South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-10-19
EFFICIENCY Of
TRUCKS DEPENDS
ON THE DRIVER
Beyond Supervision of En-
pIOyer Most of Time So
Must Have Initiative.

A motor truck is as efficient as
It's driver
No matter how expensive the ma
chine employed by the fleet oper-
stcr. or how skillfully plans have
tecn laid TO- its use. II tile driver
Is neglected.. or actually works con
frary 70 instructions. investment
and plans are undone and the op-
orator faces a loss Winning the co.
operation OF the driver IS one OF
the first essentials Of suce s@ful mo-
tor truck operation.
Judgment Important.
big majority Of his time the
driver Is beyond the supervision OF
his employer and consequently his
Judgment decides the results OF AN
investment. in many cases OF from
four 20 six thousand dollars The
human element i'm motor trucking
is an enormous factor-nO fixed
rule nor advance Information Of
conditions is available.
Ever-changing road surfaces pre-
sent a variance that demands con-
slant aiertness and vigilance on the
part OF the driver stretch or
rough road may increase the strains
on a truck 20 three or four times
FORMAL Lot the driver overload
his truck and the strain increases
To seven or eight :imes normal. and
ovorspeedinS adds still more to the
strain.
Must Know Clutch.
The driver must. In addition. he
skilul in the management or the
clutch, tho selection Of gears and
cen the overhaIlin- and general mp
keep or tho truck.
Probably the first quality tho op-
orator viii expect from tho driver
IS caution. Some concerns i'm en-
ploying drivers prefer to train old
and trusted employees. educated iu
their special line Of work. rather
hgn hire professional drivers. Many
companies prefer settled men Of
middle age rather than youthful pi-
lots. Some concerns insist on their
men being married.
Remedy for Speed and Loads.
Recently a motor truck publica-
ton wrote 70 motor truck manufac-
turers asking them for the most
truck industry An overwhelming
number Of replies stated that the
biggest need was remedy for over
loading and overspeeding This rem
edy Is squarely up TO the driver, but
he must be guided by his employer
He knows that overlooking aaC
overspeeding Is bad for his truck.
but he would obey orders more
quickly n he knew why" He
probably knows that overspeeding
is destructive but not that doub-
ling the speed increases the violence
OF road shock and lasting effect.
Man operators use simple illustra-
tiOns with decided and lasting eff
feet. For instance the importance
Of proper fabrication can be ex-
planned so that il viii stick IN tho
drivers mind. BY showing him
piece OF polished steel under a mi
croscope and pointing out that the
Jagged outline-visible 10 the naked
eye-must be filled up with u i'm
order 20 prevent the edges from
causing damage he is impressed
more than being merely told 70 "oiI
mp" Educating the driver is largely
mp 20 the operator. for the average
driver is eager and willing 10 learn.
Bonus System Good
There are many ways OF getting
and holding the drivers interest.
They may be summed up i'm two
fundamentals First the driver
should be treated squarely. This
can probably best he accomplished
by equipping his truck with n me-
chanical recorder which will give
him credit for the work he does
The second method IS the lnstalla-
ZION Of a bonus system. The unique
position Of motor truck pilot as a
free agent almost requires a bonus
system and the investment at stake
justides a.