82
September, 1933
T H E COI N M A C H I N E J O U R N A L
fasts
3
Qents a (fMile
to (^Maintain
• Expenses for repairs and mainte
nance should be relatively few and far
between in the earlier operating life
of the motor truck or service car and
more numerous and frequent later on,
says J. D. Burke, director of truck
sales, Dodge Brothers Corp.
It is desirable for operators to
spread charges of this nature as evenly
as possible over the entire mileage
that makes them necessary. An es
timate of the probable cost of repairs
and maintenance, per mile, over the
period of intended ownership of the
vehicle can be made at the time of
purchase.
Then, for every mile that the truck
ruck
travels, an amount of money slightly
greater than the estimate should be
set aside as a reserve fund. This
amount is charged to the operating
expense each month so that the ini
tial operating cost will not be so low
as to become misleading subsequently.
All the money set aside, but not re
quired during the month to meet re-
pa i r and maintenance expenses,
should be added to the reserve fund
for future use.
Even though the operator be sure
that truck inspection and repair work
are competently done, he should not
yield to the temptation of slighting
the attention given to the truck.
True, close inspection and careful at
tention will result in slightly higher
maintenance cost per mile during the
first fifteen or twenty thousand miles,
than would be incurred without such
attention; yet it is the more econom
ical policy in the long run. It elimi
nates the possibility of unduly large
repair bills incurred without warning,
and it will go a long way toward
avoiding breakdowns on the road,
causing damage to the load and loss
of business. This applies to both light
and heavy duty trucks, operated sin
gly or in fleets.
Given the proper conditions of
maintenance, the correct determina
tion of maintenance cost resolves it
self into the use of the proper equip
ment. Poorly proportioned bodies
mean improper loading and conse
quent overstrain of the chassis. This,
in turn, is reflected in more extensive
repairs and higher replacement ex
penditure. Overloading, improper
loading, overspeeding and . careless
driving are undoubtedly the greatest
influences in increasing maintenance
costs.
Hard to Estimate Costs
Of course, repair and maintenance
cost is not the easiest item to esti
mate in advance. The amount will
depend on the general character of
the work and on whether or not sys
tematic inspection is employed to in
sure that minor adjustments and re
pairs are made as soon as necessary
to avoid aggravation of their causes,
which would lead to still more exten
sive and expensive repair work. Also,
the skill and carefulness of the truck
driver will have a lot to do with this
item.
Two Cents Per Mile Cost
Buy N O W while prices are still low,
and P R O F IT as the N E W D E A L
brings you more trade, more busi
ness, M O R E P R O F IT !
BANNER SPECIALTY CO.
1530 Parrish
Philadelphia, Pa.
When writing advertisers mention The Coin Machine Journal.
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This expense can be minimized by
moderation in Use of the brakes,
avoiding excessive speeds—especially
when traveling over poor roads—and
by care in limiting loads. The amount
for a safe repair and maintenance re
serve for a Dodge truck may be as
low as two cents per mile—the normal
might be three cents, while four cents
is high. And there are extreme con
ditions in which the safe reserve
would have to be as high as ten cents
and over.
It establishes you as being progressive.
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