MOTOR TRANSPORT

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1641, 14 May 1925, Page 7

MOTOR TRANSPORT

PNEUMATIC TYRES ON HEAVY

VEHICLES.

The use of 'pneumatic tyres on heavy commercial vehicles is steadily growing in favour. The latest example is that of a firm of tailors in Leeds, England, who have found that it is advantageous to utilise road transport over a radius of about one hundred miles.

This tailoring factory is one of. the largest of its kind in the country, and the whole organisation is on modern lines throughout. It follows, therefore, that in employing motor vehicles of any kind, the Arm would take the fullest of aifything that •could he credited to the use of their own transport. Apart from the speeding up of the service, there is the publicity value which is associated with road vehicles, ssid. the maximum use has heen made of thi«. Two 3-ton and two 1-ton vans are employed, and the bodies are specially ibuilt with slightly domed roofs. The finish is dark red with distinctive lettering in gold. The machines are kept in spotless condition, no accumulation of mud being allowed to gather on the under parts. Each car spends one day per week in dock for cleaning and adjustment.

Local delivery and station work !s carried out by the smaller vans, while the longer journeys (Newcastle in the north, Wrexham in the west, and Birmingham in the south, and the intervening districts), are undertaken by the heavier vehicles. Skips are used for packing, and these are brought hack by the vans on the return journeys.

On the long-distance trips the average daily journey is 140 miles, and this distance is easily covered, for both the larger vehicles are fitted with ipneumatic tyres, which enable a high road speed to be attained without damage to the chassis or body. 'One of the large vans started its life on solids, hut was subsequently converted, as the result of 'experience gained with the second van. It was soon found that the maintenance charges for (both ibody and chassis were considerably lessened following the adoption of the pneumatics. Twin wheels are used at the rear, and a set of tyres has been found to give up to 14,000 miles of service.