The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-27
i.;;MOTOR TRUCK ERA
is HERE RIGHT NOW
Getting at the Solution Of One
of Country's Biggest
Problems.
by II. Il. FULTON,

tu' Company.
The problem OF good roads Is only
one part OF a bigger problcm-transpor.
tatlon. 1t is necessary to state this
obvious fact for the simple reason that
The obvious ls usually the last thing we
De. The other half of the problem is
vehicles plus their motive power.
GOOD transportation has resolved IT.
self into two things: good roads and
motor trucks. A favorable sign of the
Bones is the growing recognition on the
part OF good roads advocates that good
roads exist for the use of better trans
portation media--the motor truck and
the automobile
The motor truck Is not only replac-
ing horse transportation but in many
cases 1t is supplanting railroads. The
paotor truck is the solution of the mod
.ern transportation problem
In addition to the unlimited use OF
=, pIotors trucks for delivery purposes, they
are substituting for railroads where the
railroads themselves are using them to
replace spurs, which are a source of
expense and difficulty. Also, in inter-
city shipments large truck companies
operate transportation service for mer-
chandise, supplies, &c.
An idea of the extent OF this form
OF transportation which Is calling for
better roads and the best motor trucks
10 given by the example Of Callan
Brothers of New York. who operate a
potor truck transportation system
within radius of 400 miles of New
yHork city They have n fleet of over
"forty IA ton Mack trucks. They have
closely connected their service with the
Erie Barge Canal. which runs from
Buffalo on Lake Erie across the State
OF New York, joining the Hudson River
at Troy. distance of 3S7 miles.
Callan Brothers have linked their
-VBht large warehouses, with Il storage
capacity of 10000 square feet. and their
motor truck service with the terminals
OF the canal in New York city and i'm
portant upstate transshipment points
along the eanal The Harlem River Ship
Canal is eight miles long. Callan Broth
ers unload freight direct from the canal
parges at their warehouses alongside
their yard for shipment by their large
neet of motor trucks and delivery direct
to consignees or to Callan Brothers
warehouses to be held for future delivery
In New England. New Jersey. delaware,
pennsylvania or other seaboard States
or to transatlantic piers in New York
city.
THESE motor truck transport systems
are the outcome of the inability of the
railroads to handle the great quantities
OF freight which have congested rail-
way traffic in all parts of the country
This condition Is responsible for the dis
covery OF the real value of the motor
truck as transportation medium. Motor
trucks were used in connecting the
broken lines OF railroad shipping and
are replacing the use of local freight
trains on "short hauls" to a considera BILE
extent, thereby releasing freight cars
Tor the more essential shipments on
longer hauls
Shipping freight by motor trucks
means less handling. less damage and
SAFER delivery. 1t eliminates at least
hve landings of goods as shipped by
railroad: First. from factory or ware
house to freight station second. loading
from freight station or truck to cars
third, unloading at destination from cars
TO trucks or freight station: fourth, I'M
loading from trucks to stores. factories
or warehouses, and fifth. handling in
case the goods are removed from the car
to freight station and held until the con-
signee sends motor truck to remove
them.
Distances considered practical for
motor truck transportation are held by
various authorities to average from 100
TO 800 miles. In special instances trips
of 400 miles have been made An excep-
tional demonstration of long distance
hauling Is the fleet of motor trucks
which the Goodyear Tire and Rubber
Company operates between Akron, Ohio
and Boston for the shipment of fabrics
and rubber supplies, These machines
make the round trip OF approximately
1850 miles in from six TO nine days, de-
pending on the weather and road con-
ditions. They are driven between ter
wi otn 9TH e..
meals and supplies. Each truck is
manned with two drivers. one Of whom
drives while the other sleeps
The establishing of long distance
motor truck service during the emer-
gency of the war Is undoubtedly the
forerunner of continuation of such SER
vice on an even larger scale in the era
OF peace. The service is demonstrating
TO manufacturers and merchants that
motor truck transportation is the only
way to escape delays caused by slow
moving local railroad freight trains and
the loss OF time that had frequently
been experienced even before the rail-
road freight congestion became SO acute
Department stores in New York city
and philadelphia are extensively patron
izing long distance motor truck freight
service. This method of transportation
insures prompt receipt OF goods.
Inc products carried by motor trucks
have hardly any limitations. Recently
several tons OF finished leather, valued
at $4,000, were shipped by motor
truck from Philadelphia to New York
overnight. Railroad service at the same
time would have required from four TO
seven days. Machinery manufacturers
ana cotton and woollen mills in New
England cannot well afford to await
the arrival Of slow incoming freights,
SO they have their raw materials deliv-
cred to them by motor trucks in en-
press dime. Heavy machinery is deliv-
cred direct from shops and foundries I'm
connecticut to factories in New York
city. Wholesale grocers deliver in
Washington from warehouses in Balti-
more Tons of high explosives mat
railroads refuse to carry are delivered
py motor trucks with but one handling
AFTER they leave the chemical works
And so on ad infiinitum.
Farmers, too. are turning to motor
truck transportation. Thousands of
them are now served by motor truck
express liPes. without which they would
hardly be able to ship milk or farm
produce. This service has enabled them
materially to increase their production
with a certainty of reaching the market.
In Maryland there are twenty such lines
carrying supplies into Baltimore and
washington. They have a daily Ca
pacity of 1850 ton-miles and haul
more than than 500 tons a day into
these markets and take back an eoual
amount of merchandise to farmers and
country merchants The United States
FOOD Administration states that one
man with truck can haul as much