HINTS FOR HAULIERS.
Page 28
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An Occasional Chat on Subjects and Problems of Interest to Those Who are Engaged, or About to be Ergaged, in Running Commercial Vehicles for a Living.
INOTE . that a correspondent in last week's Commercial Motor disputes My figures of running costs. He says that he does not altogether agree with them. For this I am properly regretful but, at the same time, must inform him that he has really no appeal, since manufacturers' statements of costs are not admitted as evidence in connection with any statistics which are prepared for this page. The letter, however, is interesting and important, because it exemplifies just the sort of misunderstanding. that I consistently endeavour to rectify. I am _going to deal with it, then, in detail, practically line by line.
The writer states that the cost of fuel seems ex. cessive, and I note that in his own statement he places that cost at 3s. 6d. a gallon. Why he should choose a fictitious figure I cannot understand, nor do I see why I am in the wrong in using as a basis for my calculations 3s: 70., a gallon, which is the actual cost, to those users who are my readers, of the brand of petrol which they employ, lie says that I only allow 12 miles per gallon for a one tonnes, and goes on to state that many one thrillers give a higher mileage than this. Precisely ; there are many that do, but there are also many more that do not give anything like so high a mileage as this, and, unfortunately, the user is interested in results obtained by the many rather than those achieved by the few. I note that, in his own statement of costs, he assumes 15 miles per gallon for his 30-40 cwt. truck. If I give him': the benefitsof the doubt, and assume that this double duty machine is really only a 30 cwt. one, then I have to advise him that such a performance is rarrely achieved in practice, 11 miles per gallon being the average.
As regards tyres, hauliers in all parts of the country, whether in a big way-of business or small, -average very little more than 7,000 miles per set of solid tyres. I have taken 245 as the net cost-per set, from which I have calculated theIsid, a mile which I gave in my tables.The 245 may he a little higher than the present-price of a set of tyres, but the difference is only small, and would not improve the costs more than about one-tenth of a penny. As regards insurance, there are dozens of offices which will insure a vehicle for less than a 3 ton load for the equivalent of 6s. 3d. a week, and, if Mr. Phillips likes to write i to me, I will put him n communication with such a one, but, if he likes to investigate the. matter for himself and will take ease that he gets competitive quotations from non-tariff offices, he will get all he wants without my help. I am not, as I stated at the beginning of this article, particularly interested in the scale of running charges of the Republic truck, or of any other ; the figures come via the hands of the manufacturer, and the reason is plain to be seen by anyone who reads Mr. Phillips's own letter. He says that-this scale has been based merely on the actual expenses of many users.
I give no improved figures for petrol consumption for vehicles on pneumatic tyres because I have not yet seen any which I can accept. I have given the pneumatic-tyred truck the benefit of the doubt in regard to maintenance charges, bemuse I know that. the maintenance cost is slightly reduced. This knowledge is based on information derived from users who saw the value of pneumatic tyres long before the giant pneumatics began to achieve such publicity as it now enjoys. I do not, for -one moment, believe that the depreciation per mile will be at all effected. The useful life of a commercial vehicle chassis averages out at 125,000 miles. After-that period its value should stand in the owner's books at nil.
It is now, I think, my turn to criticise Mr. Phillips's own table. I note he says that it is based on 300
• miles running per week; 15,600 miles r er annum. Do Republic trucks then run, year in year out, 52 weeks to the year? The vehicle under discussion is termed a 30-40 Cwt. truck. This is a misleading form of denomination, and one which has been. responsible for a good deal of misunderstanding amongst salesmen and buyers. A truck is properly classified according to the net load which it is designed to carry, and a dual classification, such as that adopted in this case, is therefore quite unnecessary. The proper appleciation of the meaning of the term "standing, charges" is evidently not possessed by the writer of the letter, since, while he -depreciates his truck over a stated numbr of miles, yet places that item under" standing charges," Repairs and renewals are estimated at 148 15s. per annum, and are put under "running charges" at .75d. per mile. I sug-. gest that those vehicles Which have cost £48 15s, per annum for repairs and renewals have not run15,600 miles during that year. There is no item in this scale of costs for the many sundries which are covered in my tables by the term " maintenance," which, besides repairs and renewals, includes such things as paraffin and petrol used for cleaning, lighting, requisites (which may be oil and wick, carbide and burners, or battery upkeep and bulbs, ascording to the style of lightingadopted). Finally, I note, with considerable. Surprise, that, -although this is a 30-40 cwt. machine 'and the driver's wages are those of the driver of a 30 cwt. machine, yet, in calculating on the cost per ton mile, it is assumed to be taking a two ton load, Which confusion is excusable and is compatible with the misleading denomination adopted for -chassis.
Opinion of a Second-hand. Vehicle.
One of my readers wants to know the address of the agents for the Auto-Car chassis, The answer .to this I do not know. It was for a time in the hands of Gaston, Williams and Virigmore, who have now vanished, their place having been taken by Gaston, Ltd.,. of Great Portland Street. The latter may be able to provide our correspondent with some of the information which he desires. I do not think, as he suggests, that the chassis was made-by Garfords or that Garfords ever had anything whatever to do with it. Next, he wants my opinion of a secondhand chassis of that make, and whether it is suitable for the work of a builder's -carter. This question I do not propose to try to answer. I will never, in any circumstances, attempt to discuss the merits of any second-hand chassis which I have not actually vetted myself. I will state, however, that it is folly for anyone to expect to get a satisfactory vehicle for two-ton loads, thoroughly overhauled and in excellent condition, for £250. Nor do I advise going to the expense' of fitting this chassis with pneumatic tyres all round, whatever may be their suitability in a general way, for the class of work which is con-' tempIated.
The charge per mile for a ton lorry is two shillings. There is no tax to pay 'beyond the -original' registration fee of 21, and a rebate may be obtained on all petrol used for Strictly commercial purposes on a yehicle which is solely constructed for use in the carriage of goods. Forms on which to make application for this rebate may be obtained, on request, from the laical Inland Revenue offices.