Q Now that 16 tons gross is a dividing lh& line
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for licensing I find that plenty of hauliers are looking more searchingly at the best way to use the 16-ton limit, We have been taking a close look ourselves, and reckon that the artic at this gross weight is a better bet than the rigid—at least for our sort of work Do your figures confirm this?
AOn the basis of the figures given in
the Commercial Motor Tables of Operating Costs, a straight comparison of costs per mile shows the artic to be slightly cheaper to run. But it has other advantages—flexi bility of operation and the possibility of exchanging trailers to enable the tractive unit to earn a bigger return. The CM Tables assume certain basic cost figures leg R.H. Wages Council pay rates} but since this is a straight comparison the added cost of actual pay rates does not materially affect the issue.
You might. however, be interested in some comparative figures produced by Seadyke Freight Systems Ltd. of Wisbech St Marv, Cambs. matching Ford rigid against Ford artic and Bedford rigid against Bedford artic. The chart is sent to customers and potential customers as a "persuader" in favour of the artic. We reproduce it here.