The Washington herald., 1916-03-12
AUTO TRUCKS DO
WORKOF HORSES
R. P. Andrews Delivery Serv-
ice Greatly Improved
by the Change.
MUCH TIME is SAVED
All Freight Hauled in Company's Own
Cars Now. Declares ]. M. Nc
Laughlin. Superintendent.
BY j. ID. MCLAUGHLIN,

supt Delivery Service, n. P. Andrews Paper 90.
-Four years ago we started out with one
little truck. 1t was more of an expert
ment than anything else. Mr.. Andrews
had some friends who were using them
and 1t was largely at their instance as
well as TO the persistency OF the truck
saleman that he purchased the first one.
At that time we had twenty-five horses
In use. two double trucks, two two-horse
teams and five single wagons. They
found 1t difficult to take care of our
delivery service. Then our business had
not anywhere near reached the proper
tons 1t has today. Two deliveries a day
was all they made with an extra one
now and then to some nearby place 1t
was always late in the evening when the
last one reported in at night. Besides,
our delivery service was not anywhere
near as complete as 1t is today. Dc
liveries to the outlying districts as we
then termed, Brookland, Chevy Chase,
Rosslyn, Va, and Takoma Park, Md,
were not of daily occurrence.
From the one small electric truck we
have grown until today we are operating
three one-tOn Little Giants, one one-ton
Bessemer and one two-ton Grabowsky.
with these trucks we make four de-
hveries day in the business district
and two in the residential district which
includes Chevy Chase, Mount Pleasant,
Georgetown, Brookland and Takoma
Park. In addition to this we deliver to
Alexandria once week.
Last summer we started hauling our
own freight and have done so up to the
present time. This averages about two
carloads day. How do we do this and
still maintain our regular deliveries?
Wen, the drivers report at 7:30 o'clock in
the morning. l always know the night
before just what is at the PENNSYLVANIA
and Baltimore and Ohio freight depots.
l send the big truck and one small one
to whichever station has the most local
freight. BY $50 they have picked up
their loads and are back at the store, I'M
loaded and out In front loading up for
their regular morning delivery On their
way back to the store, II they are any
where near the freight yards, they call
and pick up whatever freight is left or
anything that may have come in since
their first trip. Then, after making their
noon run, upon returning to the store, If
there Is still freight TO be hauled, l have
them go back and make a load. II it
happens TO be a particularly heavy day
for freight, l simply take one Of the
Little Giants and the big truck and put
them to hauling freight for the remainder
OF the day When this occurs, I double
up on the route of one OF the other
drivers. or late the big truck has been
doing nothing but haul freight 1t has
meant that we have had to increase one
OF the routes SO that this truck takes in
all the outlying districts Of the city,
while the other is doing the bulk OF the
work In the business district. with some
help from the remaining two.
Aside from the benefit that we have
received from pleasing our customers and
maintaining the Andrews reputation for
service we undoubtedly have gained a
great deal OF good advertising from hav-
ing the yellow painted machines on the
street all day.
Have own Repair shop.
BY o'clock every night all the cars
are IN the garage and during the past
eight months we have not had a car in
the shop. We maintain a repair shop of
our own In the rear of our garage, back
OF the store. Once every year our me-
chanic gives each truck a thorough over
hauling and it is painted at the same
time. Every night after the trucks come
In he receives the reports Of the drivers
and If there is the slightest thing wrong
he either fixes It that night before going
home or the truck is held up in the
morning until the necessary repairs can
De Hldue.
The Little Giants are the last trucks
we bought. They were purchased last
June and since that time they have not
been laid up for the slightest cause.
With them we do the biggest bulk of
our heavy hauling to the different print
shops about the city. As you know, most
OF this paper comes in cases and weighs
heavy. do not hesitate to state that
there are times when they are heavily
overloaded. With the Bessemer We do
the biggest bulk Of the outlying delivery.
The Grabowsky hauls nothing but freight
now. Since we started hauling our own
freight. figure We have saved enough
each month to pay the upkeep of the ma
chimes
Would We go back to horses? Well
at this time of year my bills for shoeing
the horses was more than we are paying
today for running the trucks, and the
service was not half so satisfactory.