A Country-wide
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Delivery Organization
Some Phases of the Work of a Big User's Light-van Fleet.
MHE speedy and by gicnic transport of foodstuffs calls for light, fast and well-ventilated vans, and especially is this the case with large concerns which have branches spread through, out the country, where the Vehicles are frequently required to undertake rather longer journeys than in large towns.
The well-known provision and grocery concern, the Home and Colonial Stores, Ltd., 2-4, Paul Street, Finsbury, London; ' E.C.2, has a fleet of 44 Morris-Commercial and Morris vehicles with which it effects door-todoor deliveries. These comprise 23 light tonners and 21 10-cwt. vehicles,' whilst the fine fleet " of 46 is completed by two special mobile. shop's, the bodies of which a r e mounted upon • MorrisCommercial 30-cwt. chassis. The two lastnamed vehicles are eta Vaned at Ammairford and Haverfordwest respectively and the bodies were built to the special requirements of the user. These vehicles are used
only for effecting sales, the parcels deliveries being undertaken by the other vans.
As regards maintenance, all running repairs are attended to by the company's own drivers. Owing to the undesirability of storing large quantities of petrol near the foodstuffs, the petrol, oil, etc., are purchased locally, AS and when required.
Every week a report in respect of each van, giving details of the amount of oil, petrol, etc., purchased, together with particulars and the cost of any minor repairs, as well as cash vouchers for all expenditure, is sent to the head office. In this manner the cost of operating individual vehicles is ascertained.
It has been foun,d that on the average a gallon of petrol is consumed for every 24 miles covered, whilst for every 900 miles travelled a gallon of oil is used. The average weekly mileage of each vehicle is about 350.
The vans are stationed in many parts of the country, so far as Aberdeen in the north, Bognor in the south, Haverfordwest in the west and Wisbech inthe east. A complete list of towns would be uninteresting and would absorb too much of our space, so it will suffice to mention some of the chief centres. These are as follow: Atnmanford, Buxton, Cambridge, Canterbury, Eastbourne, Falmouth, Hastings, Leeds, Loughborough, Maidstone, Newquay, Torquay and Worthing.