New-York tribune., 1913-07-20
unnecessary Expense Due to
Poor Handling Is Opinion
of Efficiency Expert.
PROBLEM A SERIOUS ONE
aired Aram Thinks Motoring
r,terests Should Open Schools
Capable of Teaching
Complete Course.

I.,,ok club OF this city few nights ago.
- unnecessary expense in connection
"a, the upkeep and handling of self
.-oos,led truck he considers the driver
.s9onsib.e for 75 per cent The average
he saws. is not half as efficient as
q, s,ould be. Part OF Mr.. Aram's ad-
dress follows.
81 nave been in a position to make an
,-..,sive and comprehensive study OF the
-.ston of the driver TO the expenses OF
.-asp and repairs. and the gist Of my
-l.esr,b Is this: For any motor truck
.,d to-day the driver is responsible for
: nsr cent OF the unnecessary expenses.
49, man mere who is in close touch VITA
-,o,or truck drivers in this city knows
- am not exaggerating when ! say
49, the average driver is not more than
a par cent efficient
.'Uhat can be said with regard to the
.,A-istv and honesty OF the average
s-,vsr who is daily called upon 10 handle
-.t,obla commodities? Here is one oI
.nr,her Of specific instances that have
ao.,s under my observation: A consign-
~, % eour was TO be delivered TO an
tnstitutiOn al Certain 1'4'iS 81 '
,,g The goods failed TO appear Wheh
rsa6ed and the manager 'phoned for an
.,,laration. The only excuse whlch the
.-ocsrv firm could give was that the
actor truck driver had been on spree
the night previous and that they were up
,-es for some one TO take his place Inc
..otoritv Of the men who now constitute
-. drivers OF motor trucks in this city
- ,nirriDg the motor truck business!
THE fragrant and well known mem
,,sncy OF graduates Of motor truck OF
automobile schools is no doubt que 10
ovsrrroduction on the part Of tile schoois.
:, NV receive go for sending man
,h-ougb the course they will make more
roonsv II twenty men take the course III
,ro weeks than II ten men take the
,o,,rsa in four weeks. The result is a
.,,or,ring OF the market with men. 81 per
cent OF whom are not in any way cap"O'e
90 far as their training is concerned
"A second cause for the present 10"
...rda-d NJ drivers is due 70 the require
r,e,,s which exist in this state that
,rosnectiye drivers shall pass a state eN-
ar,ination In order TO receive a state IL
csnse. My opinion is that the state eA-
.-,inations do More harm than good De-
cousa thew give some uniformed folK
the impression that because man pos.
sesses q state license II is an inolcatoh Vi
mis- being a competent and capable oI'Ne''
The special committee on speed resu-
lations appointed by our Board OF AIder-
men last year stated that the effect OF the
state license upon the standard or lhe
drivers was Negligible. To quote from
the report: The Office o. the Secretary Oh
s,ats Is responsible for the granting VI
licenses 10 drivers. The examinations as
conducted at present are undouDteo'y su
perhcial and inadequate. both as 70 cha'
scter and efficiency. The state might just
as well strike of 500 10 1000 brass ou.-
tons reading q am q motor truck driver
,,d seu them 10 ALI corners for the IL
eense
oThe third cause FOR the state OF afairs
would lay 10 poor methods prevalent il
sslesnanship. which have been usea III
connection with the sale OF some n'o'oi
trucks. For example: 4 salesman Is 'o4u
BY q prospect that he does not desire 10
do away with his old and tried empFoyes
who have been driving his teams Inc
salesman replies that he can make capa-
be motor truck drivers In less thah
week. The purchaser agrees ana the
salesman enJeavors 10 carry out MS emo
Of the makeshift bargain IN an equAi'S
maksshift schooling OF prospective motor
truck drivers. The owner pays for the
deluge Of repairs and upkeep expenses
which swoop down upon him. ! believe
that this type Of salesman Is rapidly dis-
appearing.
When l say that the driver problem
ia serious one generally. do not form
my opinion from what have heard saio.
! have actually followed for extenoeu
periods OF time trucks on the ROAD AT
their daily work. and have watcheo
closely their operation, and have scru-
tinized the systems a. truck manage
ment in vogue. II Is ny firm conviction
that although the motor truck to-day IS
not q perfect machine and another year
will see big improvements in the actual
design Of trucks. what is needed at this
critical stage is not 30 much a better car
but better driver.
In personal contact with the manage
ment Of three specific firms which expert
mented with trucks and then reverted
10 other forms Of conveyance, their
united opinion was simply this: We need
trucks in our business but we have not
been able TO secure and hold drivers who
will keep the cost OF upkeep and re-
pairs within reasonable and economical
bounds
IF what have stated up to this point
is the dark side OF the cloud. how can
We make It possible to catch G glimpse
Of the bright and silver lining? 1t is a
problem for the motor truck manufact-
urer and motor truck organizations TO
Jackie rather than the truck owner. II
Is not fair or businesslike TO put the
problem up TO the truck owner 70 solve
what is 10 be the remedy? ] have In
mind three requirements. and believe,
they were demanded by the motor
truck interests Of the drivers. the pres
eht critical state in the motor truck in
oustry would not be so acute.
Frst-Require q guarantee from every
oFlVer as 10 his competency and depend
aDiity. To make this guarantee prac-
ucal and real thing, belieVe that the
manufacturing interests and motor truck
ORGANIZATIONS should establish a system
OF examinations that none but q compe-
tent man can pass.
Second-Require a security OF every
man record by a surety company OF
recognized standing. Third-Require a
oVho 10 be furnished by each driver OF
al least 500. This would not be without
pIecedent, because the drivers OF every
uuck OF O large national exprehA COM