The Distribution of Bottled Milk.
Page 71
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IATEEEN milk has to be distributed
V V from one depot at the rate of 10,000 gallons daily for seven days per week, and over an area of 300 square rriles, the employment of speedy and capacious vehicles becomes imperative, and the importance of reducing to a mMitaum the handling of the eases, when, transferring loads from the big lorries to the small vans for local distribution, becomes paramount.
A new motor vehicle, which will carry a load of six tons and is built so that its cargo can be unloaded at one time into six 25-cwt. horsed vans, has just been placed in service by the London Co-operative Society, Ltd. The chassis is the new Commer 6tonner, with solid tyres, and the body has been specially built at the Society's works at Witte Road, Manor. Park, London, E.
The large platform of the lorry is
covered by a cambered wood roof supported at the corners and at two points on each side by iron stanchions. The sides and back of the lorry are SO constructed that they can be ciuickly opened, the object of this being to permit quick and simultaneous unloading into sir small vans. The lower half of each body-side is constructed in three portions carried on heavy hinges
at the platform level, and suitably fastened to the stanchions. The upper half of each side is built in the form of three frames with stout wood crossbattens, each section being carried in metal slots and made easily to lift out. The back of the van is similarly designed.
The lorry is loaded at the bottling depot with cases containing either quart, pint or half-pint bottles, and it then makes a circuit of the 16 local distributing centres. Driving straight into the yard, it is halted and the small horsed delivery vans are backed against the lowered body sides. The horsed vans in this Society's service are of modest width, so that three of them can be backed up against the motor vehicle while their drivers load them with the cases of milk.
The new 6-tonner will , carry 240 cases, each containing 20 pint bottles o.•• 12 quart bottles. and weighing between 61 lb. and 68 lb. The maximum capacity, of the vehicle is thus nearly 700 gallons.
Milk distribution is always a business of urgency calling for reliability of the vehicle and ease and quickness Ill the handling of the load. An impression of the service' which the new lorry will have to perform is gained when we mention that a Commer 4-ton vehicle engaged in similar work for the London Co-operative Society, Ltd., is regularly on the road from 2.15 a.m. until 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. for seven days ha' everyweek.