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Bulk Handling Justifies HIGHER RATES
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ACCEPTING that bulk haulage of certain agricultural products, along with other traffic, has come to stay, British Road Services believe that the provision of the necessary specialized facilities can be undertaken by general hauliers. Moreover, current trends in trade and industry are likely to increase the need for collection and delivery in hulk, and B.R.S. expect this growth to affect both the tonnage and range of such traffics.
But there are undoubted pitfalls in this type of work. Not only are the
vehicles employed specialized for a particular type of work. The bulk haulier has to know far more about his customers' products and premises than would suffice for general traffics if he is to operate profitably. This invariably implies that there must be prior planning and consultation between operator and customer.
When I discussed bulk haulage with Mr. F. C. Wilmott, commercial officer of British Road Services, he agreed that there was some difficulty in arriving at an acceptable definition of the term "bulk haulage" which would have general application. In some instances, normal traffic might be considered as packages that could be manhandled, whilst anything over that weight was accepted as delivery in bulk.
Alternatively, where the customer did not supply the container, the traffic would be rated as bulk haulage. The actual substance conveyed in bulk could include liquids or solids in pulverized or granulated form.
Because of the specialized nature of many of these traffics, the operation of a bulk haulage service implied a high proportion of empty running. This naturally increased the cost to the operator, although unfortunately he often had the greatest difficulty in convincing the customer of the need for higher rates. The modern trend for larger factories, Mr. Wilmott said, resulted in greater intakes of raw materials, with a correspondingly greater saving, by the elimination of bagging or packaging costs, when bulk handling methods were installed. Some similar centralization of' bulk traffic was obtained by operating from railheads, and B.R.S. were providing special vehicles for such traffic.
The Cement Marketing Corporation were constructing their own railway wagons for the carting of cement by rail to convenient railheads. This was of particular advantage in connection with the construction of many hydroelectric and power-station • schemes now in the course of completion in isolated areas.
Similar methods of initial distribution were employed on major road construction works, permitting the more economic concentration of road vehicles for the shorter ultimate journey. In this connection, Mr. Wanton said, with so many large civil-engineering projects to be undertaken throughout the country, it was obvious that for the next few years large quantities of concrete would be required, with a corresponding demand for the delivery of cement in bulk.
Big organizations, such as the Cement Marketing Corporation, could localize deliveries in this manner, and thereby increase the number of short hauls required in the final distribution. This was a major factor in increasing the opportunity for that final delivery to be made in bulk. It followed that the current trend towards larger industrial and commercial units would be likely to encourage bulk haulage.
The initial demand for delivery in bulk normally came from the customer, but it was the operator's job to anticipate that demand, to explore the
possibility -and :to offer adequate facilities. Unfortunately, many industrialists wanted to conserve to themselves any saving that might have accrued in their total -cost of manufacture through the employment of bulk handling.
It was difficult for the haulier to obtain an increase in his own rates where the employment of specialized vehicles justified it. It ' was essential for him . to plan to keep down his operating costs as much as possible when the introduction of "a new bulk delivery vehicle was envisaged.
At this stage, consideration of all other relevant factors _was necessary. The location of pits, or lowness of archways, at customers' premises could substantially affect the operating costs of a haulier, and the rates he would have to quote if the traffic were to be moved profitably.
In an endeavour to offset seasonal demands for bulk delivery, B.R.S. favoured articulated, rather than rigid, vehicles, so that at least the tractor unit could be used for other traffic when the specialized semi-trailer was not required.
Not much Opportunity
Mr. Wilmott did not consider that there was normally much opportunity for a dual-purpose vehicle in bulk haulage, becaus5 most of the traffics carried were so specialized. In order to decrease the high standing costs of expensive bulk vehicles, however, double-shifts, might be necessary.
For the same reason, a maximumload vehicle would normally be the most economic, although on local work vehicles of 6-7-ton capacity were an advantage. A B.R.S. vehicle operated in Scotland consisted of a standard 15-ton platform eight-wheeler carrying three detachable bins which could discharge by gravity through the floor. When the vehicle was needed as a standard platform lorry, lids were placed over the holes.
Regarding the range of traffics already carried in bulk by B.R.S., Mr. R. S. Trew, traffic officer of the South Eastern Division, told me that it included malt, grain, flour, sugar, cement, carbon black and agricultural products. Developments were expected shortly in the bulk haulage of plastics moulding powders.
In confirming the difficulty in persuading a customer that higher rates were often justified when a bulk haulage service was required, Mr. Trew said that it was unfortunate for the operator that customers readily, but wrongly, assumed that, because their own handling costs had been reduced by the introduction of bulk methods, 'similar savings were inevitable to the transport operator.
With the expectation of a possible reduction in transport rates, such customers were extremely reluctant to pay more for their traffic to be delivered in bulk than they did when it went by platform lorry.
For some bulk traffics a standard tipping body, with suitable cover, was adequate. Mr. Trew mentioned the haulage by B.R.S.of sugar-beet from the factories of the British Sugar Corporation. Many eight-wheeled tippers were supplied to the Corporation exclusively on contract for this purpose.
The extent to which empty running could be eliminated when carrying traffics in bulk was limited. The problem was aggravated where the traffic was seasonal, so not only were customers all requiring vehicles at the same time, but, to a large extent, the traffic was moving in' one direction only. • There had been an increase in the delivery of feedstuffs in bulk, although in this instance a smaller vehicle was more appropriate to the size of the average customer's installation for this type of product, such as a broiler house.
In discussing the conveyance of liquids in bulk, Mr. J. W. Finnis, chief tank haulage manager, Pickfords (Bulk Liquids), Ltd., also agreed that it was difficult to determine just when liquids were, in fact, being delivered in bulk. He suggested• that bulk haulage could loosely be described as traffic for which there were no individual packages.
Appropriate Rate When canvassing a customer for bulk liquid traffic, where previously it had been carried by traditional methods, several advantages could be instanced with the object of not only attracting custom, but also of justifying a rate appropriate to the real cost.
In the distribution of lubricating oil, for example, Mr.. Finnis said, there would obviously be not only the initial saving of the cost of the container, but also the interest on that outlay. After containers had been supplied, and probably in substantial numbers for any sizeable distributor, they would have to be maintained, labour would be employed in filling and, possibly, weighing them, whilst at the delivery end the reverse process would apply.
Clerical labour would also be required to keep a check on stocks; which could assume massive proportions where a distributor was responsible for nation-wide coverage. Moreover, the total number of con tairiers in circulation in such circumstances might be .in the ratio of two empty to one full container.
Because many customers insisted that their products be delivered in the same form as they were collected, pressurized or mechanical means of discharge were not always acceptable. Carbon black was a case in point.
This was transported in pellet form about the size of a pinhead, but if it became powdered en .route it wouldinterfere with the process of tyre manufacture in which it was employed.
Pickfords' tank traffics are in four major categories-petroleum products, vegetable oils (food or soap), edible products and powders.
There is comparatively little difference in the initial cost and subsequent maintenance outlay on tanks used for either liquids or powder, although the radius of pipe bends has to be wider where powders are carried.
When a customer-offers a new traffic in bulk liquids of which Pickfords have not had previous experience, they first require to know whether or not it is corrosive, and its specific gravity and flash point Specific gravity can vary substantially, and correspondingly the gross weight of the load. Lubricating oil, for example, weighs around 9 lb. per gallon, whilst concentrated sulphuric acid weighs 18 lb. per gallon.
Similarly, a 4,000-gal. load of motor spirit weighs 13 tons 8 cwt., -whereas only. 3,50Q gal. of fuel oil weighs around 14 tons. The ,unladen weight of a tanker probably averages between 9 tons and 10 tons, assuming an eightwheeled rigid chassis, the tank alone weighing approximately 2+ tons.
Mr. Finnis pointed out that the object of the present proposal to permit the gross laden weight 'of tankers to be increased to 28 tons was not to allow a new and larger type of vehicle. It was intended to permit existing tanks to 'be filled completely with some of the heavier liquids, " which, at present, have to be transported in only partially filled tankers.
Mr. Finnis expected that the carriage of liquids in bulk would continue to increase, -but the rate of growth would be smaller than in the past 30 years. Nevertheless, he envisaged a large increase in the range and quantity of powders hauled in bulk. These-would include many new substances that were being devised continually -by modern and expanding industries.