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Peculiar Difficulties in
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AGRICULTURAL AULAGE
Solving the Problems of the Carrier— The First Instalment of a Series of Three Articles Dealing with the Specific Problems of Haul age for the Agriculturist
THE haulier whose business is mainly with farmers has many special, and sometimes peculiar, problems to solve. He has awkward roads to traverse and narrow gates and ways to negotiate-conditions which reduce speed, thus adding to his costs. Loading and unloading facilities are often crude, whilst the ideas of farm labourers as to the value of time and the importance of punctuality are often most irritatingly vague.
Again, the farmer himself is particularly favoured by the State, so far as his own personal use of road transport is concerned. His Road Fund tax is low and his wages bill small. Moreover, he can carry, under a C licence, the goods of neighbouring farmers, so that he is able, by various means, to compete with the bona fide haulier on terms which, from the point of view of the latter, are particularly unfair. If these be not sufficient obstacles in the way of the haulage contractor, there is the fact that the railway companies, as the outcome of moneys voted to them by Parliament, but provided out of the tax on fuel paid partly by the haulier, offer a rebate to the fanner of 10-15 per cent, on the rates for the conveyance, by rail, of agricultural produce and necessities for farming. In view of all these difficulties, it almost seems like flying in the face of providence to recommend a haulier to devote himself to this branch of the trade. Yet it is true that many hauliers do direct their energies in this way and find a reasonable profit as the result.
Corning to the more practical aspects of the matter, one of the difficulties of this branch of the haulage business is the wide variety of materials to be conveyed. Hay, straw, hops, sugar-beet, chicory, lime, grain, flour, pulp, seeds, oil cake, vegetables, fruit, horses, sheep, cattle, pigs, implements and machinery,
c58 and manures—these are but a few, and each has its own particular requirements in respect of the way it must be handled and the type of vehicle needed. One of the peculiarities of hay and straw is fairly obvious. It is light in comparison with its bulk. But how many hauliers, other than those who have had experience of its conveyance—some of that experience dearly bought—realize just how light it is and how considerable an effect that particular characteristic may have on the prospect of its profitable haulage? It takes 5-6 cubic yds. of hay or straw to make a ton, and, in actual fact, a full load for a 2-ton lorry is about 25 cwt. of either commodity. That is the maximum quantity which can be loaded with safety.
Clearly, the haulier who quotes on the basis of a 2-ton load for a 2-ton lorry will receive a severe shock when he puts his fully loaded vehicle on the weighbridge ; a shortage of 15 cwt. in a 2-ton load is more than likely to wipe out the narrow margin of profit which work of this kind generally affords. The discrepancy between actual and rated capacity is even greater in larger lorries. Rates for the conveyance of this commodity are apt to be cut to a minimum, and, according to some of the correspondence which I have had, the greatest offenders appear to be the railway companies. There was a particular case, recently, for example, of a haulage contractor losing work to the railway company, because the latter quoted 3s. per ton for hay conveyed over a four-mile lead, the rate to include waiting to be loaded and unloaded ; moreover, there was no prospect of a return load.
It is clearly difficult to assess rates without some know
ledge of the %ize of vehicle in use. It is, however, reasonable to assume a 3-tonner, carrying 2 tons of hay. With a smaller vehicle, the prospect of profit would be even less; with a larger one the load carried would be smaller in proportion to the vehicle capacity and cost. . Indeed, it is, perhaps, true to state that a 3-tonner, with a maximum-size high-sided body, is the most economical unit for this class of work.
A 3-ton lorry, even taking into consideration the favourable conditions under which the railway companies can work, must cost at least 3d. per mile for running costs and 72s. per week—is. ed per hour—for standing charges. It is most unlikely that 2 tons of hay can be loaded, unloaded, and the vehicle run eight miles in less than. i hour. That fixes the net operating cost at 4s. 3d. per load. The revenue is es., leaving a margin of only is. 9d. to cover establishment charges and profit, which is obviously insufficient.
Hauliers who are asked to quote for the
conveyance of this material should calculate the cost of each particular journey, using the figures in The Commercial Motor
Tables of Operating Costs, which give data
for time and mileage charges, although in country districts they may modify these by quoting bir a 3-ton lorry 31d. per mile, plus 3s. ed. per hour. Having ascertained the full charge for a particular journey, divide by two, and the result, assuming the conveyance of a 2-ton load, is the charge per ton.
Another factor to bear in mind in connection with the cartage of hay and straw is the fire risk.
Altogether, therefore, there are three points which miist be borne in mind when dealing with this class of material, namely, its light weight, the extra time involved in loading and unloading, and the necessity of taking out a policy of insurance against fire.
Another material concerning which I have recently
had some correspondence with hauliers in the agricultural business is turf, and I must confess that I was rather surprised at the figure which I have been given for the weight of this material. I understand it takes as much as 30 yds to the ton. If this be so, there can be no vehicle which will carry even hall its rated load of turfs. In preparing quotations for the conveyance of turfs, therefore, follow the procedure as above outlined, but in the case of, say, a 3-ton lorry, divide by 1.1 to ascertain the rate per ton. S.TIR.