UK makers slated on guarantees
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• A slashing attack on United Kingdom makers of commercial vehicles for discontinuing production of satisfactory models and for not guaranteeing maintenance costs was made by Mr Alf Jones, transport manager of Air Products Ltd, • during a discussion with CM on Sunday at the company's Driver of the Year competition at Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs.
Referring to his recent visit to America, Mr Jones said that in that country makers provided a guarantee covering maintenance costs up to a mileage of 400,000. Manufacturers in the UK had no idea of the maintenance costs of existing models up to 100,000 miles, their normal guarantee covering a mileage of 40,000. Operators were entitled to know what maintenance costs would be.
Two hundred and fifty distribution vehicles are operated by the company in this country. The most recent addition, a liquid carbon dioxide 32-ton gross articulated tanker is the first of 17 to be built in the company's Workshops that will load at a new plant in Stanlow. It can carry a 15/20 per cent higher payload (16 tons) than conventional CO2 tankers. at a temnerature
and pressure of —40deg F and 120 psi respectively and is unloaded by a pump driven by a Volkswagen petrol engine, pressure discharge being normally employed. The tank is of aluminium and insulation is provided by 4 to Sin. of plastics material in slab form. A load is discharged in about 30min.
The driving competition was the second annual event to be held by the company and there were 76 entrants from 14 depots, compared with 64 last year, and again it was an outing for the wives arid kids as well as being a keenly contested event. The winners of the four classes were each awarded a cash prize of £25 and a cup while the second and third men in Classes 1, 2 and 3 were awarded £15 and £10 respectively, the winner of Class 4 being the one entrant to receive a prize (£25) as them were only three competitors in this class.
Forty-four drivers took part in Class 1 in which all the vehicles were 30/32-ton tankers hauled by AEC tractive units. Prizes were presented (with kisses) by Hilary Pritchard. who was featured in Braden's Week on BBC-TV. The event was attended by Dr D. Spencer, managing director of Air Products. Shots were made of some of the manoeuvring tests for inclusion in a "safety and instruction film" being made by the company.
Class 1, 32-ton gross articulated vehicles: W. Tyldesley (Carrington depot) 121+ penalty points. Class 2, three-axle rigids: H. Jarvis (Darlaston). 871.
Class 3, two-axle rigids: R. Falconer (Cardiff). 148f. .
Class 4, light vans: J. Galloway llilergaddiel. 82f. Team award: Darlaston (H. Jarvis. A. S. Leo and A. Lowe).