The Washington herald., 1919-11-16
GOOD ROADWAYS ARE FACTORS
IN REDUCING COST OF HAULING
Day Not Far Distant, Says Head Of Garford
Company When Trucks Will Operate
Over Highways Built for Them Alone.

| After considering those figures one
stops to wonder what the present
cost OF food stuffs would be il It were
not for the motor truck. Here is New
York with more than 5000 motor
trucks registered. The AVERAGE cost
of hauling by truck in New York IS
| IA cents per ton mile according to last
years figures. The cost by wagon is
estimated at about 80 cents. There Is
a difference of l6 cents on each ton
per mile. In year the saving would
run into an enormous amount.
This chart shows the important
part the motor truck plays In the
| transportation OF live stock to market.
Indianapolis leads al other GEN.
tiers in transportation OF hogs by
truck. This may be attributed to a
! great extent to the fact that 1t Is the
4 hub of system OF improved roads.
These figures. by the way, disclose
the great advances made by the MOI
tor truck In the transportation field
during 1918 and preceding years. The
chart shows that 462,3l3 hogs were re-
ceived In indianapolis during the last
year against "a, ,994 In 1917; 173,l91 in
1916 and 96.591 in 1914. Indications are,
according to reports from the Hoosicr
capital that 1913 will see the mark
reach 100000. This, of course does not
include cattle and other live stock.
Not Fully Developed.
| II have no figures at hand which
will show the comparative cost of
transporting live stock by motor
truck and by wagon but II may be
4 q kat, Ora nj hof he "a
differences which prevail in the
transportation of wheat will prevail
here also. The greater number of
trips possible with the truck and the
time-saving alone is proof enough
that it Is more economical.
| But to get into the future of
transportation by truck. 1t Is not
necessary to state that it Is a factor
as yet only in the early stages of
development. True there are numer-
Gus truck trains. rural express routes
| and inter-city routes operating in
communities throughout the United
| States. Haulage concerns, alive to
! the situation, have amalgamated TO
reduce the possibilities Of idle trucks,
| light return loads and to render i'm
proved service to patrons. Many
| commercial houses and manufacture
ing plants are operating private lines.
| The post office department has in
augurated parcel post routes. But.
we may yet say that the motor truck
] has not even approached the height
/ of its possibilities as a transporta ton
J factor.
! THE building of roads will control
to a certain extent the Immediate
future of motor truck transportation
| Good roads are essential to the
NOSE efficient results. They are just
as important to motor truck trans
portation as good railroads are 10
railroad transportation.
Built for Poor Roads.
I'VE have the rolling stock for mo-
tor truck transportation. The modern
trucks have proved their ability to
stand up. They are built for poor
roads and to meet the most trying
conditions. And they are making
good under these conditions. whs,
wouldn't they accomplish IL they were
aided by better roads?
I 'It is not entirely impossible that
motor trucks. at some distant day,
| will operate over a system of high
ways built solely for motor truck
transportation and separate and apart
| from the regular passenger car high
| way.
| The not far distant future will :ro-
duce roads which will be constructed
! of material particularly 9daptel to
withstand heavy hauling. They will
represent the shortest routes between
important points, a fact that will
make for lower costs per ton mile.
, Maintenance crews. not unlike
those which constantly are at work on
the railroad right of ways. will keep
the systems in repair at all times.
when that day arrives transporfa- :
tion by motor truck will haze reached
its height"