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

194 MOTOR ROAD TRANSPORT In addition a detailed mechanical history of the lorry is kept in a card index, one card for each lorry, and everything connected with the vehicle is put down, even to the mileage of the sparking plugs. The aim of these statistics is to get at the cost per mile of running the vehicles, and the cost per gallon for collecting the milk, also, as it is an easy matter to convert gallons of milk into tons, the cost per ton-mile can be ascertained. The maintenance of such a fleet is naturally a big item, but the firm have inspectors travelling certain definite zones, who daily report to the manager the condition of the vehicles, and who order them in for repairs to the various depots immediately anything appears faulty. For the purpose of control, the country is divided into two by a line from London to Aberystwyth, all south of that line coming under a main repairing depot in Dorsetshire, and all north. under one in Derbyshire. In addition, there are minor repairing depots situated at various specially selected places. The whole of the buying for the transport is done through one office—the chief office in the north— and therefore many economies are effected. The average cost per gallon for collection. is a figure under Id., and the average cost per vehicle mile works out at 15.95d. Besides the forms 1, 2, and 3, a fourth one is used as Inspector’s daily report, and a fifth. as Works Manager’s bi-weekly report. In addition, a Road Motor Fuel Record (a) and a Record of Motor Vehicles (b) are employed, specimens of which are given here. The latter (b) gives the information necessary to complete No. 2, and is issued to the subsidiary companies for return each month.