Choosing a Vehicle To-day
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Comparative Costs of Three Different Vehicles, Assessed on the Basis of the Latest Figures, Are Explained in This Article
ARISING out of the article which I wrote in the issue dated December 1, entitled -Costs Rise 20 Per Cent.," I have received an inquiry from a C-licensee suggesting that I deal again with the problem of choice of a vehicle, taking present-day costs into consideration. He wanted to know what was the most economical size of vehicle for operation in which there was ample traffic but in which lead distances varied widely.
I decided to deal with the problem from the viewpoints of both the haulier whose radius of operation is restricted and the ancillary user. The important factors in this matter are lead distance, load capacity and terminal delays, including waiting time. Terminal delays, in fact, make it necessary. for each case to be considered individually, for the proportion of running to standing time varies with distance as well as the kind of load. More important still is the fact
_ that if heavy vehicles are to be run, there must always be full loads available.
Let us consider three types, the 6-tonner, the 71-tonner and the maximum-load eight-wheeler of 14 tons capacity.
I have worked out the operating costs and set them out in Table 1. Depreciation is included in the fixed costs instead of the running costs, as is usual, so as to eliminate complications which would arise when comparing low annual mileages with high 'Annual mileages. I have assumed that the 6-tonner will have a working life of six years, the 71-tonner of seven years. and the 14-tonner eight years.
Recent Increases 1 have taken fuel to cost 2s. 61d. a gallon, and in assessing the cost of tyres I have taken the recent 17i-per cent. increase in price into consideration. I have also reckoned with the 7s.-per-week rise in wages which is now in force.
In assessing terminal delays, I have assumed that the total loading time is 10 mins. per ton plus 10 mins., and took the same for unloading. Therefore, for the 6-tonner the loading time will be six times 10, plus 10, giving me 1 hr. 10 mins. The total terminal period, for loading and unloading, will thus be 2 hrs. 20 mins. To this I shall add one hour per round journey for additional delays which are likely to occur, giving 3 hrs. 20 mins.
For the 74-tonner, the corresponding figures are 1 hr. 25 mins. for loading and unloading plus 1 hr. waiting time, giving 3 hrs. 50 mins., and, by a similar process the total terminal period for the 14-tonner will work out to 6 hrs. The costs of the terminal periods for each type of vehicle will be as follows: for the 6-tonner, 3 hrs. 20 mins. at 7s. 10d. an hour (see Table I), £1 6s. Id.; for the 71-tonner, 3 hrs. 50 mins. at 9s. an hour, £1 14s. 6d.; and for the 14-tonner, 6 hrs. at 12s. lid. an hour, £3 12s. 9d. These costs are equivalent to about 4s. 6d. per ton for the 6-tonner, 4s. 71d. per ton for the 7i-tonner, and 5s. 21d. per ton for the 14-tonner.
For my first comparison I shall take a 10-mile lead. A reasonable time for a 6-tonner to cover 10 miles will be half an hour, one hour for the double journey. Adding. the terminal time we get a total of 4 hrs. 20 mins. The vehicle should therefore cover two journeys in a nine-hour day. The cost can be assessed at 9 hrs. at 7s. 10d, an hour, £3 10s., plus 40 miles at 51d. per mile, 18s. 4d. The total cost for the two journeys is thus £4 8s. 10d., for which 12 tons have been delivered at a cost per ton of 7s. 5d.
Longer Journey Time The 71-tonner, unlike the smaller vehicle, is limited to a maximum speed of 20 m.p.h., so that I shall take hr. as ih:. time needed to run 10 miles, making li hrs. for the round journey. Adding the time for terminal delays, 3 hrs. 50 mins., I obtain a total journey time of 5 hrs. 20 mins., which means that the operator would arrange two trips in 11 hrs. The cost is 11 hrs. at 9s.' £4 19s., plus 40 miles at 60., £1 is. 8d., a total of £6 Os. 81:1. for the conveyance of 15 tons. The cost per ton comes to slightly over 8s.
The 14-tonner needs six hours at the terminals and will require 50 mins. for the journey. The total time is therefore 7 hrs. 50 mins per journey, so that in practice the vehicle will do one trip in an eight-hour day. The cost is 8 hrs. at 12s. lid. an hour, £4 16s. 4d., plus 20 miles at 91d., 15s. 3d., the total being £5 lls. 6d. for the transport of 14 tons, nearly 8s. per ton.
Clearly, the 6-tonner is the most economical vehicle. Its cost per ton is 7d. less than either of the other two.
Now let us assume a lead of 40 miles, the farthest distance which a free haulier may run within the 25-mile radius. The 6-tonner "may be expected to cover this distance in 11 hrs., making 3 hrs. for the round trip. Adding terminal time we obtain a total of 6 hrs. 20 mins. It is impracticable to run a second journey in the day, and assuming that no odd job can be arranged to fill in the time, cost must be based on an eight-hour day. Eight hours at 7s. 10d. an hour, £3 2s. 8d., plus 80 miles at 50., £1 16s. 8d., comes to £4 19s. 4d., which is 16s. 7d. per ton. Should it be possible to find an odd job, we need only debit this work with the cost of 7 hrs., which reduces the total to £4 I Is. 6d. or 15s. 3d. per ton.
The 71-tonner will need 2 hrs. 15 mins. for a 40-mile run, or 41 hrs. for the total journey. Adding 3 hrs. 50 mins. for terminal periods I get 8 hrs. 20 mins., so I shall assume that the vehicle works a nine-hour day. The cost will be 9 hrs. at 9s., £4 Is., plus 80 miles at 64d. a mile, £2 3s. 4d., a total of £6 4s 4d.. giving I6s. 8d. per ton.
The 14-tonner will probably need 5 hrs. for the round journey, making a total, with terminal periods, of 11 hrs. The cost will be 11 hrs. at 12s. 11d., £6 13s. 44d., plus 80 miles at 91d., £3 Os. 10d.,-giving a total of £9 14s. 24d., or 13s. 104d. per ton. This makes the 14-tonner the most economical vehicle to operate, being followed by the 6-tonner.
As a final example I will. for the benefit of C-licence operators, take a lead of 90 miles. The 6-tanner could cover that distance in 3i hrs., 7 hrs. for the total travelling time. Adding 3 hrs. 20 mins. for terminal periods I obtain 10 hrs. 20 mins., say, the delivery of one load in an elevenhour day. The cost will be 11 hrs. at 7s. 10d.. £4 6s. 2d.. plus 180 miles at 54d.. £4 2s. 6d.. giving a total of £8 8s. 8d.. equal to £1 8s. lid. per ton.
Times for a 71-tonner
The 71-tonner. if it adheres to its legal speed limit, will need at least 5 hrs. to complete 90 miles. With terminal periods the time needed to effect one delivery will be 8 hrs. 50 mins., say, 9 hrs. I assume that it is practicable to unload at the destination when the vehicle arrives. The driver will have to spend the night at the outward end of the journey and make the return trip. taking 5 hrs., the next day. He will then load, taking 1 hr. 55 mins., and set out on his way with a second load. If he travels 36 miles and takes 2 hrs. 5 mins. he will then have completed his second nine. hour day.
On the third day, the driver finishes the round and takes 3 hrs. to cover the remaining 54 miles. He again takes 1 hr 55 mins say, 2 hrs., to unload and returns home in a further 5 hrs., making 10 hrs. in all. The total time is 28 hrs.. during which IS tons have been delivered and 360 miles covered. The cost is 28 hrs. at 9s., 412 I2s., plus 360 miles at 60., £9 10s. 6d., a total of £22 7s. To that must be added a sum to cover subsistence and expenses which will bring the cost to about £24, equivalent to £1 12s. per ton.
Cheaper With a 14-tonner
With the 14-tonner, it is safe to assume that over a lead of 90 miles it will average the same speed as the 71-tanner and will therefore cover the distance in 5 hrs. Loading and unloading will occupy 6 hrs., so assuming that the vehicle works 11 hrs, and that loading and unloading can be arranged, the work will be done in a manner similar to that of the previous example. It is best to reckon upon three full days of It hrs. each being taken for the delivery of two loads, so that the cost will be 33 hrs. at I2s. 11d.. £20 Os. 11d.. plus 360 miles at 91d., £13 13s. 9d.. totalling £33 14s., which with subsistence allowances and expenses, can be taken as £35. This is equivalent to £1 5s, per ton.
In this example, the I4-tonner appears to be the cheapest with the 6-tonner next. Certain assumptions have been made in these calculations. It has been taken for granted that no loader is required, but that there will be one at the terminal points. 1 have also made no provision for the cost of overtime, because the fact that the vehicle is fully employed is sufficient to offset the extra payments on this account This is a condition I have found to he generally applicable so long as there is no Sunday work. S.T.R.