On Parcelcars and Light Vans.
Page 4
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By The Editor.
The light car chiefly appeals to the man who desires to see low running cost, but does not value the time which he spends "tinkering." These amateur owners like speed and " showiness " ; they do not mind noise or discomfort. There are, of course, exceptions—both of individuals and light cars. Some fall within the commercial category.
Never Mind the Ton-mile.
There can be no argument from the fly-away case of the light car to the exacting case of the light van. Not every light car is capable of conversion into a light van, although we have known (and described) numbers which are. The smaller units in the commercial-motor scale have always cost most per ton-mile of work. Cost on the ton-mile basis is, however, not the best test to which to subject them' including both the parcelcar and the light van. We have invariably urged cost per vehicle-mile as the superior indicator. Once the appropriate type of unit is selected for the jobs which an intending user has to fill, he can get a better idea of results by considering" the inclusive cost per mile run, in relation to performance upon delivery rounds by other methods, than from any—to him—puzzling ton-mile figures. As cifte,fi as not, his total deliveries. in a day do not reach a ton. Why, then, trouble him with such calculations?
The Testimony of the Mileage Recorder.
Traders who want parcelcars and light vans have generally some experience of cycle-carrier's and onehorse vans. They know, even better than we do, how much work they can on the average obtain from the boy and his cycle, or from the youth and his horse-van. We, perhaps, know all there is to know about the cost per mile. Practically all traders now keep such delivery equipment on hand, for use as required, because they must do so. No average relationship ii dearly fixed in their minds between weekly cost ara.weekly mileage ; yet each and sundry can asiI aecide to 0.--• so, almost as these lines are perUsed, if the will is there to know. It is, we may state unequivocally, an important matter for every trader to be able to carry such a figure in his head. In the absence of an odometer on each of his cyclecarriers, step No. 1 is to instruct the local cyclesupplier to fit them. The cost is small ; the control And data which are thus afforded are vital. Especially is it desirable to know elementary facts ; but these are only ascertainable when primary records are automatic. Most traders know the approximate number of calls per day ; relatively few are able to tell one the approximate mileage. They guess, but we are satisfied that the estimates which result are misleading. It is not their fault, perhaps ; they are pressed for time and short of hands ! Are these not cogent reasons for their at once giving orders, especially in these days of war stringency, to make the first move— to fit mileage recorders? We urge that move. It should be made forthwith. It is a clumsy way, and otherwise unsatisfactory, to try to book each trip. Traders pay for gas or electricity by meter ; they take in their money by cash-register. Why continue to pay for transport on an unrecorded basis, without check, and without means of comparison? Does it not matter whether a boy and his cycle-carrier are costing or 21d. per mile of work done?
Relative Values and Performances.
We were able to show, by means of data which Were published in this journal from February to July Of' last year, that the delivery value of one parcelcar is generally equal to the combined delivery value of B22 from four to six boy-propelled cycles, and generally not far short in actual performance, for light parcels (up to 5 cwt.), of that which can be accomplished by two horse-vans (singles). That is on the basis of from 65 to 100 miles a day of actual running for the parcelcar, the first cost of which is about £105, and the " allin " running cost from 21d. to 2id. per mile.
The light van, costing anything between £120 and £180, to Carry from 5 cwt. to 7 cwt., is a competitor of the parcelcar almost solely on account of its greater cubic capacity. It works at ald. per mile run. The load space is more commodious, and the stability under exceptional loading better.
There are types, higher in the scale of light vans, for loads of from 7 cwt. to 10 cwt., which cost anything between £200 and £250, and work at 4d. per mile, but we are not immediately concerned with these aristocrats of the small-vehicle market. They do not appeal to every trader, by reason of their higher first cost ; they are, stone the less, well worth the money to those who can expend it. They quickly save the higher first cost, by enabling the buyer to deal safely and surely with " rush " deliveries. There is a margin of strength for the maximum rated load,. whereas the lighter models do not always possess the necessary factorsof safety to stand that overloading and overdriving which too often occur simultane ously in actual practice.
The Costly One-horse Van. •
The one-horse van, we may remind trader readers, Seldom costs the owner less than 6d. per mile run, and more often either 8d. or led. Let those who think otherwise compile the inelusive figures in their own experience.
A Question °I Capital, and - The problem of the light van, as a modern adjunct to the trading equipment of any shop or stores, simply depends on a readiness to spend at least £100 on the purchase of a three-wheeled parcelcar, or of .21.20-.E250 on a four-wheeled van. Next, the buyer must be on the alert to have it carefully driven. Finally, to get the best results, he must re-group his deliveries and increase the rounds to give regular work for at least 50 miles a day, It is, therefore, ability to deal at once with urgent orders, outside and in addition to the routine journeys, that will usefully add miles at lower total cost, seeing that wages, depreciation, interest, and insurance do not vary with the mileage, whereas they represent anything between id. and Id. per mile in the basic running of 50 miles a day.