Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-03-28
WHY MOTOR TRUCKS BETWEEN
FARM AND MARKETS ARE SUCCESS

one of the heaviest annual ex-
penses with a motor, a loss of
from 20 to 33 1-3 per cent of the
cost of the truck each year being
required to cover this charge.
Data collected by the bureau of
markets show that the annual
cost of overhau1ing and repairing
the trucks ranges from 500 to
5000 year. Those truck opera
tors who make it a point to keep
their machines in a constant state
of repair have relatively small
charges to meet for annual over
hauling. On the other hand, those
who operate their trucks as long
as possible with no regular re-
pairs often have to pay a very
heavy overhauling charge at the
garage rent, taxes, licenses and in
surance, overhead expenses, re-
annual maintenance costs.
pairs and equipment all swell the
Rates for Hauling
In some sections there are as
many different systems of comput-
ing rates and charges for hauling
as there are motor trucks, each
owner having an original way of
figuring his transportation toll.
There are several factors which
should be considered in the estab-
lishment of rates in any district.
The value and the fragility of the
load bear direct relationship to
the rate that should be charged.
Very valuable or fragile loads in
volve the greater risk on the part
of the carrier and the tariff for the
carriage of such goods should be
sufficiently high to offset the risk
involved. The length of the haul
naturally is another prime consid-
Grafton. Road conditions directly
affect operating costs and hence
must also be considered in estab-
fishing rates. The perishability
and bulk of the load must be
taken into consideration. Where
complete delivery is made from
the door Of the shipper to the door
of the consignee, and service is
rendered which is not duplicated
~ the railroad, this additional
service must be considered in fix
ing the rate. Practically no rates
have been established on the basis
of cost plus a reasonable profit. A
satisfactory rate must be one
which is low enough to attract
business and high enough to offer
a reasonable profit to the opera
tor. Where conditions do not per-
nit the establishment of such a
rate, care should be exercised in
starting a route.
Collecting and Delivering
Farm-to-farm collection of
freight is practiced on short rural
routes where comparatively few
stops are ordinarily made. Such
collection is costly both in time
and gasoline and hence necesitates
higher rates. The cross roads col
lection system is popular also, the
shippers centralizing their produce
at certain Joints where it can be
loaded on the truck. The central
assembling method where the
shippers concentrate their freight
at one point or where a lighter,
auxiliary truck collects and de-
livers it is worthy of trial, as it
possesses many efficient features.
The delivery of the goods at their
destinations may be handled very
satisfactorily in a similar manner.
The small-sfze truck line US
ually collects the charges when
the freight is accepted, while the
more elaborate systems which haul
regularly for different patrons
submit weekly or monthly bills.
1t is essential that each truck OPP
orator, no matter how simple his
system, should keep a record of
his expenses. The bureau of mar
kets, in an investigation of over
60 rural motor routes, ascertained
that many operators who kept no
accounts thought they were MAX
ing profit, when, as a matter of
TACT, they wore gradually exhaust
ing their original investment for
surrent expenses.
Rural hauling by motor is linn
ADVICE ON BUY,