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PROBLEMS OF THE HAULIER AND CARRIER.

25th September 1928
Page 29
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Page 29, 25th September 1928 — PROBLEMS OF THE HAULIER AND CARRIER.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

What to do when Heavy Loads Have to be Carried. The Loss in Time, but Gain in Economy, if a Trailer be Hauled.

MOST hauliers would be inclined to the view that "City," a correspondent who has been writing to me this week, has "butter on both sides of his bread r As a general rule it is admitted that the one insoluble problem of haulage, be it by road, rail, river or sea, is that of finding return loads. It is easy enough to get loads—one way—and it is easy enough to quote coin Petitive rates for those loads, provided it is only necessary to charge a client for the journey in one -direc

tion; making some other client, at the other end of the journey, pay for the return, as a consideration for the conveyance of his goods.

One Hundred Per Cent. Return Loads.

Dozens Of ideas for increasing the proportion of return loads have been tried—and found. wanting. Daring the war, in particular, when every pint of petrol, every sack of coal or coke, and every ton of lorry space was so urgently needed for vitally essential services; every possible avenue was explored in an endeavour to reduce the empty running to a minimum. To-day every haulier is trying to do the same thing. To him the matter is one of pounds, shillings and pence. It can, however, be stated in terms of percentage efficiency. A vehicle which is running all its time

fully loaded is 100 per cent. efficient. One which carries loads only one way is 50 per cent, efficient, and so on. Really, the figure of 100 per cent, is never attained, because there is always a certain amount of empty running, from garage to loading bay, and back again, and in the same way it is a fact that a vehicle which carries loads one way only is less than 50 per cent. efficient. Most hauliers' vehicles work on something over the 50 per cent, mark, because there are few who do not get an occasional return load, so that there are not many who do not do more than carrying loads one way only. We can, therefore, say, with truth, that in this matter we are a long way ahead of the railway companies, for it is acknowledged that the percentage of its life that a railway wagon spends in carrying loads is very small Indeed; so small is it that I have forgotten whether it is over or under five per cent.

Just as Full when Empty-!

Some hauliers are fairly well placed in this matter in that they are always sure of a return load, even though it be a light one. They are those who bring back the empty eases in which were packed the goods they took on the outward journey. This fortunate fellow, "City," however, to whom I referred in the opening paragraph 01 this article, carries empties on his return journey; but his "empties" are almost as heavy when they are void as when they are full.

There's a puzzle in that. Perhaps some of my readers would like to sit back for a minute or two and try to guess what material it is that is carried by motor lorries and is such that it makes no real difference to the weight of the load whether the material be there or not, whether the lorry be taking out the containers full of the material, or bringing them back empty.

Well, on the assumption that those who are guessing have made their guess and now wish to know if they are right, the material is compressed gas. It goes out in steel cylinders, and the steel cylinders have to be brought back to the gas-compressing factory to be refilled. They weigh as much when empty as they do when full, or as nearly so as makes no matter.

Twenty-ton Loads.

Now, this man " City" has evidently got the offer of a big contract for the carriage of these cylinders. In his letter he states that the cylinders of gas are dispatched by road to various depots from factories in the Midlands. He says he must provide for loads of anything up to 20 tons, both ways, over long distances (full loads of full cylinders out from factory to depOts, and full loads again, this time of empty cylinders, back from depots to factory).

He wants to know what type of vehicle I think to be most suitable for the work and what is the approximate cost per ton-mile, including in that cost proper allowance for depreciation, etc. He asks the average distance that can be covered per day with the vehicles I recommend, whether one or two drivers would be considered to be necessary for long-distance work, how. they are paid and what out-of-pocket expenses are allowed to. them.

First of all as to type of vehicle. That is easily answered, for there is nothing to beat the rigid type six-wheeled steam wagon for this work, either with or without trailer.

The next question is as . to the cost per ton-mile. I really wonder whether, in asking for this, " City " knows what it is he is asking, for I don't imagine that he will be able to make much use of a figure for cost per ton-mile. Anyhow, I have to find the cost per vehicle-mile first, and will do so. The cost per ton,. mile can be calculated afterwards. I am going to assume a five-day working week, with the Saturday morning for cleaning up and giving the vehicle those little attentions which are so essential. The mileage will be from 100 to 120 per day—which answers another of " City's" questions—or 500 to 600 per week.

According to The Commercial Motcr's Tables of Operating Costs, that is from 15.630. to 14.60d. per vehicle-mile, 15.63d. if the distance coveredis 500 miles per week, but only 14 60d. per mile if 600 miles is the distance run in the week.

To calculate the cost per ton-mile it is only necessary to divide the cost per vehicle-mile by the number of tons conveyed, so that the answer is from 1.30d. to 1.220. per ton-mile, according to whether the weekly mileage is 54)e or 600.

Is a Trailer Worth While ?

The maximum load per journey per vehicle with a steam wagon alone is 12 tons, and I qoubt whether that load can legally be carried if the axle-weights are toe closely watched. As our correspondent refers to the possibility of 20-ton loads, I can only conclude he is thinking of using trailers.

The stag with trailers, of course, is that they slow the vehicle as a whole. Instead of being able to count on 100 to 120 miles a day, or 500 to 600 miles per week, as is possible with the unencumbered steam wagon, we may now only reckon 60 or 70 miles a day, or 300 to 350 per week. On that basis the vehiclecost per mile will be from 23.13d. to 21.674. The cost per ton-mile works out at 1.15d. to 1.08d., slightly less with vehicle and trailer than with vehicle alone.

It is now up to'" City" to decide whether the delay involved in the use of the slow-moving wagon and trailer is worth while.

His remaining questions are easily answered. Two men are necessary on a job of this kind. Their wages are round about £4 10s. to £5 per week for the driver, and 10s. or £1 a week le.-s for his mate. The regular allowance for each, when working away from home,

is 7s. 6d. per night. _ S.T.It,

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