CM spreads the good word around Britain
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Love for the lorry may be too much to hope for from the general public, but appreciation of its merits and importance should not. The sad fact, though, as most of us know, is that the lorry gets all too bad a press. To overcome this CM has organised a major campaign, as Bill Brock explains
THIS YEAR, as always, CM continues to promote the best interests of the road transport industry. Now that the dust has had a little time to settle after the introduction of the new maximum weight vehicles, 1983 seemed to be an opportune time to dispel the "monster juggernaut"image promoted by various environmental groups over the last decade.
Along with Crane Fruehauf, nearly all of the premium tractive unit manufacturers have agreed to support a promotional exercise tied in with a fuel economy run to demonstrate to the British public just what 38-tonne vehicles are.
The idea is that 18 38-tonne articulated combinations will traverse the length and breadth of the country in four days over 1,000 miles of major trunking routes.
Starting in the middle of July, each of the manufacturers' vehicles will set off from the West Midlands on the M6 and head north, diverting briefly on the M62 towards Liverpool, then turn on to the M67 and M58 before resuming the journey, again on the M6, to Carlisle. That is day one.
At all times the driver will have to comply strictly with the Acts of Parliament and local by-laws affecting the Construction and Use of goods vehicles, which means that vehicle speed limits and drivers' hours must be adhered to. The first section, comprising almost entirely motorway running, will give the shortest journey times of the four days; each vehicle is expected to travel as fast as the speed limits allow.
The first stopover point at the Truck Inn lorry park at Carlisle will provide ,a venue to which the press, radio, television and the public are invited to come and dissipate their fears of heavier lorries.
On the second day the stopover point will be just south of Glasgow, by which time the vehicles will have passed through Newcastle upon Tyne, Edinburgh and Perth. In contrast with the first day, this section of the route consists largely of normal trunk roads and whereas on the motorway few vehicles will have had to drop down more than a couple of gears to surmount the steepest inclines at Keel and Brough, the progress across the Pennines will become very much more arduous.
After Newcastle along the A68 they will join a part of CM Road Test Route, but heading north instead of south, to climb Carter Bar on the border between England and Scotland in the reverse direction for a change.
Once over the Forth Bridge there is a long climb away from Edinburgh on the M90 to Perth where they will turn south towards Glasgow. Day three will start heading south down the M74, A74 and M6 as far as Penrith. Then once again across the roof of the country, this time following the A66 to Scotch Corner before turning south on the easier, gently undulating hills along the Al, ending the day at Sheffield.
The fourth and last day is a mixture of Motorway and A-road running, using the M1 and M69 as far as Coventry, then taking the A34 to Oxford, back to Towcester and Milton Keynes before joining the M1 heading north once again to the start and finish point.
Lucas Keinzle will take the tachograph charts each day for inalysis, which should provide ome interesting comparisons )etween the different makes, ixle configurations and power inits of the various units.
To date, all of the major 'alleles names are represented vith the exception of Ford and ilercedes-Benz. Understandably 'ord, which is about to cease )roduction of its Transcontinenal when the contract with 3andbach Engineering expires the end of this year, decided it Nas a little late in the day to anter it into competitions.
The UK-based marketing orgaiisation of Mercedes-Benz was 3nthusiastic to join the run but 3n edict from the head office in Frankfurt decreed otherwise.
Bedford is working hard to lave three 4x2 tractive units at the start line. Two TM4400s will be powered by the new Detroit Silver 92 engine rated at 198kW (266bhp), which we plan to have tested over our conventional route before the event.
The second will be powered by the Cummins E290 rated at 203kW (272bhp) and both will have the H sleeper cab. In daycab form Bedford decided to fit the new Cummins L10 engine to its TM3800. Although having
less power than the other two units, Bedford is already getting a good feedback from operators which have specified it.
Under the rules of the run each vehicle is allowed to fit any extra component, providing it is commercially available.
No doubt Daf's 3300 4x2 38tonne tractive unit, fitted with the latest version of the long serving 11.6 litre DKX engine, will be backed up by Visor, Daf's comprehensive fuel economy warning device. Both turbo charged and intercooled, the DKX unit is rated at 246kW (330bhp) with a maximum torque of 1,310Nm (966 lbft).
More modestly endowed, the latest model from the Daf stable, the 2500 DHS, has a turbocharged and intercooled 8.25 litre engine to give a power to weight ratio of 4.7kW/tonne (6.5bhp/ton).
ERF has prohlised three vehicles, a 4x2, a 6x2 and a 6x4. The C4OG is one of two vehicles entered to be powered by Gardner's new 8LXCT turbocharged eight-cylinder engine developing 224kW (300bhp) and credited with low specific fuel consumption figures, which must augur well for a good overall result.
The 6x2 is ERF's twin-steer powered by the 290L turbocharged Rolls-Royce engine rated at 220kW (270bhp) while the day cabbed 6x4 will be driven by the more powerful 340L rated at 238kW (320bhp).
Iveco will be keen to show how its 190-30 will perform. Built originally for the Italian operational weight limits its low revving high torque 13.8 litre power unit provides a healthy 5.8kW/ tonne (7.9 bhp/ton) at UK weights, driving through a 13speed Fuller RTO 11613 constant-mesh gearbox providing a wide ratio spread and gear for every occasion.
Leyland Vehicles' 1728 4x2 tractive unit is plated for 38tonne operation, powered by a Cummins 290 engine, driving through a Spicer SST10 splitter box to a 4.4 final drive.
It has a 6.6-ton front axle and and 11-tonne rear axle, which is, of course, restricted to 10.5 tonnes in the UK.
MAN enters its 4x216-321 ETS tractive unit, taking the power unit conventionally reserved for its heavy haulage tractive unit. The 11.4-litre turbocharged and intercooled diesel engine develops an installed output of (320bhp) at 1,900rpm.
From Renault we may have either the G260 or R310, neither of which has yet been introduced in the UK; the decision depends on whether the company can prepare one or other in time.
The 112 RC28, with rear axle lift, is Scania's 6x2 answer for 38-tonne operation, with a kerb weight of 6.86 tonnes. Here its DSC 11-litre turbocharged and intercooled engine gives an impressive 245kW (333bhp) and 1395Nm (1,029 lbft) of torque.
Sandbach Engineering still has to decide on the engine options for its two 6x4s, but is most likely to settle on Cummins 350 and 290 units.
Seddon Atkinson is the second manufacturer to choose the Gardner 8LXCT power unit and will have it installed in a 4x2 401, with just a possibility of a second vehicle with a Cummins E290.
Volvo will enter both its selftracking 6x2 F12 and a 4x2 F10.
Through its trailer rental company, Rentco, Crane Fruehauf will be providing all of the trailers, which apart from the obvious differences in bogie configuration to suit individual tractive units' axle arrangements, will be similarly specified.
The run is on. Look out for us on the road from July 18 onwards.