Customers' Times Govern Fleet Operation
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OPERATION of the C-licence fleet of Bowaters Services and Transport, Ltd.. was largely dictated by customers' intake times. Most of the press rooms in Fleet Street took deliveries only between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.. whereas loading at the paper mills could proceed around'the clock.
This was stated by Mr. R. Neville White. movements control officer of the Bowater Paper Corporation, Ltd., and a director of Bowaters Services and Transport. Ltd., when he addressed the Metropolitan Section of the Institute of Transport last week.
Another difficulty was the fluctuation in tonnage to be carried. For this and other reasons, Bowaters did not attempt to transport all their paper -by their C-licence fleet. Ancillary vehicles dealt with the normal volume of production, and extra tonnage was carried by hauliers.
Centralized Control
At each mill and factory was a certain number of vehicles, central control being exercised from London. For newsprint deliveries in the south, eightwheelers of 24 tons gross were used. Each could carry about 17 tons on its 24-ft. 6-in.-long body. Whenever possible, maximum loads of 21 reels were made up.
Eight-wheelers were augmented by a smaller number of articulated outfits. Vehicles might he running night and day. If no crane were available at a customer's bank, the driver had to unload the reels by means of a wooden tool shaped liked a bat. This was a highly skilled job, as he had to avoid bumping the reels, causing them to fracture.
A staff of experienced damage-prevention inspectors was maintained to ensure that reels of paper were loaded and unloaded in such a manner as to obviate damage.