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TRANSPORT TIPS FOR TRADESMEN.

2nd May 1922, Page 20
2nd May 1922
Page 20
Page 20, 2nd May 1922 — TRANSPORT TIPS FOR TRADESMEN.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Particularly Addressed to Those Who are Replacing Horsed Vehicles by Motors, or Contemplating So Doing.

vvi-IILST. by far the commonest plan is to place the engine of a commercial vehicle under a bonnet, like that of a private motorcar, alternative arrangements are at least worth considering under certain circumstances.

The Position of the Engine.

The great merit of the usual position is, of course, that it makes the engine readily accessible from the top and from both sides. Also, as a rule, the clutch is equally accessible by removal of the floorboards, and the same applies to the gearbox, if the unit method of construction is employed. Furthermore, the arrangement tends to throw the bulk of the weight of the load on to the rear axle, which gives good adhesion where it is most needed and also tends towards ease of steering.

On the other hand, it is evident that, if we push the driver's seat forward and place the motor under it and the driver's feet, we economize a certain amount of space, and, for a given overall length of , chassis, we leave more room available for useful load. With a motor in the usual position, it is difficult to meet a case in Which the load is very bulky and light, and, consequently, an exceptionally big body is required. The provision of such a body means either a very long wheelbase, which is a decided disadvantage if much of the work has to be done in traffic and in narrow alleys, or else a very long overhang behind the back axle. This latter is bad, as taking too much weight off the front wheels, which may lead to front wheel skidding owing to lack of adhesion. Also a body with a very long overhang is always somewhat liable to become strained, with the result that the vehicle is noisy when travelling, doors cease to fit well, and so on. In practice, the placing of the driver over the engine does not take weight off the back axle to such an extent as to make the adhesion insufficient and the steering, if not quite so light, need not be unduly heavy. The great point in favour of the ordinary position is, therefore, accessibility, and this is of such prime importance as to make it. inadvisable to consider the suggested alternative, unless

(a) The load is very bulky and light and every possible inch of space is; therefore, required for the body, or (b) The vehicle works habitually in very narrow alleys and openings, where an exceptionally short wheelbase is almost a necessity, or where the vehicle has to be backed up for loading in a passage which, if its overall length is considerable, is blocked owing to its presence, but where a short vehicle similarly backed against the loading stage still leaves room for the passage of other traffic.

What may, perhaps, he classified as a compromise between the two methods is that in which the driver sits alongside the engine, This economizes about as much space as when he sits over the engine and has the advantage of leaving one side and the top of the engine quite accessible. The • other side is, of course, not equally accessible, and the method is therefore, only to be recommended if the engine has been designed especially in view of the position the driver is to occupy.

Loading in Narrow Places.

In a recent note, reference was made to the problen of selecting the most suitable type of vehicle it a case in which it is necessary to back up for leiding in narrow passages, where a long vehicle B20 standing at right angles to the loading stage might constitute a very, serious obstruetion.

In this, and in other cases in which a very short wheelbase is more or less a necessity, the flexible six-wheeled type of vehicle is worth considering. From this standpoint, the flexible six-wheeler may be regarded as a short wheelbased tractor, closely coupled to a two-wheeled trailer. The combination can be so manceuvred that the trailing portion is just. about at right angles to the leading portion, and,. in this position, the obstructive length of, the vehicle is merely that of its load-carrying body.

The Six-wheeler in the Lanes.

The same argument applies if the vehicle has to be used in very narrow and winding lanes. Its flexible character renders it a possible proposition where a long wheelbased four-wheeled vehicle would be extremely inconvenient. The exact legal position of the six-wheeler in the future is not as yet definitely known, but it may be taken for granted that special provision will be made in law for the type, which will not be obliged to suffer from the disabilities in respect of speed that have to be imposed upon the ordinary trailer combination.

While on this subject, it should also be noted that, even in respect of the ordinary trailer combination, considerably higher speeds are advocated by the Departmental Committee whose report was reviewed in The Commercial Motor for April 18th, and, consequently, the use of thetrailer may now begin to be reconsidered in eases in which the pro:position has previously been turned down on account of the ridiculously low speed limit imposed.

Distribution to and From Depots.

Some traders, by reason of the large area over which their Foods have to be distributed and other calises, find it desirable not to •deliver direct to the customer--who may be the small-retailer—but rather to deliver in bulk to depots whence the goods are again delivered in comparatively small packages. The disadvantage or the system is, of course, that it involves additional handlings at the depot. On the other hand, the great advantage is that a vehicle of very substantial capacity may be fully loaded with the supplies for delivery at one or two depots. In that case, the mileage covered during the day should be considerable, the intermediate delays being reduced to a minimum. The circumstances are, in fact, such that a large capacity vehicle can be economically used This being so, the cost of carrying on the work is brought down to a much lower figure. than would be possible if a larger number of smaller vehicles were employed, going direct to the customer from the trader's central premises.

Also, in delivering small consignments, it may be necessary to take a circuitous route and, in that case, the smaller the vehicle used the better, provided that it can carry what is necessary. Consequently, when working through depots instead of direct, the. trader will need at least two types of vehicle ; namely, a type of large capacity for through services between his premises and his depots, and a type of smaller Capacity, some examples of which will be at the disposal of each depot for retail delivery purposes. It cannot be sufficiently emphasized that it is fundamentally unsound to attempt to use large vehicles for the purpose of making a great number of small deliveries and the principle of worlring through depots is a pra2tica1 illustration of this-fact;

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Organisations: Departmental Committee

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