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Call Sign recently took another 9 drivers on a "Listening Programme" trip to LTI’s Coventry factory. We asked DaC driver Richard Potter (T51) to write the article… CALL SIGN VISITS LTI COVENTRY AGAIN |
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 DaC Group Looking around the Factory |
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 Finishing Touches - Quality Control looking for marks on the body |
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A Drivers View… If you have read my articles in Call Sign, you may have noticed that I haven't been that impressed with the TX2 I brought last year from M&O as a replacement for my TX1. In fact over my years in the cab trade, I have always thought that the service the main dealers offer and the LTI cabs they supply, with the exception of the Fairway Driver, was just ‘average’. Some of my complaints about the TX2 were mirrored by other drivers with the engine noise, rattling chain adjuster and a vibrating steering wheel to name a few. Within the first year, I had to get the prop shaft replaced because of a leak in the gearbox, with the timing chain and alternator belts having a persistent problem with reduced power. The cab also struggled to achieve the 9000 miles service intervals even using LTI fully synthetic oil and I am, for the first time, into my third set of front pads since overhaul. I am also currently sitting in the cold through not using the front heater due to gearbox fumes that blow into the compartment. Even though the cab has only done 90,000 miles, the gearbox is showing signs of wear. When I had it looked at, I was told that the gearbox breather pipe sits directly over the exhaust manifold, so as the gearbox spits out oil when it heats up and it falls onto the hot manifold turning into a gas-like state. After so many complaints, I thought it a good idea when the Editor asked whether I would like to go to Coventry to see the LTI factory in action, so I joined the group. The Call Sign team consisted of myself, Alan Fisher, Ronnie Marlow, Stanley Roth, Mike McGlynn, Roger Gershfield, Gary Cox and Alex Constantinou. We met at Euston on Wednesday 14th March and travelled on the excellent Virgin Pendolino tilting train heading for Coventry. Thanks to Virgin, we also travelled First Class. After a small breakfast, 1 hour 4 minutes later we were met by LTI Sales and Marketing Director Matthew Cheyne and Government Affairs Manager Richard Daniels at Coventry Station and driven the short distance to the LTI factory. My first impression was that it was much smaller than I had imagined. The itinerary for the day was to spend some time with LTI directors on a Q&A session and then go on a tour of the factory, this all being part of LTI’s listening programme. We were met in the training room by LTI Technical Director Paul Wooley, Customer and Technical Support Manager Trevor Hattersley and again by both Matthew Cheyne and Richard Daniels. Alan was also asked whether he minded two trade newspaper Editors accompanying us – Sandie Goodwin (Taxi Globe) and Bob Fisher (Taxicab News). He gave them the okay. Call Sign also sent some advance questions to the LTI team for their consideration and they answered them all – some via other questions, but nothing was hidden from the DaC drivers. There were questions such as why the VM Motori was chosen for the TX4, why did LTI tell the London cab trade that they had no |
plans for the TX4 even though
there clearly was, did LTI have an
alternative cab lined up had the CoF fallen,
why did we have such a heavy vehicle, why
didn’t the TX4 have disc brakes all round,
why are their not more garages authorised to
do warranty work, whatever happened to the
TX3 and a question on Blackhorse Finance
loan rates? In fact, the Q&A session overran
by some 40 minutes! There were many other
questions brought up on the day by our
group, such as Ronnie Marlow talking about
his badly closing doors, Gary Cox moaning
about the sharpness under the driver’s seat
and Mike McGlynn complaining about the lack
of an intercom warning light. LTI took notes
on all DaC driver’s suggestions. We then embarked on a tour of the factory, led by Overseas Sales Co-ordinator Nigel Walters, seeing the whole process from sheet metal being pressed into various shapes for body panels, to the body being put onto the chassis with bolts, through to the paintshop and finally the new TX4s being started up and tested. All in all, the LTI production line was very much what I expected, but what surprised me was how labour intensive the whole process was and that LTI employ some 350 people. No robots here and the metal presses were some 60 years old! There were literally people everywhere. I already knew that the engine and gearbox were imported, but there were quite a lot of other components that came from abroad or were manufactured by other carmakers. What also became quickly apparent was that LTI were very hot on quality assurance and there was much attention to detail and checking right through the assembly process. Again surprising, because if you read Ronnie Marlow’s comments elsewhere in Call Sign, it’s hard to understand how he received his new cab with doors that wouldn't shut properly. At present, the LTI factory produces 80 cabs, on a four-day, 37-hour week, the rest being completed on overtime with one complete taxi taking 120 man hours to build. To me, the factory is where cabs are made. What is more important is the quality and value for money that LTI give cab drivers through their taxis, as we basically have no choice but to buy our cabs from LTI. What I was showed was the pretty much untried and tested TX4 and I really cannot remember if LTI offered cab drivers tours of the factory showing off the early TX2. (Yes, they did …Ed). It was never really explained how the problem with the TX2 timing chains and tensioners managed to continue until they came off the production line late last year when the fault was recognised in 2001. Nor was the diminishing MPG problem. A TX1 was covering approx 26mpg, the TX2 around 24mpg and now the TX4 around 21 in-town mpg. One driver told us that on motorway conditions, he was getting around 35mpg in his TX4, but it dropped substantially once in town. However, I must say that I was impressed with the set up and the factory because making any purpose built vehicle is very difficult and in the long run, I do not believe that the (London) |
Conditions of Fitness do LTI
any favours. If the regulations were lifted,
I am sure LTI would become a bigger and
better company through the experience and if
competition was allowed in London, drivers
could get a better quality vehicle at a
cheaper price. There is market confidence in Manganese Bronze at the moment, with share prices tripling with the introduction of and surge in demand for the TX4.However this could give a false impression if drivers are buying the TX4 simply to get away from the TX2. With the factory working flat out to meet demand, there is surely going to be an oversupply of taxis, thus bringing second values down even faster. At present, a one-year-old cab has a dealer part exchange value of about £9000 of the original sale price. Apart from this, there should be no reason why LTI can't take on the competition and be the market leader; after all, it's never going to go away. Personally, I want LTI to become a top company in the vehicle manufacturing business because their success is our success, it reflects well on the London cab trade and it is in everyone's interest to be associated with vehicles that are known for their durability and reliability. The London taxi is a British icon the world over and should be built the world over, strengthening LTI’s standing. But so long as LTI underachieve, the real losers will be us, the drivers. Whilst speaking to the LTI team during the visit, I believe that they were genuinely interested in what we had to say, appreciated that the TX2 and Ford Duratorq engine had not been up to standard and had damaged their reputation as a vehicle manufacturer. They were also keen to improve their product and the way drivers were being dealt with by dealers via their quality service questionnaires. This gives them a feedback about dealers and an accountability trail, but LTI should be actively seeking garages that are prepared to do warranty work, because the present waiting times for appointments are unacceptably long with drivers having to travel long distances to get to main dealers. Personally, I hope that the TX4 heralds a new dawn for LTI and that people quickly start talking about what a good cab the TX4 is and leave the TX2 to rust in the breakers yard of London cab trade. All in all, I found the trip very beneficial as I was speaking to real faces of what can be at times a very frustrating and sometimes faceless company and if any DaC driver gets the opportunity to travel to the factory, then take it. Finally, thanks to Alan Fisher for organising the trip and to all the other drivers who made it such an enjoyable one. Thanks also to the LTI team for their hospitality during the visit, for the invite itself and for allowing the Call Sign team into the factory – also and to Virgin trains for the first class service. Richard Potter (T51) Editor’s note: Monthly sales of the new TX4, launched by LTI Vehicles last October, are expected to top 400 for the first time in March… |
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