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

SELECTION OF A VEHICLE 35 Skilled Mechanic Drivers Best for Small Traders. The converted horse driver, unless he or she has undergone an adequate training not only in the hand- ling, but also in the mechanism and general running of a commercial motor vehicle, will not prove so success- ful for the small fleet owner as in the case of the man with a larger business. It is advisable for the trader working under limited conditions of service to employ skilled mechanic-drivers who are fully competent to carry out all running repairs, and even more serious work, such as taking up wear in a big end bearing or fitting a new ball-race to the gear box or rear axle. The increased cost of the wages of a driver of this class will be more than repaid by the efficiency of the running of the van or vans, and by the reduced expenditure incurred on repair work. The skilled man will be able to detect a fault at its commencement before it has time to develop seriously, and this, of course, saves labour. He will be able to make the necessary adjustments or alterations himself, and, although a van may be kept off the road a few additional days in the year beyond the time which would be contracted. for if the work were to be done by the makers, the advantage of the repairs being done by a man in the trader’s own service is considerable. The semi-skilled driver-mechanic who does not come into either of the previously mentioned classes is not likely to be found a great success in either case. He may be worth his wage where certain conditions prevail, but is often the cause of extravagance rather than one of economy. Speed and Maintenance Gosts. The question of speed in the driving of a motor van plays one of the principal parts in the consideration