'&0 Roadways sets the scene for 38 tonnes
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lEAT DEAL has been heard May 1 regarding the applin of 38 tonnes to the genhaulier, but what has been tory from the specialist iny sectors — such as conr hauliers?
ohaps the company best to comment on what has illy happened in the inning period, and with what ts, is P&O Roadways.
a company — part of P&O jean Transport Services — e of Britain's biggest con;rhauliers operating an isive fleet from 14 UK loca. Container haulage in the ; already a specialised and )etitive business — a trend NW be still further accelerby the 38-tonne legislation.
• P&O Roadways, staying )etitive first and foremost is investment in new capital )ment. The company had its 38-tonne vehicles opera! from May 1, and enes replacing a substantial prtion of its 300-strong tracnit fleet with the new types. le trailer side, where P&O ways operates over 400 in its own fleet, both new modified trailers are being ressively added for 38; operation.
terms of vehicle specificaP&O Roadways has firmly ted the 3+2 axle configureas being the optimal type eeting the problems of con31haulage and staying
within the legal requirements of 38-tonne operation. Initial vehicles taken into the fleet include Volvo F12 self-steers and Mercedes 2028 rear-steers, though as part of its general evaluation programme, a quantity of Scania P112 units with the single-tyred lifting rear axle be came operational from August 1, with possibly other types to follow.
Jim Brooke, P&O Roadways managing director, has firm views about the types of vehicle most suitable for container haulage at the higher weights. "Given 38 tonnes on five axles, it has to be the 3+2 combination if we are to avoid drive axle overloads often experienced with 4x2 units. One must realise that containers tend naturally to be front-end heavy as the packers are working under absolute internal volume constraints.
"You can also be quite sure that UK road haulage legislation is not the prime consideration for people filling the boxes on perhaps the other side of the world."
Having decided upon the 3+2 combination, Jim Brooke naturally takes a very close interest in the various specifications that are available on the market. "In order to provide the 38-tonne service from the beginning", he says, "our initial intake of tri-axle units largely depended upon what was available. For being first in the field, Volvo and Mercedes won the initial honours, but it must be pointed out that we have a continuing evaluation with both these and other vehicle types.
"The Scanias entered the flee, in August — as a long-time Scania,user we are impressed to see that their three-axle offering covers the ideal 280-300bhp power range together with an unladen weight of just over seven tonnes. In addition, this lifting rear axle vehicle is mechanically not radically different from existing 4x2 types, which is an important consideration for our workshops. To maximise flexibility, trailer specification is important and an extensive modification programme is in progress."
Enhanced ability in the market place is the obvious benefit from the significant investment programme, combined with avoidance — in relative terms — of the higher investment costs that would ensue from any delay in moving to 38-tonne equipment.
"Overall", says Jim Brooke, "38 tonnes goes a long way to allow the haulage industry to catch up with the rest of the hardware in the container industry."
On rates, the new situation is somewhat different to the "lower cost per tonne" advantage that can apply to the TIR trailer operator at 38 tonnes. In common with the industry generally, P&O Roadways container haulage rates are based on a general price per box over a given distance — le a simple journey rate — as opposed to a price per ton of goods moved.
But, as P&O Roadways emphasises, haulage is but one element of the door-to-door container equation, and the 38tonne "benefit" may sometimes not apply.
In practice, deep-sea container traffic weights are determined by road regulations in country of origin.
Thus, in the 40ft-dominated North American trades, for example, the advent of 38tonnes UK transport is welcome and long overdue. On other routes the gains are less tangible — at least for the present.
As commercial director Frank Yeomans puts it: "Haulage rates have suffered in the recession; our view is that the industry must move to recover its investment in 38-tonne equipment, with haulier and customer evenly sharing the attainable savings of the heavier traffics."
If the overriding impression of tangible cost/benefit analysis for 38-tonne haulage appears to be on the debit side, one area of the P&O Roadways operation is particularly suited to the higher weights — tank containers. Subsidiary company P&O Tankmasters now operates over 100 20ft "Tanktainers" most of which meet the highest IMC0-1 safety standards for hazardous cargoes. The most recent tanktain ers to join the fleet also feature twin compartment design which
extends their market appeal still further. High-density bulk loads, such as liquids, are a particular area where the full benefit of the 38-tonne limit can be realised.
In the dry-freight market, one immediate bonus from the advent of 38-tonnes is the haulier's much improved ability to handle twin 20ft containers. Twentyfoot boxes remain significant in many services: with 38-tonne equipment offering more weight flexibility, the severe limitations under the old 32-ton limit have been largely removed.
This is also a particular case where the validity of the 3+2 vehicle axle format for container haulage is beyond question, minimising as it does the potential axle overloading situation. Of further importance, addino the third axle to the tractive unit essentially allows the majority of the industry's high trailer fleet to operate at 38-tonnes with little modification — saving the necessity for shipping lines to drastically re-equip their own chassis fleets.
But what of the future? Despite the general over-capacity in
the road haulage industry, P&O Roadways is confident that its current heavy investment in the future will bring real rewards —
particularly as the container handling business promises to continue its past record of steady growth and development.
The investments being made for 38 tonnes will provide a total professionalism to both P&O's customers — the container lines high, the ultimate costs of not making that investment would be far higher.
"Service industries that don't stay competitive tend not to stay alive either," he concludes.
— and to its customers.
The advent of 38 tonnes gtw vehicles has extended the range of equipment available from the Contract Hire division of P&O Roadways. This division pro vides a full range of vehicles and services designed to meet customers' specific requirements.
The theme of customer service is the priority issue coming from the desk of P&O Roadways managing director Jim Brooke, who says that: "While recog nising that the costs of investment in 38-tonne equipment is