Motor Road Transport For Commercial Purposes
(Liquid Fuel, Steam, Electricity)

62 MOTOR ROAD TRANSPORT and tyres per van per year is obtained as £55 12s. and £36 Ils. 3d. respectively. Gost per Mile. So the cost per van per year running an average mileage of 18,000 miles was as foliows— £ s. d. Petrol at Is. Id. 1,612 gals. . . 87 6 4 Wages average 31s. . . . . 80 12 - Repairs . . . . . . 55 12 - Tyres________________________36 11 3 Depreciation at ten years . . . 40 - - Oil, grease, Carbide, washing, etc. . 13 - - Insurance . . . . . 5 8- Total . . ^318 9 7 or cost per mile, 4 jd. The firm’s equivalent horse haulage costs at that time worked out at 6|d. per mile. In both the motor and horse running costs, no allow- ance for interest on Capital or garage rent was made, as the firm’s buildings were freehold. But while the interest would have brought out the motor costs higher in proportion to those of the horse, the former is less expensive in rent, since one motor van does not require the room that a van and six horses do. Engineers’ salaries are charges in the repair account. 1920 Figures. The following are the approximate average costs of running a good make of 30 cwt. lorry on a 400 mile per week basis. These figures, though based on the practice of a large number of vehicles operating on different classes of work over many years and brought up to date early in 1920, must be regarded as being more “ average ” than “ actual ” data, that is, as referring to vehicles running under reasonably favourable conditions.