A Dyer and Cleaner' s Motorvans.
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Eastman's Fleet Makes Over 300 Calls a Day.
We recently interviewed a representative of Eastman's Ltd., the well known dyers and cleaners, in order to ascertain to what an extent the industrial motor had helped in its business. On the arrival of our representative at Acton, he found that the vans in active commission were already lined up in the yard, well cleaned and spotless for their daily work, and ready to take aboard the first deliveries. Taking advantage of this fact, the photograph, which is reproduced on p. '202, was secured of a representative group of vehicles. As will be seen, the bodies are eminently suitable for the class of work in which the vans are engaged.
The. heavy units consist of three 16-h.p. Albions, fitted with 30-cwt. bodies. The first two were purchased in November, 1910, whilst the remaining one was taken over in July, 1911. These bigger vehicles are exclusively used for the purpose of taking large deliveries from the works and head depot in Acton Vale to the various branches and depots as far as Hornsey and other outlying districts. The branches may be supplied on this delivery with baskets or parcels each containing 12 to 20 separate orders, and these baskets, when delivered to the branches, are sorted in detail and distributed locally. The smaller units consist of 12-14 li.p. Unic chassis, with the single exception of a 15 h.p. Humber, which was bought second-hand and is retained for special work, and to which reference will be made later. At the present time four Unics are in daily use, and further vehicles are having bodies fitted in the carpenters' and body-builders' shops.
It is interesting to note here that Eitstmans, Ltd., has found it possible, and also considerably cheaper, to build its own bodies for the vans. One of these Unic vehicles is used expressly for wholesale delivery work, and the remainder are used for deliveries to branches, and also for immediate orders (" 24-hour orders "), which are sent direct from the works to the customer.
In 1901. The Early Days of the To Mr. W. Eastman belongs the credit of the present fleet. He it was, who, in the early days, foresaw the possibilities and advantages of motor delivery. As an illustration of his earnestness and far-sightedness in this matter, it may be stated that Eastmans,
became possessed of one of the early-type Hermes vehicles turned out by the Autocar Construction Co., of Manchester, in 1901. This vehicle was fitted with a two-cylinder, horizontally-opposed engine. The trials and tribulations which followed on the introduction of this machine were written off as payment for experience. This old veteran now remains in the garage, and serves as a good illustration of commercial-motor design in the early days of the present century. It might, perhaps, find a home in The Motor Museum, which has just been opened.
Eastmans, Ltd., next purchased a number of second-hand Daimler chassis, and built the bodies themselves. Summing up after 12 months of this work, a conclusion was arrived at that the new scheme was not in its entirety satisfactory. At the same time, it was fully realized, in spite of difficulties and disappointments, that the future held great possibilities. For a year or two the fleet of 30 horses reigned supreme, and the old motorvans were banished to the out-of-the-way corners of the yard. When the company removed its premises from Hammersmith to Acton Vale, Mr. Eastman insisted that provision should be made in the stabling arrangements which would allow their rapid conversion, when the time was ripe, into garages. The present position of the business is sufficient proof of the wisdom of this progressive policy. Two specially-built garages are now employed, and already one stable has been converted. A scheme is in hand for the early conversion of the remaining two stables. The horses at present employed by the firm are down to 11.
Checking Costs.
Rule-of-thumb methods of cartage and delivery costs are not in vogue with the Eastman concern. A regular system of checking the vans in and out of the yard is in operation, and, further, the standing and loading times are noted. These times are then entered up on a weekly sheet, which is sent in to the office and personally checked by the manager of the motorvehicle department. Special loading places were built in the yard at an early date. The vans, when loading, are backed on to a fine open stage, and in time of pressure there is no lambing of the parcels and baskets which are being loaded on to the vans.
The Van without a Name.
The 15 h.p. Humber car which has been mentioned previously, does not bear on its sides the wellknown Eastman trade mark. This vehicle is used for conveying wholesale work to the smaller business houses which are themselves unable to cope with some of their orders. This little piece of enterprise in supplying a plain and unnamed van has led to a large increase in this special class of business.
The Work of the Vans.
Each van averages 40 calls a day, and, as regards labour-saving, it is of interest to note that, with a large delivery area and a greater number of calls, two Albion vans with two men and two boys can do the work which five men and five boys did with 10 horses. A little disadvantage which has been found when delivering to private customers is that the vans are kept waiting for varying periods of from 10 minutes to half an hour, while the lady of the house is busily engaged finding the summer dress which she requires cleaning.
Although it is impossible to state the exact advertisement value of the vans, many inquiries are received at the firm's offices which begin : "We have seen your motors delivering goods. Can you possibly get them round to such-and-such an hotel to collect our work."
Training Satisfactory Drivers.
'All the Eastman drivers are men promoted from the stables, and after a preliminary period of training under a skilled driver, in which they acquire a knowledge of the vehicle of which they are to take charge, they are given an increase in their wages, and receive a further permanent increase at the end of 12 months' satisfactory service. There is also a bonus given every three months if no accidents have been sustained nor complaint received of the driver.
Opening New Branches.
When it is decided to open a new branch in some outlying town, the necessary woodwork for the interior fittings of the shop is made in the firm's carpentry department, and it is then loaded on one of the big vans, and a label suitably inscribed, such as "For the new Eastman branch," is placed on the body. The vehicle then parades the town in which the branch is to be opened, and thus secures a fine advertisement for the branch.
During the recent transport troubles, and also during the brief dock strike, long-distance journeys are undertaken at frequent intervals. Brighton, Eastbourne, Hastings, Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks, and similar places are put on the direct route from the cleaners to the consumer.
"We are going," said Mr. Frank Eastman to our man at the conclusion of the interview, "considerably to increase our fleet of motors. We are more than satisfied."