Demountable explosion
Page 46
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Through the columns of CM which has seen fit over the past year to publicize the advantages of the demountable concept, I would like to answer Mr D. R. Baker's (transport director of Tesco Stores) speech to the Freight Transport Association as reported in the December 1 issue. As a fellow member and past operator (25 years) and demountable manufacturer (six years), his criticism and remarks I considered rather harsh and largely unfounded.
I do not deny that there are probably 25 people who at some time (most of them recently) marketed a demountable type of product but I believe that there are only about a dozen serious contenders for the title, demountable manufacturer. I would suggest that rationalization of design must start at the roots of the industry: first, for the operator to demand and accept, secondly, the vehicle makers to implement — as Mr Baker implies. Until such time as standards are achieved and made available, demountable manufacturers must choose to bias their products to one section or another, this obviously leaves gaps in the market which have naturally come to be filled with different concepts. I think, given time, acceptable quality will come to the top.
Already my own company's products can with minor modifications interchange with three of the principal contenders present, therefore if my assessment of 12 is accepted, we and three others (making 33 per cent, or more by market share) are some way to achieving standardization by natural commercial selection without resorting to committees.
Would Mr Baker in his speech be advocating a system whereby commercial vehicle and equipment are all identical but marketed with different packages at different prices, as appears to be the prevailing practice in today's supermarkets?
I would be willing to sit at the table and discuss rationalization of this product with other manufacturers and users. Congratulations to Commercial Motor on its demountable coverage: keep it up.
R. H. HAM, Ronway Engineering Co Ltd, Southall.