Questions Answered
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kRETAILER is considering the alternatives of hiring a van for his deliveries or operating his own and asks for the relevant costs of running a 1-ton van fitted with :trol engine. As only a relatively small weekly mileage is iticipated he also asks for the total cost to be shown as a i.rcentage of standing time and running costs. He has in ind the possibility of reorganizing his present delivery runs
o as to have a full day's work on two or three days each eek rather than, as at present, having a proportion of standing rie each day.
It will be assumed that an average price for this type of sods vehicle is around £740, and that the unladen weight 1 ton 9 cwt. The annual licence duty would then be £24, o giving an equivalent standing cost per week in respect of ences of 9s. 8d., inclusive of the small addition in respect ' the C-licence fee.
Whilst it is not unusual for youths to be employed on on delivery work it will be assumed in this case that an adult iver is employed and with a basic wage similar to that which ould apply if the vehicle had an A or B licence. Inclusive ' additions for insurance contributions and holidays with iy, the total cost of wages to this retailer would then be 0 13s. lid, for a basic 42-hour week.
Rent and rates in respect of garaging the vehicle will be ckoned at 15s. a week and comprehensive vehicle insurance 10s. 4d. a week, based on a yearly premium of £25 16s. s with all these items of standing costs, the weekly amounts e derived on the basis of a 50-week year allowing for two eeks per annum when the vehicle may be off the road for ajor overhaul or driver's holidays.
Interest charged at a nominal rate of 5 per cent on the initial itlay of £740 would amount to £36 19s. per year, or 14s. 10d, week.
The total for these five items of standing costs is therefore 3 3s. 9d. a week, or 31.65d, per mile when only 100 miles or week are averaged. Alternatively, on the basis of a 42-hour .T.ek, the equivalent standing cost per hour would be 75.35d. Dealing now with running costs, it will be assumed that otrol is purchased in bulk at 4s. Id. per gallon and that a te of consumption of 18 m.p.g. is maintained. This gives a el cost per mile of 3.26d. Lubricants add 0-22d. and tyres 53d. per mile, assuming that a set costs £55 and that the ileage life averages 25,000.
Maintenance, inclusive of washing, servicing and major pairs, is reckoned at 2-35d. per mile. In order to obtain the dance to be written off as depreciation, the cost of the iginal set of tyres is first deducted on the initial price of e vehicle, with a further deduction of a nominal 10 per cent respect of the ultimate residual value. Normally a mileage
e of 100,000 would be assumed to be a fair average. But ocause of the exceptionally low mileage the vehicle will in I probability have to be replaced before that figure is reached :cause of the effect of obsolescence. For this reason the figure 2-19d. per mile is applied in this case.
The total for the five items of running costs is thus 8.55d. r mile, or alternatively £3 I 1 s. 3d. per week when 100 miles e averaged. Adding these figures to the standing cost gives total operating cost of 40-20d, per mile or £16 15s. per week. Represented as a proportion of the total operating cost, standing costs are equivalent to 78-73 per cent, and running costs 21-27 per cent. But if the weekly mileage was increased to 200 the corresponding costs per mile would be: standing costs 15-83d. (68.33 per cent); running costs 7.37d. (31.77 per cent); total operating cost 23.2d.
With the low mileage of 100 per week applying, it would seem that there should be a distinct possibility of being able to devise a more economic method of retail delivery so as to concentrate it into, say, two or three days. But even where the urgency of the traffic or the traditional standard of service within a particular trade demands otherwise, it is nevertheless a worthwhile exercise to ascertain just what such a service is costing the retailer.
LENGTH OF VEHICLES The extent to which recent legislation has affected the length of a combination of vehicles is the subject of another request.
As laid down in Regulation 94 of the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations, 1955, no motor vehicle is permitted to tow another if the tow rope or chain allows the distance between the two vehicles to exceed 15 ft. Relevant to this requirement is the common request as to the legal maximum overall length of a normal-type vehicle and trail:.r. Unfortunately, this is not specifically laid down in the 1955 Regulations other than by a combination of the maximum for the towing vehicle (30 ft.). trailer (22 ft.) and up to a maximum of 15 ft. as laid down in Regulation 94.
In the amended regulations which came into operation on November 1 last year. Regulation 94 has been expanded as follows: In addition to the restriction as to a maximum of 15 ft. between a vehicle and trailer, if this distance exceeds 5 ft. it is an obligation on the operator to ensure that the trailer is clearly visible to other road users. A further amendment is contain :-d in Regulation 9. 1962, wherebyno motor vehicle is permitted to draw a trailer or trailers of a combined overall length exceeding 85 ft. unless conditions relative to the use of vehicles carrying wide or long loads have been complied with.
DRIVING TESTS A large C-licensed operator inquires as to the possibility of conducting his own driving tests relative to the issue of official driving licences.
Persons by whom driving tests may be conducted are enumerated in Regulations 13 and 14 of the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations, 1963. In addition to the examiners appointed by the Ministry of Transport, the Services and the Post Office may test persons in the service of their respective departments. The Fire Service and Police Force are similarly so permitted, whilst the R.A.C. and A.A. are allowed to test visitors to this country.
Additionally, however, any person may apply to the Ministry to be appointed to conduct driving tests of persons employed, or proposed to be employed, by him as drivers and the Ministry may grant such applications provided he is satisfied as to ihe following conditions: The number of drivers of motor vehicles normally employed must exceed 250 and proper arrangements
must be made by the applicant for such tests in accordance with the 1963 Regulations, whilst proper records of such tests must be kept. If the Minister so decides special conditions can be enforced relevant to individual circumstances. The Minister is further empowered to revoke any such appointment should he think fit.
TRAILER SPEEDS Another reader claims that there is some confusion amongst his operating staff as to the legal limitation of trailer speeds following the variation of speed limits which came into operation earlier this year.
These changes are set out in The Motor Vehicles (Variation of Speed Limit) Regulations, 1962, operative as from February 9, 1963. A passenger vehicle drawing a trailer is normally allowed a . maximum speed of 40 miles per hour if the vehicle is adapted to carry not more than seven passengers, exclusive of the driver. In other cases a passenger vehicle drawing a trailer is limited to 30 miles per hour, or 20 miles per hour if drawing more than one trailer.
Goods vehicles generally are now limited to a maximum speed of 40 miles per hour, including articulated vehicles comprising tractive units and semi-trailers. Where, however, a rigid goods vehicle is towing a trailer the speed is limited to 30 miles per hour, or again, 20 miles per hour with more than one trailer.
CARRIERS' LICENCE FEES The amount of fees for carriers' licences and variation of licences is the subject of another inquiry.
Dealing first with the full currency period, an A licence lasts for five years for which the fee is £10 per vehicle, bearing in mind that one licence may be in respect of several vehicles. A B licence lasts for two years and costs £5, whilst a C licence
has a five-year currency and costs 10s. Od. per vehicle. Where licences are taken out for a shorter period than the full currency, the fee is reduced as follows for each complete period of six months in the case of A and B licences, and 12 months in the case of C licences: A-licence reduction, £1; B-licence reduction, £1 5s. Od., and C-licence reduction, 6s.
Additionally, a further scale of fees apply in respect of short-term licences. Where granted on request of the applicant the following fees are payable in respect of a currency of three months or less: A licence, £1; B licence, £1 5s. Od.; and C licence, 6s. If, however, a short-term licence is granted for administrative purposes the corresponding fees are 3s. 4d. per vehicle per month when on A licence, and 4s. 2d. on B licence.
PROPOSALS R.H.(75) Following the recent announcement of the issue of the proposals R.H.(75) which the Road Haulage Wages Council intend to submit to the Minister of Labour, a request has been received as to whom such proposals, if adopted, will apply. The wages regulations agreed by the Council apply to road haulage workers concerned with motor goods vehicles (including trailers) specified on an A or B licence granted under the Road Traffic Act, 1960.
A person is considered a road haulage worker if he is employed on all or any of the following types of work: Driving, or assisting in driving or controlling a vehicle; collecting or loading goods to be carried in or on the vehicle; attending to goods while so carried; unloading or delivering goods after being carried; acting as attendant to the vehicle and, if required, to travel on or to accompany the vehicle for the purpose of doing any such work.
Additionally, he is considered a road haulage worker if his time is occupied in travelling in or accompanying a goods vehicle in connection with his employment, holding himself under orders at the disposal of his employer or waiting, whether overnight or otherwise, in accordance with the instruc. tion of his employer.