El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-02-02

entire cost at the end Of five years
but BIS system declares that deprecia-
ton must be figured on a mileag &c
basis. alloting $4,000 miles as the ex-
pected life Of the truck. Both opera
tors use cost systems devised by ex-
perts, yet the difference in comput-
ing this one item alone may amount
to 500 or $500 q year.
I II all or even the great majority
OF truck owners began to figure de-
probation according to the standard
formula an enormous gain would be
accomplished, for a common denom-
/ inator would DO established by which
I one truck could be compared with q
/ thousand trucks in respect 70 this
item
A well conceived motor truck cost
l system should reveal:
/ Number OF trips.
Customers or deliveries.
Total loads in units.
] Average load in units.
| Miles Travelled.
Round trip distance.
! Unit ----.--- miles.
Miles per gallon of gasoline
Miles per gallon of oil.
Standing time at plant in hours and
minutes.
Running time in hours ana min
utes (fncludinZ stops).
Average loading time per trip.
Average speed in miles per hour.
Estimated running timo per mile.
Estimated time per customers stop
Tin minutes).
Cost per day at work..
Cost Fer mile.
Cost per unit $500.
Cost per unit mile.
Now suppose a standard system
were adopted and widely used which
would enable n great many truck op-
orators to compute these items in the
same way. The benefits to truck
users would be enormous. 4 compar-
ison Of figures would bring to light
many possibilities Of economy, as
well as many causes Of waste. Ex-
pensive methods would have 70 90,
time saving and money saving ideas
would spread throughout the truck
using pu5lic.
Take the matter OF supplies: A
great deal Of doubt exists today in
the minds Of truck owners as to
which oil, which tires. which scces-
series Of all kinds are the best"
Many owners admit there seeing to be
no way Of finding out Suppose. now,
that considerable numper OF truck
owners Kept thei- tire Costs IN lhe
same way.
The reports from dozens, perhaps
hundreds, OF trick oTnerS, rendered !
in q uniform wa. would tell con-
vincing story. They would establish !
proof where heretofore there was
guess work.
Consider the matter OF maintenance |
or repair. Every reputable truck |
maker is searching constantly for in /
formation which will enable him to 1
perfect his product The world is 1
his laboratory, and he wolld like 1
nothing better than TO receive re-
ports from all his customers which 1
would describe the shortcomings and |
lay bare the weak points OF his truck.
Unfortunately tEis information is not
yet available to him. except in frag-
mentary form And even In those
rare cases where he does receive the
complete history OF an installation,
the story is apt to be. as it were, in
a foreign language" which must
be translated or interpreted before
II can be Of use. The same may be
said Of the maker Of parts.
What former attempts to establish
3 standard cost system have lacked,
seems to be aburdantly supplied in
the movement now well under way by
the Truck Owners Conference. inc.
at Chicago. It is hoped that this
viii result in a cost sys-
tenn being approved which may fully
take the title Of a standard system
The movement is by far the most en-
eoUraging sign OF action toward this
end that the industry has yet seen,
and as such deserves the support of
every truck owner, manufacturer and
maker Of truck parts.