checked and readily available, daily, the complete system, including the
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preparation of vehicle maintenance costs through to monthly and cumulative operating results via form R.B.6. could be finalized in one hour per month per vehicle. However, in a general office operating a 35-hour week,
Parkinson's Law is usually evident to a greater extent than elsewhere, consequently this indispensable and indeed interesting work is by no means a full-time job unless or until the fleet exceeds 100 vehicles. Where practicable daily recording of drivers' logs should be progressed by the traffic office from where the work originates, but even though these entries occupy only one minute per vehicle/day this will only be successful if the time required is uninterrupted.
For the operator with his own workshop the progressing of vehicle repair costs is the only other daily occupation as the remainder of the vehicle /fleet costing process is a once-a-month job; consequently, if the costing as such is undertaken by the accounts section, then the person responsible for the recording and payment of suppliers' accounts is happier in as much as he does not have to release "his" invoices to someone else for vouching or costing. Moreover, unless it is a large workshop organization already operating its own costing section, I am opposed to diverting fitters' or foremen's time from their proper functions.
The solution lies in stimulating the interest of a member of the staff with a methodical approach to statistics, an inquiring mind and, above all, an appreciation of the importance of the work and the opportunity it provides to make an effective contribution to the profitability of the department or company. Job satisfaction being as important as salary progression, there is a good deal of attraction in such a challenging assignment with its responsibility to see the job through to the end product as opposed to the routine segment of his or her other work.
As the objective is to keep management up to date on all aspects of operational efficiency, the key to this is in completing daily work daily. This is imperative, as once it is allowed to lapse it may be impossible to retrieve the ,situation with the result that interest declines and the Flow-line grinds to a halt. For this reason it is necessary to legislate for continuity in the absence of the person primarily responsible.
To emphasize the importance of this work, I prefer to call the person to whom this responsibility is entrusted the "cost analyst" rather than "clerk" as clinical analysis of cost /profit performance together with any remedial action recommended is the final objective.
The cost of operating the Flow-line system, even allowing for a commensurate increase in salary, does not arise if you recognize that in arresting profit leaks you are costing for maximum profit.
In the next instalment I shall explain how to assemble the ingredients to total operating costs. Liveries are best I was interested to read Mr. P. C. Galton's letter ICM August 8) and in particular his first reason for leaving commercial vehicles without lettering. He wrote:
''A vehicle loaded with, say, cigarettes is less likely to be stolen if it has not lettering on than one which has.'
It is true that this was the original thinking of many security minded operators (including myself) but circumstances have now reversed this thought for most of us. Radio and Press publicising of thefts and the activities of the Vehicle Observer Corps makes it more likely that a well-liveried stolen vehicle will be remembered, by a passing driver, as seen entering a receiver's premises or railway arch or farm building, than a plain one. Therefore, publicity gained by such vehicles, which are specially designed to attract attention, does not suit the hijackers.
J. T. BROWN. Chairman, ANA Vehicle Security Committee
Spotlight on testing
I find that I must associate myself with the views expressed by Mr. R. E. Hentall in "Spotlight on Swansea Goods Vehicle Centre" by John Darker, Commercial Motor August 8, and add a few of my own, I am a fleet engineer and am responsible for presenting vehicles at an H.G.V. Testing Station, having done the necessary paper work. I try to organize it so that minimum interference is caused to the firm's daily rounds.
I have 12 vehicles to be plated in October and working on a basis of one vehicle every three working days, I submitted the applications—admittedly I also used the latter half of September—for this exercise, bearing in mind workshop loading capacity.
These applications were sent off on July 1 so that the MoT would have plenty of time to handle them and, I hoped, observe my request dates.
I am still awaiting an appointment for one application submitted, and of the appointments received, three are for the same day at 15 min. intervals.
It is a round trip of about 32 miles to the H.G.V. Testing Station that we use. The keeping of these three appointments will mean the loss of three vehicles for one day, and three drivers being paid for not doing their jobs, as unless our vehicles can leave the depot by 8 a.m., they cannot complete their rounds in a day. The firm has already paid 15 for these three vehicles to be tested, and now has to stand the loss of use, and pay the drivers.
It is written into the Plating and Testing Regulations that falling to co-operate will be declared an offence. An arrangement just a little one sided. I think.
Today the operator has to satisfy the H.G.V. Testing Station, MoT Vehicle Examiners that periodically visit operators premises, roadside checks, the Vehicle Examiner casually strolling along the road looking for trouble and always finding it. The Police also are rapidly becoming tyre experts, smoke detectors and coach builders..
One way and another the operator pays vast sums of money per year in duties and taxes, all of which I can well imagine is spent paying the salaries of people to put him out of business.
In common with other operators, I wholeheartedly concur with road safety. In a high standard of maintenance and road worthiness lies the operators best advertisement but the "could cause an accidentattitude is now being grossly overplayed.
Operators never asked for all today's regulations which are rapidly choking them. They have been told to toe the line and PAY. Incidentally, who pays the rent for the storage of all the documents that now have to be kept for 15 months. MoT? I very much doubt it.
While the nation is struggling through its present financial crises, it does seem a pity that such undoubted talent as must lie with the MoT cannot be directed into nationally more remunerative channels, directed no doubt by another authority.
G. C. BR FISCHER, "Dor-to-Dor" Carriers ( Brighton) Ltd.
Good books needed
With reference the article on transport education, may I make the point that while training courses may be a help not everyone has the time to spare to attend such courses.
Of course, I am of the age group who unfortunately did not get a chance to qualify for diplomas, etc, and at the time when I should have been studying, such training schemes didn't exist. I was given a tool kit, a khaki uniform, and a revolver and told to get on with it. Diplomas didn't matter then as they do now. But thanks to the wonderful training I did get, and the recent advice given me, I am now well on the way to full membership of the I RTE.
The point I wish to make is that fleet engineers, perhaps owing to pressure of work or family commitments, just do not have the time to attend courses, and I feel here that there is much more need for good quality literature, well written in layman's English as against the Whitehall variety, dealing with all aspects of transport laws and administration, including maintenance schedules and all queries which a future transport manager will come across in daily life. Such a publication would to me appear to be much more beneficial than course education, as it would always be available for immediate reference, whereas the classroom is usually forgotten.
Why not start a pull-out supplement in your excellent magazine each week dealing with all aspects of transport management and including the various Ministry forms in detail which one must know about in order to keep on the right side of the law? This to my mind would fill a large gap in the present system. It would be worth paying a further 6d per week for such a service.
D. J. GREGGALE, Carlisle. ICM pages are easily detached and hinders are available at 15s each inclusive of postage from 1PC Business Press Ltd., Sundry Sales, 161 Fleet Street, London, EC1.—Ed.1 More letters on page 50