Fixing Rates for Ballast Haulage
Page 49
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iNTERESTING references to the work of the Ballast, !Sand and Allied Trades Association are contained in the report of the half-yearly general meeting of members held on November 18 at the Roads and Transport Exhibition, when Mr. A. J. Arnold, the chairman, presided.
The chairman said that the number of members was now greater than at any other time, and 66,-500 more Association pink tickets had been issued for the first half of the year than for the cerresponding period last year. The general use of this ticket would ensure that the amount loaded was the quantity delivered. He hoped he could look forward to the time when all consumers would insist upon the delivery of the Association ticket on every job. In the same period, 516 loading-line plates had been provided. He appreciated that these plates had sometimes to be removed when bodies were changed, but lie hoped that members would not use vehicles for a longer time than was essential without the plates being fitted on both sides. Attention was drawn to the necessity of levelling loads; without these, the plates were of little value.
Problems Created by Irresponsible Hauliers.
Reference was made to the need for all lorry owners to trade strictly in accordance with the terms of their particular licences. Much of the trouble with which the industry has been faced has been due to the irresponsibility of a great many operators. Those . hauliers who have endeavoured to work on economic lines have been subjected to unfair competition. The licensing scheme, by which the licence includes an undertaking that vehicle's shall be kept in a fit and serviceable condition, must have a tendency to raise the standard Of road haulage throughout the country. The Association was not one which had adversely criticized the Road and Rail Traffic Act, 1933. as it was considered that legislation of this kind was the only method by which properly organised road haulage could come into its own and obtain the market to which it was entitled.
The ASsociation is doing much work in endeavouring to have the cubic yard standardized as a legal measure, and it had been instrumental in getting the Board of Trade to preSirit to.Parliament the new Weights and Measures Bill. Should thiaBill be passed in its present form and the cubic yard legaliz,ed as a measure of capacity: it would be neces
sary to convey sand or ballast in a receptacle bearing a stamp of verification affixed by an Inspector of Weights and Measures. The term " ballast " has a wide meaning; and includes gravel, shingle, ashes or clinker, any material commonly known in the building or engineering trades as ballast, stone chippings, granite chippings or hard core of brick, stone, concrete, or any similar material commonly known and used in these trades as an aggregate for constructioeal work.
Mr. H. E. Peirce mentioned the advantages of using gravel for the top dressing of tar roads. It is cheap and often produced locally, its non-skid properties are well known, and its light colour is an aid to night driving.
Mr, A. F. Shaw addressed the meeting on the question of the advisability of adhering as closely as possible to the " Schedules of Vehicle Coatings and Haulage Rates for the Ballast and Sand Industry." A great amount of work had been entailed in compiling these. Mr. W. A. Batterson said the schedules would enable an operator to find immedi4e1y the economic rate for a particular journey, and to
see exactly how that rate was made up. , Invaluable Costing Schedules.
We have received from the Association a copy of the schedules of cost, which are contained in a 12-page brochure, which, however, is issued only to inernber.. Schedule A deals with standing charges' and running costs. Schedule B instances the difference in the amount of work a vehicle is capable of doing and its earning abilities due to good and bad loading conditions at gravel pits. Schedule C is a ready reckoner which will enable au operator to tell immediately what he should charge for a journey of a particular 'mileage with a vehicle of specified carrying capacity, having allowed for overhead expenses and profit. The reckoner also gives a set of rates for radial or " crowfly mileages, which, it is believed, have not been included in any other published list of haulage rates. The rates are based on road miles and radial miles arid are hi the ratio of 9 to 7.
Wc are assured by the secretary, Mr. E. V. Smith, that the rates, although not compiled from 'those published by. us for general work, but obtained by careful analysis of all the relative conditions, were found to be very close to those in The Commercial Motor Tables of Operating Costs.