Increased weights to the fore
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HIGHER gross weights and their effect on productivity and the environment were well to the fore last week at a conference entitled "Commercial Vehicle Development into the Eighties" held at Cranfield.
Representing Leyland Vehicles Ltd, J. Moore said that he thought further noise legislation would be used as a palliative to the environmentalists in exchange for higher weights.
As far as future vehicle development was concerned, Mr Moore predicted more intercompany collaboration. -Currently every company is talking to every other company," he said.
In his paper on user requirements, R. Denniss of Bass Trade Developments Ltd said that it was more important for an operator to be able to predict accurately the total life of operating cost than actually to achieve it.
He criticised the attitudes of the factories when he said "it is a mystery why manufacturers show no interest in operators' records of maintenance but rely instead on warranty claims''.
Mr Dennis went on to argue the case for diagnostic equipment which could eliminate the need for maintenance on a regular time basis.
Representing York Trailer Co Ltd. K. Buckby argued the case for higher weights and stressed the need for immediate action. "It is often said that legislation is design restrictive. I would say that absence of legislation is design restrictive.
Mr Buckby said that his company. believed that the heavier
vehicle was the key to increased efficiency and he saw no reason for denying higher weights to the UK operator any longer.