OPINIONS and QUERIES The " C.M." Guide to Wharves and Docks.
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The _Editor, TEE COMMERCIAL MOTOIL
[4190] Sir,—We should like heartily to congratulate you upon the comprehensive list of docks and wharves published on pages 506-518 of your issue dated November 10. This will prove of the greatest assistance to all those working in and out of the multifarious Thames-side wharves, and, we should be glad if you would kindly let us know when the list will be available in suitable form for drivers' use.
. A. C. NORMAN
(For The Southern Transport Co., Ltd.) Brighton.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[4191] Sir,—In last week's issue of The Commercial Motor we noticed with great interest the list of wharves and maps. We also noticed from your footnote that it is proposed at some later date to publish these in suitable form. for drivers. We shall be extremely obliged if you will advise us as soon as they are ready, as it is about the most useful map of its kind that we have ever seen.
We run a considerable number of lorries, and frequently have great delays through drivers not being conversant with the situation of the docks and wharves.
There is just one suggestion we would like to make, i.e., in the list of postal addresses the name of the proprietor of the wharf should also appear, as usually it is under that name that the entry appears in the London Telephone Directory. Frequently we have wished to ring up a wharf and, not knowing the name of the owners, have been linable to find the telephone number. We feel sure that this addition would be greatly appreciated by transport users.
D. E. PRATT (For James and Geo. H. Matthews, Ltd.). Harold Wood, Essex.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
• [4192) Sir,—It is my opinion that yourguide to London wharves fulfils a long-felt want. I am all in favour of your publishing this guide in booklet form, and I think that it should hare a ready sale amongst
operators. S. E. WHITE. London, N.13.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[4193] Sir,—There were two points of particular Interest that arose in your last issue. May I be allowed to appreciate them la one letter? First, you drew attention to the fact that soon it will be too late for any effective action regarding the Road and Rail Traffic Bill. I agree and urge that every haulier, whether he be an owner-driver or n large contractor, should make it his immediate 'duty to -join one or other of the associatiOns identified with his interests.
So far as the Alliance of Owner Drivers is concerned. membership is open to those operating not more than six vehicles; it is essentially for the "little 'man," as was emphasized in the Daily Express in its issue dated November 11. Applications will be dealt-with at Room 328, Coastal Chambers, Buckingham Palace Road, London, S.W.
My second comment Is on your guide to London docks and wharves. This is admirable, and its publication in book form would be still More so. Might I suggest that these maps be supplemented by descriptive notes regarding the nature of the business and individual features that contribute to the expeditious (or otherwise) handling of lorries.
It IS 'hardly necessary to point out that there is a knowledge of this class of traffic only obtained by practical experience, but it means to the haulier the saving of much money. If the essence of this knowledge could be covered by the notes suggested, your guide would be an even greater boon to every dispatch manager and haulage contractor concerned in such traffic.
CAPT. E. H. B. PALMER,
Secretary, Alliance of Owner Drivers. Loudon, S.W.I.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[4194] Sir,—The guide to wharves and docks meets a real need. The want of it has caused innumerable delays to transport men of all grades. I congratulate you on the realization and action.
Shere. E. S. SHRAPNELL-SMITH, C.B.E.
The Loading of Light Articulated Six-wheelers.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR. •
[41951 Sir,—It is indeed .gratifying to find that my views receive such support frorn so experienced a member of the trade as Mr. Rankin. The able exposition of his personal opinion on the load-carrying capacities of light six-wheelers leaves little to he added by me. . The further confirmation by Mr. Littlellale, the London Road Garage, Stony Stratford, of the almost complete freedom from trouble of this type of vehicle is a wonderful unsolicited testimonial to the Carrimore, which is to-day receiving such a well-deserved measure of popularity.
The load capacities approved by the manufacturers, which Mr. Rankin mentions; are further confirmation, If Such is required, of my statement that these loads cannot in any sense be described as overloads.
These conservative ratings are founded on that desire for caution which I gather from Mr. Bankin's letter forms one of his admirable qualities and rightly befits a resident of Scotland.
He will no doubt be pleased to hear that the demand for Carrirnores is so great that we are working day and night. The percentage of repeat orders is remarkably high, and operators one and all inform us that the scientific construction and special design of the Carrimore enable loads of 5-6 tons t6 be carried with the greatest ease. .
Our experience of the low maintenance costs, confirmed so conclusively by Mr. Littledale, is reflected in our trifling sales of spare parts, of the smallness of which we are pardonably proud.
May I extend my thanks to Mr. Rankin for his very helpful contribution to this interesting subject?
H. R. HOOD &tuns, Managing Director (For Carrimore Six Wheelers, Ltd.). London, N.12.
Estimating Costs for Removal and Hire Work with a Mixed Fleet.
The Editor, TICE COMMERCIAL Moron.
141001 Sir,—We have read with a great deal of interest your articles in The Commercial Motor, "Problems of the Haulier."
In common with many other firms, we are often up against the keenest competition and price cutting, and although wecertainly get our share of the available removal work, yet at times we are rather chagrined to be cut out from jobs which we should like to secure.
Operating as we do we are not able to keep our vehicles and staffs steadily at work every day and we have no regular contracts running. We do a little private hire, taxi and funeral work to fill up the men's time.
We are anxious to find a scale for charging, worked out on a proper basis to which we can add a &LIM to cover profit, extra labour, etc., and we shall be exceedingly grateful if you can kindly put us in the way of this to cover the following vehicles:—
Leyland 4-ton, on pneumatics with 600 cubic ft. lift without trailer ; Dennis 30-cwt., with 300 cubic ft. body. Also can you please supply similar information for Thornycroft 5-ton, on pneumatics, with 600 cubic ft., lift van and a trailer of similar size; Bedford 2-ton, with a (300 cubic ft. body?
For the 600 cubic ft. vans, we allow 5i• hours for loading and unloading, and up to the present we have been charging for the van, driver and a packer a fixed sum per day, plus a mileage charge to cover the whole distance traversed. Extra men, of course, are charged at per day. with every journey varying in distance this seems tS'us to be the only way to base a charge. This is a very hilly district and the gradients are steep. CONTRACTORS. Exeter.
[Your own method of assessing your costs is correct. I gather that you wish me to indicate what the actual figures should be according to my experience. It will be sufficiently accurate if you base your calculations on the data given on page 811 of the issue of The Cdmotereial Motor for January 20, checking each item against any record you may have of your qwn costs, and, of course, modifying the totals accordingly. In your ease application of these figures is governed by the fact that your vehicles aro not used all the week round. The actual figures of cost of operation of the vehicles alone without provision for drivers, are :—For a 30-cwt. and 2-lonner, £3 8s. per week and 3d. per mile; for a 4-tanner, Lii 14s, per week and 41d. per mile ; for a 5-termer and trailer, 17 10s, per week and 6d. per mile.
If I assume that, on the average throughout the year, each vehicle is employed for four days per week, then the net cost per vehicle per day becomes 17s. for each of the two small machines, 28s, 6d. for the 4-tanner and 37s. 6d. for the 5-tanner and' trailer. To that must be
'added the wages of two men—a driver and packer. I have calculated these at the standard rate of £2 Ps. 6d. per a36 week each, and assume that they are paid a weekly wage, although they are actually engaged on removal work for only four days per week. The allowance for their wages is, therefore, 25s. per day. and the total debit for vehicles and men becomes 42s., 53s. 6d. and 62s. 6d. per day. You probably have your own ideas as to what gross profit you must obtain. If I assume 20s., 308. and 40s. per day respectively, then your minimum charge becomes 62s., 83s. ed. and £5 2s. 6d. per day, and 35s., 45s. and 55s. per half-day. To this must be added ad., 4id. and 6d. per mile, as quoted above, and the figures then arrived at are subject to a further addition for the wages of any additional labour employed.—S.T.R.] Log Haulage in Guatemala.
The Editor, TEE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[4197] Sir,—I have been very interested in the haulage articles in The Commercial Motor, and I believe that you are in a position to give us some good
advice relative to English steam wagons.
Briefly, our conditions are as follow :—We are hauling logs a distance of about 14 mile over a road with grades running from 5 per cent. to 25 per cent, down hill. The road is largely cut out of solid rock, and therefore is hard, but in many places rather rough, due to large boulders sticking up in it.
What we need is a truck geared for lots of power and very little speed. We might say that we have to use pneumatic tyres on account (d the fact that solids will not give sufficient traction to enable the hills to be climbed empty.
The writer has been investigating various steam lorries for the past two years, and he is inclined to believe that, if we could find one in good condition, one of the old-type single-speed Sentinels would be most suitable for our Use.
We Would like a vehicle with the following specification: Speed about 8 m.p.h.; ability to climb 25 per cent. grades with a 1-ton load, this being the weight of the two-wheeled trailer, which we find it desirable to load on to the back of the lorry for the return journey ; simplicity, both from a mechanical and operating standpoint.
We would use either charcoal or wood fuel, and we have water available at points not over half a mile apart on the road.
As to braking, we notice that certain people recommend that the engine in reverse may be used as a brake. Is this good policy? Does it lead to heavy mechanical upkeep of the engine? Generally speaking, is the type of steam wagon of which we-speak a machine which has good brakes?
• What parts of steam wagons give the most trouble? What is the average life of the following parts: Drive chains, boiler, flues, super-beater coils? Any inforMation which you can give us on these machines will be greatly appreciated. .
G. F. Hyrr.
(for Guatemala Lumber Company). El near°, Guatemala.
[We do not think you could do better than purchase a — Sentinel steam wagon, as you suggest in your inquiry. A.S. you are considering a single-geared machine you should, in view of the special nature of the work, select one with a low rear-axle ratio. It may even be advisable to purchase a new pair of chain-sprockets in order to reduce that ratio. We are assuming that you have had experience of the use of charcoal or wood fuel in these vehicles and that you do not wish us to discus that aspect of the matter. It is quite permissible to usePthe engine of a steam wagon in reverse gear as a brake. If this be done judiciously it does not lead to excessive cost of engine maintenance. The Sentinel steam wagon, in any event, has excellent brake equipment. Maintenance operations in connection with steam wagons are mainly in connection -with the boiler. You will probably have to renew the boiler tubing at intervals of two or three years, and you must be most careful to keep the flues and tubes and interior of the boiler clean, giving this matter periodic attention. The superheater coils need renewal at the same frequency as the tubes. The driving chain should last about 10,000 miles.—En.]