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An Interesting Comparison is Made by "The Skotch " of His Own Running Cost Figures and Those Published by Republic Trucks, Ltd.
FOR a couple of days last week I was one of the most convinced converts to the efficacy, not to say extreme usefulness, of auto-suggestion. that M. .Coue could wish for. For two days that distinguished French savant could, for the asking, have had me on the platform at his sO.nces pyepared to testify to the full to the merits of the new
science or whatever it may be. But it was toe EditorN.Irhco ruthlessly dispelled the illusion.
This was the way of it. On Tuesday night of last week I made a note on a memo. pad .to write the next day (for the last post had g.Nne) to Republic Trucks, Ltd., asking for a copy of a booklet entitled " The Cost of Motor Transport." On the Wednesday 'morning the postman delivered a copy by the first post, and it was then that I cut M. Cou4's portrait from a daily paper and pasted it on my date calendar with a note beneath concerning the
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obliteration of time by auto-suggestion I But on the afternoon of the next day when I called upon the Editor, he remarked that he had asked Republic Trucks, Ltd., to send to rDe a booklet on a subject in which he knew I Was particularly interested, and when I went home M. Coue's picture was removed and once again the passage of time is indicated hourly to me as I sit and grapple with life's task! But I have not allowed the disillusionment to detract from my desire to read and study the booklet. I have done so and feel that I must cross swords with its author, for his figures for running costs and maintenance charges chYnot agree with my own. In order to show the difference 'at a glance, I have set out in tabular form the figures as given by the Republic Trucks, Ltd., and a set of good average figures, taking a 2-ton lorry running 300 miles per week as the basis of the calculations. Dealing with minor matters first of all and leaving the more important to the last, I have always followed what I consider is the better method of separating the cost of the tyres from that of• the vehicle, and of regarding tyre consumption as a running charge affected by mileage just, as is the consumption of fuel and lubricants. This gives a truer set of figures upon which to compute depreciation, interest on capital, etc. In the ease of the 2-tmarier, for example, assuming that the tyres cost 125, the -weekly proportion of interest,on capital could be reduced from us. 4d. to 10s. 10d., and the depreciation (of which, more anon) from.,421 2s. 8d. to El is. tid.
There is, I find, no allowance in the Republic figures for the many and sundry items relating to the upkeep of a Motor lorry, to which reference is made in the tables published from time to time on this page as " Maintenance." ; yet, as all users know, the total cost of their sundries a-mounts to ai pretty considerable item in the course of a year. They are not, included in " Repairs and Renewals," 'Which is one of the 'headings given to the tables in this little book.
The writer of the hook differs from me in his allocation of the item of " Depreciation," concerning the disposition of which, as I have had occasion to point out in these articleSz there is admittedly considerable difference of opinion. In " The Cost of Motor Transport," it rather appears that an attempt has been made to conciliate everybody, by reckoning depreciation up as a running cost (basing it ,on 150,000 miles' life),' but placing it in that-section of the table devoted to standing charges! A standing charge, as it is generally understood, is something which remains unaltered week by week or year by year, being at any rate unaffected by the mileage covered by the, vehicle. Yet, on page s.eVen of the booklet., this " Standing Charge " is given as 236 6s. 10d. per annum for a. 2-tonner which runs ao miles a day, and 90 18s. 4d. for the same period when it covers 80 miles per day, which rather snpports my view that it, should be regarded as a running cost.
These, • however, are comparatively minor faults in what aims to he a useful booklet, The disposition of the " Depreciation " item would not matter-indeed, most -users would never have noticed it—had the resulting figures been reliable, which, in my opinion, they are riot, and it will be perceived that I am now approaching my elimax. The costs given are too favourable to the vehicle and, if taken by a user as a !nazis for calculation, are likely to lead him into error. Mind yoa, I do not state that the figurgs given are unattainable. They are not unattainable, by any means. They are such, however,. that their attainment must, be, a matter for congratulation and subject for comment. They are far removed from average attainment, and I say this from long experience.
I could, in support of this Contention, challenge each figure of the running costs. I need only refer to that for petrol consumption. In the ease of a 2-tonner, 14 miles per gallon is claimed. I believe that those users of 2-ton vehicles, of any make whatever, who can show, over a long enough period of working—say a year—a consumption of a gallon per 14 miles, can be counted on the. fingers of one hand. My own records show that a good average
is a gallon per 10 miles. American figures show 5.0 miles per American gallon, which is, however, smaller by 20 per cent. than the British, so that 5.6 'miles per American gallon is equivalent to 7 miles per gallon here. That is. however, for a 4,000 lb. truck and is, therefore, favourable to the g-tonner
(1,480 lbs.). Even taking into consideration the rougher roads, which are the rule in the States, I cannot see the justification for an estimate of 14
miles per gallon here. From the accompanying tabies, showing side by side, the Republic Co.'s figuresof costs for a 2-tonner, and my own, which I know to be more reasonable, it will be perceived that I have only allowed 2s. a gallon for petrol, as it can be obtained at that price by many commercial users. Had I used 2s. 4d. a gallon as a basis, the differenee would have been still greater. I have also taken 225 as the cost of tyres, although this ie much lower than usual for a 2-toriner. The Republie Co. fit single tyres on the front and also on the rear wheels of their chassis, which reduces the cost of the tyros at renewal.
One more point. In connection with the running costs of every model, a figure for cost per ton-mile is given. In the ease of the 2-tonner, for example,. it appears as follows:— Total cost per truek-mile ... 9d. Cost per ton-mile 4A-d. Wherever the cost per ton-mile is stated, there should be a note, for the. benefit of the user '(who, in 99 eases out of a hundred does not really understand the term), that this figure only applies if and when the lorry is loaded to capacity.
Operating Costs of Two-ton Lorry. Based on 300 miles running per week (15,000 per
annum). Price of chassis, .2495. Cost, of body, approx., 295. Total cost of chassis and body, 2590.
Cost of tyres, 225.