Act now on load safety
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If the road goods transport industry does not soon take steps to draw up a code of practice for the safe loading of vehicles, and encourage operators to adhere to it, there is a very good chance that the Government will be forced to introduce legislation. And this could be much more onerous and much less palatable than a scheme evolved by the industry. The police already have wide powers to prosecute operators of vehicles with insecure or potentially dangerous loads; but the obvious cases are not always the most dangerous. It is easy to spot the too-high load of paper rubbish which has shifted, but far more difficult to recognize the potentially much more destructive situation represented by a heavy consignment inadequately secured to a high-speed trunk vehicle.
No one who uses his eyes and ears can fail to be aware of the increase in shot loads and overturned vehicles in the past couple of years. There are several reasons, quite apart from the sheer growth of traffic, and our regular contributor in the Road and Workshop column has been spelling out some of the causes and effects in recent weeks. But two factors stand out; the big strides in vehicle performance and braking power, and the influx of younger drivers into the industry in large numbers.
This needs tackling from two main standpoints. The most essential, and potentially the most productive, is intensive safety training of staff in vehicle loading and handling; the second is the drafting of a really commonsense loading code. And, as our correspondent explains this week, this may evolve basic decisions about vehicle choice. Loads that once travelled securely enough on a sheeted flat may be costly trouble-makers at today's trunking speeds.
Buses in bulk
The National Bus Company's first annual list of orders runs to 1,320 vehicles costing nearly £10m and reveals some surprising trends. Perhaps the most remarkable is the apparent insignificance of the new facility to run one-man double-deckers; the swing to single-decker seems, in fact, to be accelerating and among the whole of the ex-Tilling companies only 59 double-deckers are on order for next year.
Surprising in another sense is the fact that not a single bodywork order is listed in the NBC list for the British Leyland's Park Royal and Roe companies, nor for MCW. Not so long ago, these three were producers of the BET's standard doubledeckers.
The 20 BMMO S-type single-deckers on order are the last buses which Midland Red will build and, in view of Leyland National's plans, it is interesting that these should be integral designs. A hint that the new Leyland National integral models may include transverse-rear-engined types is provided by the appearance of no fewer than 101 Fleetline single-deckers in the 1970 list: surely such a marked preference for this layout cannot be overlooked?
Money for jam?
Many hauliers will be interested in the General Foods league table system described in a feature this week. The idea of bonuses for prompt local distribution will appeal to any operator ready to offer real service; too often such service is taken for granted. Less appealing is the system's elimination of local warehousing, which for many hauliers is becoming the most profitable side of the business. But this is in no sense a criticism of the Banbury scheme; road transport could do with more of these searching analyses of performance, especially when there are attendant rewards for the pace-setters.