4. Achieving Delivery Route Efficiency 



OVER four-fifths of the grain-feed sold by the average retail unit is 

 delivered on scheduled routes or to on-call customers. This pattern is 

 typical of the majority of retail units, though not of carlot distributors or 

 of units whose primary business is in lines other than grain-feed. Certain 

 costs are common to both delivered and non-delivered sales; i.e., receiv- 

 ing, warehousing (if any), collecting, and credit (if any). Credit was pre- 

 viously discussed; receiving and warehousing, where they occur, probably 

 involve identical cost factors whether the sale is delivered or non-delivered. 

 Collecting, as previously noted, should be about equal for both delivered 

 and non-delivered sales. However, in this study, as will be subsequently 

 developed, observed route collecting time was generally excessive. 



There are a number of physical and institutional factors which bear 

 upon the efficiency of delivery routes. Among these are those relating pri- 

 marily to volume, i.e., location of the retail unit, number, size, and types 

 of farms, and area and characteristics. Some additional factors are geo- 

 graphical barriers, roads and driveways, company and/or retail unit char- 

 acteristics and policies, and farm facilities. There is also the area of route 

 rearrangement. Physical and institutional factors and route rearrangement 

 are treated first, followed by discussions of loading and delivery efficiencies 

 and costs. 



The area of route rearrangement was studied through a survey of dealers 

 in Belknap County and those who were located outside, but sold within 

 the county. 



In order to study the efficiency of route delivery of grain-feeds, data 

 were collected on over 60 separate routes. Such data covered the loading, 

 hauling, and delivery phases, and involved the number of men used, number 

 of orders, quantity of grain-feed, route mileage in the aggregate and between 

 stops, time required in loading, time required to place truck in position 

 for unloading, unloading time, collecting time, delay time and causes, and 

 the equipment used. These were recorded by field observers accompanying 

 the delivery truck. In addition, certain basic cost data were obtained. 



Physical and Institutional Factors 



A study of any good relief map of New Hampshire will readily suggest 

 areas and directions from distribution points wherein the delivery of grain- 

 feeds would appear the easiest. Relief features now determine to a consider- 

 able extent the locations of improved roads. However, in studying routes, 

 there is usually little opportunity to record precise data except on loads, 

 stops, and mileages. The ton-mile cost of delivery is undoubtedly modified 

 by relief features and roads, though it is dificult to measure these effects 

 statistically. 



In the Belknap County area and surrounding territory, it is apparent 

 that Lake Winnipesaukee constitutes a geographical barrier between dealers 

 on one shore and prospective customers on the other. To a lesser extent, 

 hilly or mountainous country and difficult roads are a barrier to dealers in 

 Laconia, for example, who might serve customers in Barnstead or Ashland. 

 Distances from Laconia to these points, in terms of miles, are no greater 

 than to points currently reached. 



While the association of moderate relief features with improved roads 

 is generally positive, there are numerous exceptions to the positive asso- 



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