Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-02-23
Goodrich Tires of Test a
Fleet Have Big Mileage

Over 100000 miles represents
the combined distance travelled by
tires on the test cars of the B. F.
Goodrich Rubber Company fleet
since leaving its base at Lima, Ohio,
last December. This amazing mile
age figure is equivalent to over 200
trips from New York to San Fran
cisco and was amassed by the Is
Goodrich test cars on the highways
and lanes of Kentucky, Tennessee
and Alabama. The fleet, made up
of cars of all sizes and makes, is
operating out of Nashville for the
winter months, thus avoiding the
snow-clogged roads of the north.
Under normal conditions the section
of the south being explored by the
Goodrich cars has but two or three
SHOWS q year which blanket the
roads but a few days and then
disappear. This year, however, the
cars encountered repeated SHOWS,
forcing the fleet to suspend opera
tions for three weeks, during which
time the roads were caked with
snow and ice to a depth of nearly
two feet
testers have driven their cars day
and night for a total of 100000
miles The cars stationed at Nash
vile consumed 5000 gallons of gas
oline a week. By running two
crews of drivers, day and night, each
car is able to make 500 miles during
the "a hours. This mileage could
be greatly increased were the driv-
ers allowed to speed, but they are
cautioned at all times to observe
speed Iaws, and each car is equipp-
ed with device that records the
speed maintained by the cars at all
hours. Drivers who disregard the
speed regulations must pay the fines
from their own pockets. After each
shift the tires are carefully exam
ined by the inspectors.
The experts in the Goodrich fac-
tory are thus enabled to study them
and keep pace with the increased
demands made on tires.
The mission of the fleet now op-
Grating in the south embodies two
other vital features. Railroad
freight congestion and the need OF
every national resource being
brought to its utmost efficiency has
focused unusual attention on the
roads and highways of the Nation.
The Goodrich test car pilots observe
road conditions and collect other
data which is turned over to local
authorities. Working in conjunction
with postal office authorities the
test cars inspected several of the
new southern rural motor truck par
eel post delivery routes, one oil
which was a series of runs covering
a continuous stretch of highway 45O
miles in length. On these trips the
testers check the number of mail
boxes along the highway; the num-
ber of road intersections are record
ed; surface conditions of the turn
pixies are observed-thus enabling
the postal engineers to establish
time schedules for the rural routes.
Each one of the test car drivers
is a tire expert. Whenever the op-
portunity presents itself he explains
to other motorists the immense saw
ing to be realized by the proper care
of tires. The test pilots, in their
long grinds over all sorts of roads,
have observed the uncalled for waste
resulting from careless driving. They
realize tires are abused chiefly
through ignorance on the part of
the motorists. They are attempting
to educate the motorist and point
out to him that proper imitation,
aligning front wheels, avoiding ruts
and car tracks and even brake ad-
justment will cut his tire bills sur
prisingly. 1t is estimated that the
motoring public in this country
needlessly used up over 500, 900, 900
worth of tires last year.