Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-10-13
MOTOR
TRUCKS
BY Frederic ]. Aaskin.

Although statistics Of the census
bureau show there has been steady
increase In the number OF horses In
the United states. it is fact that the
horse as the furnisher Of motive power
ing displaced by the motor. In New
York today there are more than 5000
motor trucks, or commercial cars, as
they are called; in Chicago there are
nearly 20o0 In every big commercial
center. where progressive business
management Is required the highest
possible efficiency from each unit of
capital. the cumbersome. overheavy,
underpowered team drawn vehicle of a
few years ago Is giving away to the
silent, efficient and sure motor driven
carrier
Motor trucks are being used In
every conceivable line of business
They haul every commercial article, in
Guiding newspapers. ice cream. pianos,
coal. crushed stone. hot asphalt bottled
and barreled beer. In the most up-to-
date of trucks for special uses. there
are devices for keeping asphalt hot,
Ice cream or fruit cold. flowers damp,
or the driver warm.
The reason for the displacement OF
the team drawn wagon by the motor
truck is that IL decreases the cost of
delivery and the time required One
high grade motor truck will do the
work of three or four team wagons of
the same size. The motor truck is
faster and surer than the team wagon.
1t is independent of weather extremes.
inGcfnt ion I,1p nd OF fnv
rest or feed, is free from bad temper,
occupies less space on the streets. at
the dock or terminal and in the sta
bic. 1t does cleaner work. These
facts have been demonstrated by ac-
tual comparative accounts kept for
team wagon and motor trucks doing
the same work.
Good Roads for Economy.
Motor trucks in most cases, how
ever. demand good roads for their
economic use. ON miry roads the team
has the advantage of the truck in that
IL can pull its load out Of the mirc,
while the truck has to drive its load.
The advantage Of leverage Is with the
team. Two recent achievements of
motor truck drivers, however. demon
strated that the truck can, if neces-
sary, do it's work without regard to
road conditions In September a load
cd motor truck made the trip from
Philadelphia across the continent ia
san Francisco, averaging As miles a
day for 30 days. 1t travelled through
snowstornls, cloudbursts. over broken
bridges and deep sullies, up grades as
high as 20 per cent. and through alkali
mud up to it's hubs. In August mo-
tor truck took part i'm the field maneu-
Ners of the Red and Blue armies in
Connecticut. The tests to which this
truck was subjected are said to have
been more severe than any ever made
on motor trucks for field work before.
France maintains Il squadron of 1000
subsidized motor trucks at all times
ready to be mustered into service in
the event of war
The new commercial cars are operat-
ed by either electric or gasoline mo-
tors. For long hauls gasoline trucks
have the advantage, but for city work,
where battery charging facilities are
easy of access, the electric type has
taken the lead. Experiments are being
made with electric batteries looking to-
ward increasing their storage power so
that they will not demand frequent
charging and will thus permit the