500,000 MILES A YEAR.
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The Remarkable Performance of a Fleet of Petrol and Steam Vehicles Used for the Delivery of the Products of a Confectionery Concern.
HALF a million miles a year ! One becomes so accustomed to hearing of wonderful performances by works transport fleets that the quotation of figures sometimes gives only a very inadequate conception of the tremendous
service rendered. .
To be told that 500,000 miles is equivalent to several complete journeys round the world helps one to an appreciation of the mileage distance, but it provides no clue, when, as in the case of the transport fleet of Barker and Dobson, Ltd. (the chocolate and sweet manufacturers, of Liverpool), the motor vehicles are engaged in delivering delectable fancies to thousands of shops throughout the country, of the number of customers, hundreds of thousands of them, who have been enabled to buy, and to enjoy, their famous "Viking" chocolates and other confectionery.
Messra. Barker and Dobson, of Liverpool, made their first venture in motor transport in 1915 (having previously employed .horse-drawn carts), when they purchased an Austin wagon. Impressed with the results, they then launched out, adding units strangely dissimilar. For instance, the Austin soon had as companions a Sentinel steam lorry, then a Straker-Squire 4-tonner, followed by a fleet of Fords, a 4-ton Albion, Maudslay, and Leyland, then another Sentinel wagon (a 6donner) and, 'finally, a 5-ton Leyland. At the present time they have 10 Ford vans, three of them are 1-tanners and the remainder of 8-cwt. capacity.
,Thus a purely experimental fleet was built up, and, although very satisfactory results were registered, in the final analysis it was decided to standardize on Leyland lorries, of which the delivery of one or two is now awaited.
• The list, however, by no means represents the road transport capacity of Messrs. Barker and Dobson, tor, externally, they hire twenty additional motors from haulage contractors every week; as' a matter. of fact, some of these vehicles are in their continuous employ
ment Presumably, these are just stand-by vehicles until the works' fleet has been built up to its maximum postwar strength.
Some of the Ford vans used by the travellers are distinctly noteworthy, and when employed as an adjunct to the art of salesmanship must undoubtedly• make a useful appeal to.buyers. Immediately behind the driver's cab is an apartment with a side door the full length and height of the van, in which are stored little odds and ends, which can thus be put out of sight, so as not
to interfere with the " show " part of the van in the rear. The doors are hinged in the conventional fashion, but on the inside panels provision is made for the hanging of showcards containing packets of cachous, etc., eta.
On the sides of the Van, glass shelves are hinged for accommodating three or four bottles of sweets on each, whilst running the width of the van are other shelves, erected for a similar purpose, on the partitioning. The space at the bottom of the van can be bedecked with boxes of sweets. When completely equipped, this type of van, the interior fittings of which have a mahogany finish, can provide the opportunity for attractive display, equal at least to that of some of the high-class sweetmeat establishments.
When a representative of The Commercial Motor, on interviewing Messrs. Barker and Dobson, was told that their motors regularly travel to such far-away places as Aberdeen and Southampton, the question that suggested itself was : Why not use the railway, whose charges would be cheaper? Expeditious and prompt deliveries, freedom from the risks of pilferage and damage, and the facility with which returns can be dealt with were all considerations that operated in favour of motor transport, which, it was felt, was the only means of
providing a direct connecting link befween the works and the retailer.
On all return journeys tho motors bring back empty sweet jars, etc., the &mot conveyance of which by the company's own employees makes it much easier to watch and supervise (just as in the case of outward freights) the movements of traffic. The elimination of the many handlings of goods when despatched by rail is a point to which some importance is attached.
When '1 driver delivers his employers' toothsome delicacies at the shops and has obtained the shopkeeper's signature, he loads the empties, giving a credit note to the shopkeeper for what constitutes his back load. No general haulage work is accepted, although, perhaps, there would be occasions when it would provide a more profitable load. Nevertheless, the transport of empties is an essential part of the company's system.
In order to secure the best _ service from drivers, a bonus of 5s. per week is paid to every man whose work and conduct call for no adverse comment. Points that count are (1) good timekeeping, (2) general efficiency, (3) absence of breakdowns and losses (except ing when they are beyond the driver's control). It is veryseldom indeed that a driver does not merit the bonus, so good is the team work of Messrs. Barker and Dobson's transport staff.
A running-sheet,_ a specimen of which is shown on this page, is filled in by the driver on the completion of every journey he makes. This provides for the scheduling of all expenses incurred in the course of the journey, together with details of the number of hours worked, the miles covered, gallons of petrol used, gallons of oil used, and a summary of the number of cases carried.
This sheet is afterwards examined in the office, and at the end of the week the operating costs for each car are summarized an a form of which a specimen is shown on the previous page. This is ruled off and serves for siic months and enables all the details of standing charges and weekly running coats -to be clearly shown. s A space is provided for the total weekly charges, the total weekly mileage, the cost per mile, the cost per ton-mile, petrol used, miles per gallon, and remarks.
From these records it was shown that the four-ton petrol machines gave about • six miles to the gallon, whilst the fourton steamer used one cwt of fuel per thirteen miles, the total cost in each ease being about is. 7d. per mile.
Some idea of the company's transport costs will be gained from the fact that their own vehicles have a mileage of roughly 204,000-per annum, whilst those of outsidecontractors commissioned by them do another 300,000 miles. These huge figures, when analysed into separate jcpurecree bscsine
all the more interesting. The four-ten lorries each do about 14,000 miles per annum, and the Fords nearly forty miles a day on an average. During the .last twelve months there has not been a single case of breakdown on the road.
Deliveries in the Manchester district. are made regularly four times a week, the area being. split ep so that each Ford (the lighter motors serve the " close distriete ") can work "a circular tour" (using the coach owners'
phrase). Rochdale and other towns within easy range of Manchester are covered on specified days. Asked what noteworthy formances had 'been made by their vehicles, Messrs. Barker and Dobson mentioned that not so lone ago the
• feton'Sentinel travelled 706 nis.0..s in six deye Deliveries were made at 32places ir tho South Country The.hest 'record the 4-ton Sentinel was a journey of 781 miles, Birkenhead to Wolverhampton in five hours; five stops were made to take in water. Another memorable journey was to distriets iii South Wales-110 . miles—when calls were triode at 45 shops, goods were en loaded and empties loaded, and the motor was back again at the garage in four and a half days.
One of the 4-ton Leylands distinguished itself in a journey to South Wales, covering 500 miles and making 60 calls, returning to Liverpool on the evening of the fourth day. On anothei occasion the Sentinel, fully loaded:made the journey from Liverpool to London. 220 miles, in a day. Moseys. l3arker and Dobson have their own repair shops, and as a direct result of a constant surveillance of vehicles it is very rare that the motors are unable to perform their allotted tasks.