MAKING 142,500 CALLS a
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WEEK
on LAUNDRY
ER VICE
ALARGE laundry concern in a populous arta operates its motor vehicles under conditions almost as arduous as those relating to newspaper distribution, a branch of transport which is acknowledged to impose greater stress on vehicles and drivers, and to call for more ingenuity in organization, than does practically any other.
The large number of stops per journey and the prolonged running in the intermediate gears involved in laundry work place a heavy burden upon the clutch, gearbox, brakes, transmission system and tyres, and increase the operating costs per mile. These conditions call for the maintenance of more spare vehicles than would otherwise he the case, and demand great care in the inspection and upkeep of vans.
Speed a Leading Factor.
• Speed is another important factor. A laundry concern, unlike most other ancillary users, collects its "raw material" and delivers the "finished product," the period between collection and delivery being strictly limited. Materials submitted for treatment must be dealt with according to schedule, and collection and distribution vehicles must run to a regular time-table, partly to avoid congestion at the laundry, but chiefly to ensure reliable service to customers.
' The need for regular and rapid transport under these difficult conditions calls for unusual care in the arrangement of parcels for distribution, in order that no time shall be lost when making calls. Another requirement to this end is easy access to and egress from the driver's cab and the interior of the vehicle, doors sometimes being omitted from the former compartment.
In view of the low annual mileages usually covered by vans in the service of large laundry companies in 'towns, and the relatively high fuel consumption and maintenance charges, it is hardly practicable to compute operating costs on a mileage basis, except fOr purposes of comparison between one vehicle and another. A fairer statement of the ratio between total transport costs and revenue is obtained by 3338 calculating the cost per vehicle per week.
These factors governing transport for laundry concerns were revealed to a representative of The Commercial Motor in an interview with Mr. E. Struckman, transport manager of the Sunlight Laundry (Loud and Western, Ltd.), the head office of which is at Broughton Road, Fulham, London, S.W.6. In an age of centralization and combines, it is interesting to learn that the company, which is one of the largest
and most progressive in the laundry trade in the South of England, is convinced of the wisdom of the policy of decentralization.
Accordingly, it has three works in Fulham and one in Wimbledon, each of which is virtually a separate undertaking and is self-supporting. Transport, however, is supplied from the central garage, the cost being allocated proportionately to the four departments. Then, again, the Wimbledon laundry is sub-divided into separate units, each with its own plant and loading bays and each under the control of a manageress. The policy of decentralization has been found to overcome the tendency towards unwieldiness that develops in most large companies and to facilitate personal attention to customers.
About 10 years ago Loud and Western, Ltd., ran six motorvans, but the fleet has now grown to 62 units, 57 of which are in regular service, five being kept as spares. Most of the vans
are of Dennis manufacture, although Austin, Ford, Morris-Commercial, S.D. Freighter and Standard vehicles are also operated. The two Austiips are of 10 h.p. and 12 h.p. respectively, and have recently been acquired for intershop work, Standard 9 h.p. vans also being used for this purpose.
The S.D. Freighters are special 2tanners with capacious bodies and open platforms at each end, resembling', to some extent, a tramcar. This type is well suited to the bulk delivery of float iron laundry. The remaining motors are of 30-cwt, capacity, and they include the striking publicity van which was described in The Commercial Motor on November 24, 1983.
With the exception of the inter-shop vans, all the machines are equipped with racks built up on a removable framework, an arrangement which facilitates cleaning. The bodies are sufficiently high for a man of average height to walk erect along the central gangw-ay. The most modern outfits have low loading lines, and some have clerestory roofs.
Many have no doors to the drivers' cabs. Since steps were taken to speed up entrance and exit, the number of calls made *daily has considerably increased. Most of the bodies were built by Messrs. Metcalfe and Son, Romford, and Messrs. Whitmee and Sons, Battersea, London, S.W.
The vans radiating from the Fulham works serve most of Greater London and westwards, so far as Uxbridge. From Wimbledon, about 20 vehicles cover an average radius of 15 miles, the limit in the west being Feltham, in the south Epsom and in the east New Eltham. So far as possible, each machine operates in a particular area, so that the driver can become fully acquainted with the route.
Work starts daily at 8 a.m, and the transport units run tci a strict timetable. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are devoted mainly to collection, and Thursday, Friday and Saturday to delivery, although a certain amount of washing is collected and delivered on days other than those prescribed. Delivery is usually effected four days after collection, the former operation occupying a. little longer time than the latter, on account of the fact that money has to be taken.
Regular routes are covered daily by the vans, each making one journey on Wednesday and Saturday, and two trips on other days. An average of 250-300 calls is made per trip. On the basis of the lower figure, the fleet of 57 vehicles regularly in service makes a total of 28,500 Calls daily, or 142,500 per week.
These figures amply justify the statement contained in the opening paragraph concerning the arduous working conditions of the vehicles of a large laundry company, although the number of calls does not imply that the vans stop and start an equivalent number of times. One stop frequently serves two or three calls, so that the number of stops made daily by the fleet is probably in the region of 10,000, or 50,000 a week. If boys did not accompany the drivers it would be impossible for the existing fleet to deal so promptly with such a large number of customers.
SW Stops in 300 Miles.
Despite these imposing figures, each van covers an average of only 300 miles a week, during which period some 870 stops are made. The petrol consumption of the 30-cwt. vans, is, however, surprisingly low, in view of the class of duty, for a return of about 12 m.p.g. is obtained, whilst the operating costs vary between £6 and £1 per week.
The most modern loading bays are donble-deckers, the upper floor being about 12 ft. above the ground,. Each bay accommodates a complete van load of laundry, which is carried from the works to the bay by means of fabricbelt conveyors. Chutes facilitate loading from the overhead decks. The parcels of laundry are loaded in the correct order of delivery, with all .identification labels facing in one direction.
All maintenance work is carried out at the central garage at Wandsworth Bridge Road, Fulham, where there are extensive workshops, including a paintshop. Spring repairing and sleeving art the only maintenance tasks which are not performed in the works. Each vehicle is greased and washed nightly, the company attaching great impart
ance to the cleanliness of its vans, which are painted white.
An interesting system of recording defects is employed. A large report sheet, displayed in the works, is ruled into vertical columns, the left-hand column containing the identification letter of each van. Next is a space for drivers' names, followed by six columns, each of which is devoted to a day in the week. Each driver enters up, at the end of the day, his name against his particular vehicle, and, in the appropriate column, states whether or not the vehicle needs attention.
As well as providing a compact record of the condition of the fleet, this system enables the transport manager to ascertain at a glance the interval between the reporting of the defect and its remedy. The sheet also includes columns for the quantities of fuel and oil used, weekly mileage.
A comprehensive record of the cost of each vehicle is kept, the items included being materials, labour, oil, petrol, insurance, licence, shop charges, garage, capital, accident expenditure, depreciation and cost per mile. The and the shop charges are debited as a total against the whole fleet, and are allocated proportionately to the various departments of the company. These sundries are entered, as they arise, upon a separate, card, which is compiled in respect of each vehicle, and are later transferred to the main cost account. Each card presents a complete history of the mechanical condition of a vehicle throughout its working life.
The figures for cost per mile are computed merely for the information of Mr. Struckman. On account of the low ULM weekly mileage of the
taxman fleet, the management
of the company is interested only in the cost per vehicle per week, or the total weekly cost of transport.
Some years ago the company constructed a 2-ton van to the specification of Mr. Struckman, who is a clever engineer as well as an able transport organizer. The object was to secure a machine that was suited in every way to the particular demands of the laundry business, and it was found that the machine could be built at a price which compared favourably with that of a standard chassis. Production could not, however, proceed sufficiently rapidly to meet the company's needs, so that the idea had to be abandoned. It is a tribute to the efficiency of the design that the van is still in service.