Care Needed Before Shipment
Page 80
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I OPERATE a forwarding business with trucking opera
tions with my own vehicles, and I have at present eight English-built trucks and vans, but I have found that, without exception, they are all assembled in such a manner that without a very careful check after the first few miles serious trouble will arise from loose bolts and nuts.
When shipping vehicles for Norway the manufacturer should take into consideration that frequently in wintertime our main roads (as a result of wet snow falling on a very cold road surface) produce a road condition much worse than the artificial corrugated surface on your proving grounds. I assume that if vehicles destined for Norway were taken to the proving ground and run for not less than six hours at a fairly high speed (around 60 m.p.h.), faults would be detected and could be corrected before shipment. Also, I find that the lubricating 'oils prescribed for the vehicles for gearboxes and rear axles are generally very stiff and cause heavy fuel consumption for the shorter runs as the axles and gears do not reach the temperature where the oil will flow freely. Diesel engines are very difficult to start on account of heavy off in the crankcase; selme starters are not up to the conditions—on one make the battery leads are glowing hot and the starter motor Very warm on a cold morning. Temperature here is around 20 degrees below zero. Washers tinder the heads of bolts 'could probably save a lot of trouble.
If these problems could be solved I should be very satisfied with English-built vehicles.
Oslo, Norway. P. NIELSEN.