Evening star., 1914-05-03
MOTOR VEHICLES SHOW
TRUCKING CHARGES NOW
Advent of New Transportation Fa-
cilities Is Eye-0pener
to Trade.

Before the advent of the motor ve-
hicle for commercial use, very few bus-
ness concerns took the trouble to find
just what their trucking charges amount
cd to-" says Walter NJ. Curtis. manager
of the engineering department of a New
England company. 'Inasmuch as the
horse was the only means available for
the purpose, and had to be fed anyway.
whether working or not, there was conf
paratively little inducement to separate
the teaming cost from other expenses.
Occasionally conc.-n might wish to
know whether it would be cheaper for
them to maintain their own teams or to
put out their trucking on contract, but
this was practically the only incentive
for watching the trucking charges
closely.
'The advent of the motor vehicle. how
ever. and the necessity of intelligently
considering its adoption to their own par
ticular line. awoke business men to the
Importance of knowing what their truck
ing was costing them. 1t called for more
than this, however, for other consdera-
tions were involved. such as the adver-
tising value of a motor vehicle. effect on
customers. advantage over competitors.
these latter features. however. the great
problem confronting business concerns
has been to secure a reliable basis upon
which to compare the two systems from
a cost standpoint
Although it may not be possible to
give actual figures on the saving motor
system can effect in any particular in
stance without special study of the pc
culiar conditions involved, have found it
entirely practical to make an analysis Of
the proper charges to be taken into &C
count in both horse and motor vehicle
trucking methods in various lines IT in
dustry. These charges fall naturally into
two classes-dxed charges and operating
charges. In the former are placed in
terest. insurance of all kinds. drivers
wages and garage charges. In the lat
ter depreciation. gasoline. oil ami grease,
tires and general maintenance.
Advantages in Comparisons.
by careful study of much Of the re-
liable data ohtainable on these subjects
and an analysis OF the results in accord
ance with the above general classifica-
tons, I have found the following to be
very clearly apparent: First. that there is
a decided advantage In the use of motor
vehicles Of large capacity whenever the
nature Of the load is such as to make a
there is a corresponding reduction in the
cost per ton mile with an increase in
the daily mileage. Third. that it is of
the greatest Importance to eliminate as
much idle time as possible in the use of
motor vehicles. Fourth, that rubber tire
expense is a large direct operating charge
in the case of the regulation motor truck.
Fifth, that a comparison of the charges
against the tractor type of motor veh-
Gle with those against the large regula-
ton motor truck shows a distinct eco
nomic advantage for the tractor for
many purposes, due mainly to the fol-
lowing reasons-larger capacity at less
Investment COST less strain and conse-
duently less damage and maintenance to
vital parts for the same tonnage, also
less tire expense due to use of steel tires
under the greater part of the paying load.
With these conclusions in mind. it
should not be difficult for business man
whether or not a motor truck or a tractor
would be of value in solving his own par
ticular hauling problem. He could then
obtain outside expert advice in arranging
the details OF his case if he felt il neces-
sarS
I'm many cases a Encouragement of the
shipping facilities would make il possible
to use a motor vehicle to great advantage
when under present conditions it could
not be worked to a proper capacity. Even
where no great financial saving can be
effected, as in some cases Of short haul
work, the motor vehicle is a good asset
from an advertising standpoint-it in
yariabiy tends TO increase trade and
pleases customers by more prompt and
efficient service