The Washington herald., 1911-02-26
USEOF AUTO TRUCKS {
Is ON THE INCREASE.
Value of Commercial Vehicles
Now Appreciated.

Though Washington is not a manufac-
turing city and as a, consequence there
Is but little heavy hauling to be done
here, the auto truck is fast displacing
the horse-drawn vehicle in both the pack
age and heavy delivery service. Hard
headed business men who purchase a
pleasure car without ever a thought of
the cost of upkeep are substituting the
automobile delivery service for horse and
wagons. First however, they have to be
convinced that the change really proves
a saving to them in both time and money.
Not only in this city but all over the
country the truck proposition is receiving
the attention of the big business houses.
The automobile manufacturer has realized
this fact and is building trucks that will
suit varied needs. Eight years ago the
machines were crude, merely an expert
ment. Few realize what uncertainties
the manufacturers of this type of vehicle
were forced to pass through before gain
ing the confidence of an always skepti-
cal public and showing beyond 4 doubt
that trucks were perfectly feasible, as
much so as the pleasure car.
Figures to-day tell a story of how
this skepticism has been overcome. In
new 1OTk, "nlCn tt-t0S Ine SOTlO. II Is
estimated that there are 900 trucks in
use. This number is far below what It
will be within a few years. In Wash
ingtOn it is estimated that there are more
than a hundred commercial vehicles of
different types in use. All through the
Fast the demand for this type of car is
growing.
In the West the awakening is more
recent. and consequently the motor truck
has not become the recognized factor in
transportation il will be when better un-
derstood. The city of Chicago may be
taken as an example. Three years ago
there were forty-eight trucks in that
city and the latest figures show that this
number has increased to a few short of
thousand.
In this age when competition is so
keen, time is a very important factor
and is nowhere so marked as when con-
Cerned with the delivery or hauling of
goods Every mercantile establishment
prides itself on the efficiency of its de-
livery service. Take the case of suburban
deliveries when the weather is bad. A
horse and wagon can make but one trip
a day or possibly two. Many establish
ments have so arranged this emu of their
delivery system that all parcels intended
for a certain suburb are loaded into one
van which is met at the outskirts of the
city by several light delivery wagons. A
reassOrtment OF the packages is made
and then the actual delivery to the diff
ferent homes taken up. This means
handling the goods twice besides the loss
of much valuable time. A motor truck
can be loaded at the store and delivery
made from the truck itself, thus saving
both time and money, for the goods are
handled but once and the vehicle is
back at the store for another load almost
before a horse-drawn vehicle could be
at its first stopping place.
Many prospective purchasers of motor
delivery wagons when first approached
argue that while il may be a perfectly
feasible thing. still there is no type that
is suited to their needs. The manufac-
turer of the motor truck. however has
built them with every conceivable design
OF body from the light blackboard type
OF wagon to the heavy furniture van.
They have even built self-dumping trucks,
suitable for hauling coal or building ma
terial AS one prominent truck manu-
facturer stated at the New York Com
merciaI Show, IF We have not the type
you want. we can build it for you and
that is all the waEOn-maker can do"