Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-04-14
Three MILLION DAILY
UNUSED TRUCK TONNAGE
Interesting and Highly Important
Statistics on Freight Capacity
Going TO Waste.
loss MOUNTS ON RETURN TRIPS
Even So.Callcd Loaded Trucks Arc
Found to Bc Carrying Very Much
Less Than Their ASccrtaincd Max
imum Land.

Automobile statistics arc often sur
{ sprisinG. but the following figures as
sgiven by e s. FoliaMbe. recent vice.
8 sprcsident OF the Society OF Automctive
sssEnglneers. as 10 the total freight
sears OF the country when carrying re-
! sturn loads. are very suggestive. This
\ lis especially true ut this time. when
IRA ilroads and express companies are
xStaxed beyond the limits OF their
sscapacity.
* The return load movement is gradu
tally gathering momentum, thus au-
asthority states. and like the prairie fire.
.,When once started. It will carry every
gSthinE before Il Connecticut is the first
Estate to systematic the operation as
ga State movement, the work being un-
st.ier the direction OF the State Council
5Sof Defense, using the various cham :
! sbers of commerce and war bureaus.
s. This Is q movement IN tho right d!rcc-
estion, not only as \ wa. measure. but
= after the war. II means loaded trucks
sSrotal Number OF Trucks
y szEsis 100000 Trucks
s.Number Empty One Way
I, Ess1SIsMszEttg;yaisss5 :;oo,Oco Empty One Way
- Tonnage Carried
\ Ss21G
y Tonnage They Might Garry
.is- Si:ss s
! both ways and spells truck efficiency.
= Tho figures obtained by time studies
y ARE almost unhelicvable rs 10 the small
Fuse that is being made OF trucks. both
!, horse and motor. as compared with tho
possibilities as freight movers espo-
,At,cially on short hauls Fully 20 per
Isent are entirely empty, either on the
outgoing or return trip, and the APP
ispalling fact starcs us IN the face that
/. ..the average load (whcn they arc sup
: Eposed to be loadcdl is less than one
. third OF their capacity Think what
eSehis means throughout the United
4 Estates!
=, The enormous potential carry:n r
capacity OF motor-drivcn trucks in this
country cannot be realized, but tho
Following figures. assuming ideal CON
-,iitions, arouse us TO a. least some sense
IF appreciation. There are aprroXi
inately in use in the United States some
100000 trucks II 20 per cent OF these
shre running empty one way, here are
100000 possible carriers not used. AS
cunning the average capacity as one
Sand q half tons. this means that one
grip a day these trucks could handle
$4,000 tons OF freight. Now the aver
R.ge u,ck operates three trips day.
(which brings the figure up to 1878, 600
yons per day more than they are now
Marrying that might he handled under
.ssocrfect conditions by the trucks which
SlIow run empty one way. Even the So
1.?alled loaded trucks carry less than
@9ne third capacity, or an average OF
Only 1000 pounds. This means that
Zach OF the 100000 trucks when loaded
sFmight carry almost ton more. or
IS 10000 additional tons and on three.
SiErips, 100000 more might he handled
%,f they were always loaded 20 capacity.
This. Of course, IS an ideal condition,
(Which Will never be attained Yet we
slnve here total OF over 100000 TONS
- day as tho theoretical unused ca
wacity OF the trucks IN tie United
1states
How much OF THIS Hypothetical ca
ipacity can be turned into actual
capacity by adoption OF the return-l DAD
bureau IN every city in the United
Estates IS prohlcmatical. But this it
what must be done II We are TO hanGls
o.he freight OF the country expeditions
ily and efficiently.
/ Keep the truck full! but the driver
rsobcr.