The Washington times., 1916-01-29
RECOGNIZE ECONOMY
OF ELECTRIC TRUCKS
Coal Dealers Find Night Delivery
Great Factor In Efficient
Handling Of Fuel.

This is an age OF progress. and the
man who would be successful must
keep abreast of the times, recognizing
the wonders that modern ingenuity has
accomplished and casting the preJu-
dices and methods of yesterday aside.
The latest inventions are succeeded by
the improvements of tomorrow.
All merchants fall into distinct
classes: those swho wish to progress
with the times, and those who are sat
istied with things as they are. BY
their attitude toward the motor truck
problem, we can at least recognize
those who belong to the progressive
class. Experience has shown that in
all branches of business where delivery
plays an important part. modern ana
up4to-date methods of trucking in
which the problems are dealt with on
an engineering basis have a stimulating
effect on the business as a whole.
The problem of motor delivery Is in
the last analysis one of delivery
costs" While service on the part of
the merchant to his customer may in
duea some sales, convince the merchant
Of the real economy of the motor truck
and he is 'sold."
With the growing use of motor de-
livery in the coal trade, the fact that
truck both have their economic tield Is
being better understood by dealers.
While 1t is generally conceded that
for long distances, where uninterrupted
hauls are made, the gasolene truck
shows a lower cost per ton-mile, the
short-haul deliveries, say from one to
five miles on each trip (trom coal pocK-
eD can be made with far greater econ
omy by the electric truck, 1t Is the
comparatively shout haul, then, which
is the real field of the electric truck.
Many dealers feel that the horse will
never be displaced for the short haul
but once they have tried the property
adapted electric truck they will real
lze like the department stores in mer-
chandise delivery, which is in many
ways analogous to the delivery of coal
that for the shorter distances the elec-
trio truck is the logical and economic
vehicle. 1t Is interesting to note that
an authority on coal delivery problems
made the statement that any point OF
delivery which is more than two and
a half miles away from the coal pocket
SHOWS poor management This would
Indicate that the electric is apparently
capable of all possible deliveries IN q
weIT-regulated business.
1t is impossible to estimate with ac-
curacy just what delivery equipment
will accomplish. In the average city a
single horse can be depended upon tC
haul about five and one-half tons OF
coal day, averaged through the year
a o-Ion electric IruCK averages thirty
seven tons per day. The average daily
mileage of a horse may be placed al
fifteen, IL the humane working of ami
mails and the conservation Of their use
fulness and value is considered. The
average daily mileage of the electric
truck is approximately twenty-seven.
New England has so far been most
progressive in adopting the electric
truck for the delivery of coal, in fact
nearly all the ooal companies in and
around Boston use the electric for the
short haul One large coal company
which operates fleet of eight electric
trucks of siX-ton capacity, recently is
sued orders not to buy any more horses
This company claims that within the
half-mile radius they can operate the
electric truck more economically thar
horses. which they formerly used foI
hauls Of this length. Within a two-and,
one-half-mlle radius they find that the
electric is cheaper than gasolene.
To cite an instance of the remarkable
efficiency with which these trucks
operate, one of their siX-ton electrics
delivered eighty-four tons Of coal III
nine hours at a total cost of $15 or les:
than 20 cents a ton delivered. including
all possible expenses. 1t made four