amples to show how bad a policy it is, I may mention an instance which has recently come to my notice. A fleet of passenger-carrying vehicles was originally equipped with 100 ram. tyres, the proprietor not being disposed to incur the cost of tyres of larger section. The mileage obtained with the tyres of the original size was not good, and, finally, the proprietor as incheced to fit 120 mm. tyres. From the very first, it was found that: these larger tyres gave 50 per cent. better mileage, and this result has been maintained. The increase in first cost was only just over 20 per cent., so that the net result of the change is that the cost of tyre maintenance per mile has been reduced by nearly 25 per cent. Many other users have had similar experiences, whereas it would be difficult to find instances in which the adoption of tyres of larger section has led to increase in tyre maintenance costs per mile covered.
The Carrier's Cart Case Again.
I am informed that in the case of the carrier's cart. to which I have already referred, the law is quite clear. If the car provides seats for five passengers and space for a ton of goods, the carrier must apply for a hackney carriage licence for a five-seater. Legally, the fact that he will also carry goods makes no difference. It is, of course, quite possible —indeed, probable — that the hackney carriage licence for a five-seater will be much cheaper than the licence for the vehicle if used solely el.6
for the carriage of goods. On these grounds it is probable enough that the authority will refuse the cheaper licence and tell the carrier to take out licence for a trade vehicle. If he does so, he is breaking the law the first time he picks up a passenger and takes his fare. Altogether, the position of the registration authority is not a very pleasant one. It is a very invidious job to decide what is the appropriate licence in any one of the numerous cases in which the muddle-headed scheme of the Ministry of Transport does not really provide any appropriate licence at all. Anyhow, it is clear enough that We shall not get things straight 'until. several test cases have been fought out, and I suggest that when a .user has taken expert advice, as I recommended in recent notes, and when he finds subsequently that the registration authority will not give him the licence he asks far, he should simply go on running without a licence pending settlement which will have to be reached before long. It seems to me that if the owner is in the right as to the purpose for which he wants his vehicle, and if he tenders the' correct sum for the licence appropriate to that purpose,' nothing much can happen to him if foolish or suspicious authorities refuse that licence and offer him something different which is not in the least what he, wants.
Cleanliness and Efficiency.
To run commercial motor vehicles efficiently, it is essential to observe cleanliness in dealing with them, and the old adage, "Cleanliness is next to godliness," is almost as true for motor vehicles a.s it is for human beings. A man who never washes himself must not expect to live langfree from disease, and, similarly, a motor vehicle which is never washed and cared for in. every, respect will experience all the ills to which such. a • vehicle is heir, and which might. be prevented altogether, or, at least, delayed for a considerable time, by proper attention.
It is unfortunately too common to observe tradesmen's vehicles running in. the streets caked with mud of days or even weeke, and if anything goes wrong the driver or mechanic has almost to dig his way through this accumulation of filth in order to perform the necessary repairs or adjustment. A dirty vehicle signifies slackness and lack of supervision, and the condition inside the various units will probably be almost as bad as that outside—the sump full of stale oil and the gearbox and rear axle running nearly dry ; even when the greasers are attended to a certain, amount of grit and dirt is apt to enter while they are being filled ; the road springs may lose a great amount of their flexibility, causing extra vibration and consequent trouble with the body and other parts of the vehicle and with the load, and those parts liable= to corrosion will eel.tainly deteriorate rapidly.
We have not yet emphasized the importance of the matter of cleanliness from the publicity point of view. The general public may object strongly to having its food conveyed in vehicles presenting an insanitary appearance, whereas a clean, well-polished vehicle certainly tends to increase custom, and in itself forms a very striking advertising medium.