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

102 MOTOR ROAD TRANSPORT Approximate Average Weekly Running Costs of Steam Motor Wagons (contd.). Ditto—5 Ibs. per mile at 96 miles per day for 5 days per week= 480 miles on a consumption of 21 cwts. 2 15 1 Driver’s wages ...... 3 - - 3 — — Assistant’s wages ...... 2 5- 2 5- Oil, waste and firewood ..... 14 4 14 4 Repairs at £60 per annum . . . . . 1 3 - 1 3 - Depreciation at the rate of 10% per annum (exclusive of tyres) ..... 2 4 8 2 2 6 Depreciation of rubber tyres (based on a life of 10,000 miles at £90 per set) 320 miles per week at 2-Id. permile ...... 2 16 - Ditto (at £80 per set) 480 miles per week at l-9d. per mile ....... 3 16 - Interest on Capital outlay at 6% per annum . 1 8 11 1 7 4 Estimated Total weekly running cost . £16 4 5 £17 3 3 Consequent cost per Vehicle mile 12-2d. 8-5d. Cost per net ton mile loaded throughout journey . 2-4d. 2-8d. Cost per net ton mile loaded on half the journey only ........ 4-8d. 5-6d. A charge for Insurance and garage should be added according to individual cases. Detailed Estimate of the Cost of Running a 5-Ton Hydraulic Tipping Steam Wagon, Carrying a Legal Load, of 3| tons only. The following figures refer to vehicles engaged on road maintenance haulage. The ton mileage per annum—14,000—is based on the assumption that the wagon covers 8,000 miles in the year and runs half that distance carrying the full legal load, and the other half empty. The final figures may appear rather high to the commercial user of a steam wagon, but it should be remembered that county haulage is considerably more costly than that of the ordinary business firm owing to the nature of the work. It will be noticed that although the lorry is of the 5-ton class the maximum load allowed by law is— largely owing to the tipping mechanism—only 3| tons. This matter is commented on in the chapter on bodies. The initial Capital expenditure on a new wagon is taken at £1,320, and the cost of tyres included at £120.