The Washington herald., 1917-10-07
Truck MAKING
At HIGH pitch
Commercial Car Industry
Grows by Leaps and
Bounds.

During the calendar year of 1916
the production of motor trucks in
the United States was 90,576, hav-
ing n retail value of S202. 2.25O,572.
Up to the end of June this year,
reckoning from July l, 1916, to June
80, 1917. 10000 trucks had been
produced. having retail value of
$23g. g.OlO.I57. The prediction has
been freely made that the produc-
tion of trucks for the year 1917 will
run over 100000. with a valuation
of 1926. 100000 to $35O.OOO, 900. II
anything. this figure will no doubt
prove too small. By the tremendous
expansion every leading truck COM
pany is making in its factory and the
demand from all quarters which is
growing by leaps and bounds. it is
becoming the problem of the motor
truck industry not particularly to
sell the trucks. but to produce a
sufficient number to meet the ever
growing demand. 1t is safe to as
sumo that no matter what the pro-
duction may be every truck will be
taken and more wanted. Not only
does this situation exist in the light
truck field, the converting units and
light delivery cars, but it extends
through the entire range of truck
production.
Henry Ford speaks of turning out
1000 trucks month, and though
/ this output is not expected to be
reached until about six months from
now, yet when il does reach this fig
ure even, 1t will only be a drop I'm
the bucket. No matter how rapidly
I
continues to keep ahead of it, and
this will doubtless be even more the
case next year than 1t is now. Even a
casual observer of the motor truck
industry in New York City will very
! soon discover that almost without ex-
| ception every concern handling a mo-
tor truck Is far behind in its orders
and is spending all its energy in try
| ing TO persuade its factory to in
| crease its allotment and to get the
! trucks quickly.
With this i'm mind. il might be
| well to say that no matter whether
! the business man, company or
organization has the intention 10
| purchase trucks Immediately or not,
/ II is very advisable to take up the
/ truck proposition at once. A tenta-
| tive order placed now might save a
! business house a great deal of embar-
| rassment later ON when the delivery
OF the truck becomes imperative. We
| know that the government has al
| ready ordered in the vicinity of 10000
trucks and that this will be filled ac-
| cordlng TO its own specifications and
will not be the stock output except
those already contracted for form the
present makers. Building these trucks
/ will take up the entire capacity of
several plants SO that other trucks
makers will have to make up the de-
ficiency in supplying the demands
from regular business. There will also
be probably more anad more use for
the various commercial units for at
| tachments to pleasure cars convert
ing them into light trucks. In spite
| of the number OF these continually
\ coming out they are as yet very far
from being drug on the market. In
short. from all the evidence at hand.
there is nothing but a long continued
period OF wonderful prosperity in sight
for the motor truck industry. 1t is to
be confidently expected that the total
production for this year will run
been dreamed of before.