New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-04-14
Going Back Empty Is
To Be Avoided at
All Costs


not doing the service for which it is
built. This is especially true of
vehicle returning on a long haul route.
Waste of this sort really defeats the
best intent of motor truck transporta-
ton. Statistics show how much more
trucks than is now being done, al
though return loads" bureaus are be-
ing established in many centres.
The Commercial Car Journal" goes
into the situation thus:
"Therc are approximately in use in
the United States some 100000 trucks.
II 70 Per cent of these are running
empty one way, here are 100000 posi-
bic carriers not used. Assuming the
average capacity as one and a half tons,
this means that one trip day these
trucks could handle $4,000 tons Of
freight.
"Now, the average truck operates
three trips a day, which brings the fig
urc up to 1,57o,o0O tons per day more
than they are now carrying that might
be handled under perfect conditions by
the trucks which row run empty ono
way. Even tho so-called loaded trucks
carry less than oAethird capacity, or
an average OF only 1000 lbs.
This means that each of the 100000
trucks when loaded might carry almost
ton more, or 1000 additional tons;
and on three trips, 100000 more might
be handled if they were always loaded
to capacity. This, OF course, is an ideal
condition, which will never be attained.
Yet we have mere a total Of over
100000 tons day as the theoreti-
cal unused capacity of the trucks in
,he United STAGES.
GLOW much Of this hypothetical ca
pacity can be turned into actual ca
pacity by adoption of the return load
bureau in every city in the United
what must be done if we are to handle
the freight of the country expeditious-
ly and efficiently"
Return loads" bureaus for motor
truck freight and express service have
recently been established in New York
City and Philadelphia. With the "rqs
turn loads" bureau of the Motor Truck
\iUO VI ANeW JtiSCS, dt NSWdIk. anu
the system conducted by the State
Council of Defence in Connecticut
cities, the Eastern Atlantic Seaboard
section is now covered by bureaus,
which, when they become perfected, will
have accomplished the purpose Of the
Council Of National Defence in reliev-
ing much of the railroad freight and
express congestion by the aid of the
motor truck. The National Automobile
nov how Of y
operating in this work
To show practical operation Of the
return loads" system, the Goodyear
Tire and Rubber Company. Of Akron,
which operates a motor truck line from
that city to Boston. has large cotton
fabric mill at Goodyear, Conn, from
which the trucks bring back cargoes of
cotton fabrics for use in manufacture
ing tires and other rubber products.
Raymond Beck, director of the B.
F. Goodrich Rubber Company's national
touring bureau, and now chief engineer
Of the highway transport committee of
the Council of National Defence, ex-
plains the return loads" plan: "In as
many centres as possible will be estab
lished a bureau whose function will be
to expedite the use of the automobile
in hauls. In communities where many
trucks are engaged in short hauls, it
question. Once truck operation has
delivered load in certain centre
he is supposed to telephone the bureau
located there, which is generally the
local chamber of commerce, and advise
them that if any shipper has consgn-
ment Of goods destined for the spot to
which he is returning, or q way town,
he will be glad to accept it.
"1he same practice should be fol-
lowed by the shipper or operator be-