From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
The vehicle fleet, maintenance, and costs of Gee, Walker & Slater Transport.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 158\3\ scan0037 | |
| Date | 9th February 1940 | |
| To Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} [Handwritten: 1345] [Handwritten: A.K.] Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/AA.{D. Abbot-Anderson}6/B.9.2.40. GEE, WALKER & SLATER TRANSPORT. This firm uses about 50 vehicles; they are divided into two groups, i.e. Site lorries and their own transport from the Works. Bedford and International chassis are chiefly used for the site vehicles and no accurate records of cost are kept, as Mr. Gee said that if a failure occurred, things had to be put right at once as quickly as possible, no matter what the cost. Otherwise a particular job might be stopped. Site lorries work under the most appalling conditions of mud, etc. Transport for the Works - two Leyland Cubs and an odd 2-ton Bedford. The Leylands are used for heavy road work. They are always running between the works and various sites, towing trailers. The two Leylands in commission at the moment are the second of this make that Gee's have bought. They bought them because they were reliable and a comparatively slow engine. The big Bedfords with heavy loads wore out much quicker owing to high engine speeds. Mr. Gee told me that their lorries - and in fact most Contractors' lorries - were invariably overloaded, in many cases to 100%. They have no real trouble with the Bedfords but the Internationals have been very bad - chiefly rear axle ball races, half shafts, springs and clutches. As pointed out above, no very careful records are kept but I did get the following figures - Leyland Cubs cost £31 odd, for 1938. Mileage 90/93,000. Bedford 2/3 ton, one year old cost £9. 4. 0d. This included one re-line of brakes and attention to Clutch ball races. Bedford 2/3 ton, three years old cost £93. 0. 0d; mileage 88,000. This figure was high due to the crack up of the cylinder block caused, I believe, by connecting rod coming adrift. These figures do not include the cost of tyres, they are purely maintenance. Once again, re-conditioned engines are used by Gee's to keep the vehicles on the road. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/AA.{D. Abbot-Anderson} [initials] | ||