Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-10-05
FARMERS OF AMERICA HAUL NEARLY A
BILLION TONS Of PRODUCE TO MARKET
BY MOTOR TRUCK IN SEASON OF 1878
Economies Effected in Time and
Money Forecast Greater De-
velopment in Comm g Year
Makers Getting Ready.
BY WARREN B. BULLOCK.

Corps, U. :. A.
The past year has demonstrated be-
yond a doubt that them otor rtuck in
dustry as a highway traffic problem
solver. is still only in its infancy. The
highway transport by motor vehicle
has proved itself the past year as new
err before, and the beginning is only
Just here.
In 1918 it is estimated that farmers
tof America handled 350.000,000 tons of
,produce to market by motor truck. The
year of 1919 will probably show this
Figure mounting to the astounding to-
tai of nearly one billion tons.
The biggest developments of the
year have come in two phases of the
truck industry, the rural express for
delivery of purchases from city stores
to The country purchaser ,anda the re-
turn trip With small shipments and
1.-THE far more important development of
1.-THE wholesale shipping of farm pro-
'ducc OF all sorts by the farmer in THERE
own trucks.
DEVELOPMENTS IN 1920.
The farmers this year have operated
,oyer Cne-third of all the motor trucks
IN use. The United States department
of agriculture has shown Il total of
,7S,IS9 motor trucks in use by farmers.
las compared with 65,29S trucks used
by manufacturers and 64.4S6 used by
retail merchants for deliveries. This
means n total of 31.5 per cent of all
Is by farmers ownin gtheir own trucks.
Two big developments may be prom
Used for 1920; the extension ON a FAR
wider field OF the use of trucks by
farmers, the changing of trucks from
solid 10 pneumatic tires. The great eX
tension of rural motor express by
highway transport companies and the
better systematizing of deliveries by
retail and wholesale concerns with the
application of transportation engineer
ing TO their chief problems. This
phase will be the most important from
the operating standpoint the use of
cost systems, better dispatching, and
the general introduction of efficiency
methods in tho industry. The motor
trucks in 1919 has begun its transition
from a job tapstng Fought drayman Ia
tan industry applying the highest tech
meal methods of transportation cngi-
neering.
SAVINGS in PRODUCE HAULs.
With the year coming to close and
with the approach of the time when
bad weather will cut down to some
extent the extensive shipments which
marked the fair weather of the sum
NOR. it is possible to begin TO give
statistics showing the work done by
trucks durin gthe year.
AT Hartford Md, cooperative far
mer's company secured to cents
dozen more for the eggs Of its mem
bers because OF the quick delivery of
the guaranteed fresh eggs to the Ral-
timore retailers
A department Of agriculture test
showed that one motor truck made lN%
per cen; more round trips than tho
wagon haul, carried about 30 pcr cent
more produce and at a cost If only
e. to 30 per cent o fthe wagon haul.
4 recent survey of 10000 dairy farms
showed an average production Of 10,
900 gallons aof milk hauled an average
tl.,t- ill.,, g.,
trip. OF these farmers 30 per cent
made the round trip daily lat AN aV-
eraSe of 26 hours for the round trip
A motor truck could combine the de
liveries of thirty ore more producers
and made the trip irF ono half hour
saying 10000 hours. Placed at a cost
OF rs cents an hour for a man and 10
tcents for Il horse his saving means
So, 900. 600 Il year
SOME OTHER ECONOMIES.
\ Michigan rural express brought
two loads OF hucklebcrIies to the De
troith market, paid tho transportation
and sold the berries at Il price of 81
q bushcl below the prevailing market
price and still made the same profit
.that was made by the dealers who
whipped by rail.
The motor truck maintains men and
horses on the farms who are now
spending much time on tho
market. and diversity of farming is en-.
couraged by the wider market possi-
BILE by truck deliveries.
Two trucks over 4 new dirt road in
iowa, and Minnesota carried three tons
an a rain, AZ miles and returned In
less Man seven hours, Al a cost Of
$3.50. Ofigurins overhead. deprecia =
ton and interest, while the ordinary
haulage would have been SAL 40
- These given as instances Of the
development of the truck, and hint us
| Ito the direction Of expansion for 1920
1.-The nations truck manufacturers are
all preparing for extensive sales next
year and will produce to the limit OF
their capacity.