Cutting delivery times
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part of their revised distribution system in which retail deliveries are made from headquarters and the bulk wholesale deliveries from local depots, fed by trunk vehicles, Harveys of Bristol Ltd. have put into service four new articulated outfits rated for 15 tons gross.
The vehicles comprise Commer tractive units with 117 h.p. two-stroke diesel coupled to Hands-Boriallack Weightsaver semitrailer vans. The bodies have been designed around the unit load which consists of a four-wheel trolley 65 in. high, 38 in. long and 284 in. wide which contains 25 cardboard cartons of wine. The trolleys, made by Clares, of Wells, have a width chosen to enable them to be pushed through a standard 2 ft. 6 in. doorway.
Two of the Weightsaver vans are 20 ft. 6 in. long internally and can each take 18 trolleys, three abreast, while two have an internal length of 23 ft. 10 in. and accommodate 21 trolleys. Each row of trolleys is restrained fore ana aft by a Terylene strap hooked into rails at each side of the van. Loading time is about 20 min., while rapid unloading is made possible by the Ratcliff electro-hydraulic tail-lift used on each van, the capacity being 22 cwt.
The outfits have a maximum of about 60 m.p.h. and make wide use of motorways; a spare trailer is kept for peak periods so that there is always a load ready for a returning tractive unit. The Commers have Chapman hydraulic seats, radio, large rear-view mirrors with extra stays and a Keinzle time/speed/mileage recorder.
Staff training
A TALK on the topical subject of "stall
training and its modern implications" is to be given by Mr. G. F. Pygall, Pickfords Ltd., tc the London and Home Counties branch of the Institute of Furniture Warehousing and Removing Industry. The meeting is being held at 7.30 p.m. on Thursday. September 15 at the Westminster Arms, Page Street, London SW1.