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A YEAR'S WORKING OF A MUNICIPAL FLEET.

27th March 1923, Page 24
27th March 1923
Page 24
Page 24, 27th March 1923 — A YEAR'S WORKING OF A MUNICIPAL FLEET.
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Keywords : Rootes, Commer

Interesting Figures Relating to a Number of 5-tonners Engaged on Road Reconstruction and Maintenance Duties.

MOST ENTERPRISING municipal authorities are at all times willing to provide details relating to the running of the mechanical vehicles in their,service, and in some instances considerable trouble is taken to amass a wealth _ of information and ta collate from it interesting and instructive data in statistical form. In this respect they differ from many private firms, which exhibit a decided disinclination to divulge details oftheir transport records, and particularly their running costs, for fear some astute competitor might reap an advantage from perusing them closely. From this point of view there may be something to support the attitude of these users. It cuts both ways, of course, and as they do not permit competitors to benefit, they, in their turn, are not provided with opportunities for gaining knowledge of the operation of other users' transport systems.

It is agreed that there are striking dissinailarities in the transport arrangements of municipalities and ordinary trading companies, and that, in the case of the former, the question of competitive service does not arise, but it must not be forgotten that commercial vehicle manufacturers appreciate the communication of details relating to running and working costs, if for no other reason than that, it enables them to maintain close touch with the user during the working Eves of the vehicles. Moreover, the manufacturer who has details of the operation of vehicles in all classes of trades is enabled to advise the user whether he is obtaining the greatest economy and efficiency from the machines in his service.

For example, the detail costs which have been forwarded tb Commercial Cars, Ltd., of Luton, by Mr. F. W. Smart, .surveyor to the Eedfordshire County Council, which owns a fleet of six Commer Car wagons, cannot possibly fail to provide the company with much useful material. We reproduce on this page a tabulation giving these costs, which have been extracted from the annual report of the county surveyor for the year 1921-1922, which has recently been issued.

The six Commer Car chassis, which are, of the aompany'a,36-40.h.p.

C.C. type, are each fitted with a tipping body, the operation of tipping being controlled by hand-actuated double screws. The bodies have ordinary drop sides, but. a special feature is the tail. board with which each is fitted, this being arranged to swing from the top rr from the bottom.

The Duties of the Lorries.

The vehicles are employed entirely on road reconstruction and maintenance duties, and the loads which they carry consist of barrels of tar; road surfacing materials, and the usual impedimenta. connected with such work. Their field of operations extends over the whole of

the county of Bedforahire, and as they are often called upon to travel over roads under various stages of construction and repair some idea. of the hard usage tc which they are put can be gathered.

If endorsement of this statement is needed it can he obtained by carefully analysing the tabulation of -costa, when perusing which it shouldbe borne in mind that three of the vehicles have seen over 10 years' service. It can readily ,be ascertained, working on the basis of the figures given, that the averageyearly mileage of each vehicle is 12,828, representing close an 250 miles per week, the distance travelled annually being spre'5.41 over 2,188 average working hours, i.e.' about 42 hours per week if the vehicle is in service for 52 weeks in the year. The number of loads carried and the gross weight transported also indicate the arduous nature of the work undertaken.

The fleet of vehicles travelled a combined distance of 77,768 miles, and since the number of gallons of petrol consumed. was 13,586, the distance run on each gallon of fuel was almost 6 milesa highly satisfactory figure.

The figures dealing with total coat, cost per ton-mile, and cost per working hour are best considered in relation to the individual vehicles. to which they refer, but the fact cannot be Overlooked that they afford illuminating evidence of the reliability and economy of road transport vehicle a in municipal service.

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