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

32 MOTOR ROAD TRANSPORT particularly applicable to medium and heavy-weight vehicles. The question of power and gearing enters all grades of motor transport, and will be found to influence the running cost sheets to a considerable degree. To take an example, a van which is fitted with a com- paratively small-capacity engine, and a two or even three speed gear box, will often encounter a gradient for which there is really no suitable gear ratio. The slope will pro ve just too steep for the van to be driven up on top gear without the engine being put under excessive stress, while the next gear will be too low. This entails one of two things. Either the driver crawls because the engine is fitted with a governor (or if it is not, because he is conscientious and likes to treat his car well), or the engine is raced. and a fair road speed is obtained. In the first case, valuable time is lost, and the engine is probably not run at its most efficient revolution rate ; in the second, unduly high maintenance charges will result. This matter is of greater importance than many people apparently realize, and is worthy of thoughtful consideration by all who, possessing or intending to possess commercial motor vehicles, wish to • obtain from them the greatest amount of work at the least possible cost.