RATE CUTTING ON RETURN JOURNEYS.
Page 9
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
An Evil That Can Be Avoided by Co-operation.
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS which LiverpoOl haulage contractors aresfeeling uneasy‘over is the practice of some manufacturing and distributing firms, owning "Motor and steam vehicles, after discharging their loads at distanttowns, accepting return loads at prices which are in serious conflict with those that would be required by the haulage contractor, as was recently stated at the meeting of Liverpool haulage contractors, merchants, and others, instead of having their own system of outward freight, are, in many cases, testing financial possibilities of the return load, when opportunity ' offers. Liverpool is a good centre for outward transport owing to the huge cargoes dischaged there from incoming liners consigned to inland towns, and there is an increasing danger, unless road transport is efficiently organized on a. rational scale, of the anomaly of high freights from Liverpool and low freights to Liverpool becoming more acute than it is, unless prompt and effective steps are taken.
F. G.
UNIT REPLACEMENTS v. OVERHAUL. A System to be Recommended.
OWNER OF LARGE fleets in this country are in the unfortunate position of being unable to obtain enough vehicles of one make to enable . them to standardize their fleets and, for this reason, in most cases, large fleets are a conglomeration of numerous makes. Gradually-, however, as the.supply of vehicles becomes more normal, weeding-out will probably commence, and the number of different makes in a fleet reduced to a minimum.
if this is done, it may be found advisable to adopt the unit system of maintenance. In this system, a certain number of spare units are kept in stock read* to replace any which may fail on any vehicle in the fleet. For a fleet of, say, 50 vehicles, three complete sets of spare units should be ample. Directly a unit is removed from a vehicle, it is placed under repair so-as to maintain the required stock. By the employment a this system, the maintenance staff can be reduced to a minimum, and vehicles do not require to be laid up for a general overhaul at least once a year, as is necessary at present. At the same time, it cannot be worked efficiently without a thorough system of inspection ; this inspection,sharulcl take place at periods of not longer than a month or six weeks, and a full day should be allowed for each vehicle; during which time small adjustments can be attended to, and a note made of any slackness on the part of the driver with regard to the little attentions
for which he is responsible. G.M.J.
MOTOR DRIVER AND CYCLIST. A Necessary Warning.
AWORD OF CAUTION may be written for the benefit of the many new drivers who, to-day, are on the road 'with very little road experience. in order that they may reduce the possibility of accident. Not a few accidents which occur nowadays 'are the result a the motor getting mixed up with a cyclist, which is generally bad for the cyclist and most unpleasant for the motor driver. .
Such accidents, of course, cannot be laid at the door of the motor driver as an accepted proposition, for the fault in very many cases rests with the rider of the smaller machine. But there is such a thing as contributory negligence, and this relates to the conduct of the driver, not only towards cyclists, but towards all other users of the King's highway. It is incumbent upon the motor man so to conduct his vehicle that it shall neither incommode other users nor cause the possibility of an accident to them. He should at all times consider the other fellow and see that he has ample room to travel in with comfort and safety. Cutting in amongst traffic in tight places may not, actually result in an accidept if the other feRow be skilled and wary, yet, if he—or she—be otherwise, trouble may ensue from the failure through nervousness or lack of skill on the part of the other person to do just exactly the right thing.
Where 'cyclists are 'concerned, the motor driver should remember that, not. only have they to be given the same right of way as other vehicles, but an even larger measure of avoidance should be provided for than with .vehicles of a morestable type, and the driver should consider the condition and nature of the road surface upomi which the-cyclist may be travelling. If muddy, there is a risk of skidding; if stony or rutty, the cyclist might be compelled to swerve outward. This must all be allowed for and it must not be forgotten that .manyscyclists get itervous-when a big vehicle is overtaking and pasaing them close to.
H. S.
SURPLUS GOVERNMENT LORRIES.
Why They Should . Not Be Disposed Of Through a Selling Company.
FOLLOWING UPON the bigoleal by means of which the whole of the Government surplus stock of aircraft and 'parts has been taken over by an independent selling company, there has come further news of a somewhat similar scheme for the disposal of a great quantity of Government stores, ranging from needles to anchors.
In some sections of trade, the adoption of some similar scheme in respect of surplus motor vehicles is being strongly advocated. It does not:seem to me, however, that this case is in line With those in connection with whichr the principle has been adopted. In respect of aircraft, the idea of the Government was to sell the machines as they stood. The idea of the selling company is to put the machines in good working condition before selling them. This is obviously the way to realize a decent price.
As regards general stores: these are doubtless in great variety and available in quantities which vary immensely. We have not, in respect of them, the possibility of a comparatively simple selling organization dealing in goods of one class only and in sufficient quantities to justify considerable advertising expenditure.
As readers Of The 'Commercial Motor are aware, this journal was by no means enthusiastic over the Slough project in its early stages. I think, however, that, though the factory was probably superfluous, it would be a pity now that the organization is complete and working, to indulge in a change of method at this stage. Slough is, in fact, more or less performing the. function that the company-which is taking over the surplus aircraft intends to perform. Having put all the machines into good working condition, it has not before it a problemanythinglike as difficult as that which facessthe aircraft. selling company. -Were the Government to dispose more or less unconditionally of all surplus lorries to-an irresponsible selling company, the consequences might be the very serious flooding of the markets, leading on the one hand to the realization of bad prices for the public's property, and, on the other hand, to the permanent detriment of the motor manufacturing industry. If, however, disposal in bulk is, for any reason, to be considered, then the first people to be informed of that fact should be the motor manufacturers themselves and their agents who, were they disposed to do so, would be the people best qualified to form a selling company and to dispose of the machines at a proper rate and at their proper prices. V.C.T.