The Way in Which to Apply Our Figures for Operating Costs.
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A BUNDANT evidence of the appreciation which -Z3-is felt for The Commercial Motor's Tables of Operating Costs is constantly forthcoming, and not the least valuable of this evidence is the number of arguments which are raised about the bases taken for so many of our figures. We have laie it down as the foundation of the application of any and every one of the separate cost items that they are average figures of the running costs and standing charges disclosed to us by all kinds of users operating under all sorts and variety of conditions and circumstances.
Therefore, any operator desirous of taking guidance from our tables,-must first put to himself the question—In what way do my circumstances differ from the 'average? Ile must consider whether he and his staff are working to secure the best condition of vehicle at the minimum cost ; they may be extravagant, or, conversely, they may even be neglectful. The country in which the vehicles operate may be billy or, generally speaking, level —making a considerable difference in fuel consumption and wear in transmission and brakes, The roads may largely be smooth, as in and near London, or they may be rough and flinty, meaning a considerableadifference in tyre wear. The class of work may be gentle, or it may be very rough on chassis and body. Cost of maintenance will vary with the size of a fleet, the units of a large fleet being cheaper to maintain at a given standard than a single vehicle, provided the overhead charges are kept at a reasonable level. E'en in the matter of cost of administration there will be extreme divergences.
Just as it would be utterly impossible to find two men whose lives were' ordered _on lines precisely similar in every detail, so it could be argued that the costing experiences of any one owner of motor vehicles could be no guide to any other. -.An average " figure, however, which has been arrived at, after taking the good with the bad, gives one something to work upon_ and enables anyone who desires to knoW what his own costs should be to say, " I must do as well as, and even better than, that figure, or I must look for some reason peculiar to my own gircumstances."
At the present moment we are discussing with a maker the possible life of giant pneumatics. some excellent figures have been recorded, and one eau with confidence put the life of such a tyre, when properly treated and run under fair road conditions, at over 20,000 miles. With a sound casing, retreading IS justified, and much larger mileages have been given to us in respect of tyres thus given a second life. We take, however, only 8,000 miles as a safe basis for our calculations ; in effect, saying to users : "Try to do much better than that, and only if you succeed should you alter your cost figures in the direction of warranting a lower charge than we recommend in our table of charges for haulage."
The same rule applies to fuel, which will be bought cheaper by a concern buying in large quantities than by a man whose purchases are individually small. There will be variations in wages, rent and other items according to locality and other conditions. Generally, when discussing costs with a fleet manager, we look to hear him say, "I do better than the averages laid down in The Commercial Motor tables in such and such items, and attain your figures for maintenance." Then we know that he is aiming at and securing the best possible results.