New-York tribune., 1919-04-06
Ton-Mile Cost,
How to Figure
1t for Yourself
There Is a Difference Be.
tween Absolute and Com.
mercial Ton Miles Which
Should Be Kept Apart

Do you know how to figure the ton.
mileage OF your motor truck? If not
simple and accurate method is dis
closed by the B. F. Goodrich Rubber
Company. Before arriving at the cost
or truck operation it is essential to
nave the ton mile figure for comparison
with the average daily cost of operation.
Such system viii allow the owner to
compare the operating cost Of one
make OF TRUCK with another, and, as
well, truck haulage with horse and
wagon delivery
Ihere are two classes Of units used
Tor measuring truck haulage. One is
the absolute ton-mile and the other is
the commercial mile. They should
not be confused
The absolute ton-mile is similar to
that used in figuring railroad freight
mileage. Because of the various sys
TENS of delivery, contingent on stops
ana loads to be dropped en- route, what
Is called the commercial ton-mie is
ADOPTED as standard Of measurement
Inc absolute or railroad ton-mile is
one ton carried one mile: thus, one ton
earned hve miles equals five ton-miles
and hve tons carried ore mile also
equals five on-miles Similarly. Ave
tons carried three miles makes fifteen
ton miles.
Absolute ton-miles should be figured
IN connection with motor truck haulage
only wnen uniform hauls are made,
mat is, when one truck carries the
same Load over the same distance. By
simply multiplying the number Of
miles covered by the number of tons
carried the owner can easily determine
the cost per ton-mile by the additional
operation Of dividing the average daily
toh-mlleage into the average daily cost
OF operation. The result will be the
cost per ton-mile. These figures are
indispensable IN keeping an accurate
account OF delivery expense and profit
Ihe commercial ton-mile is figured
for trucks employed in continually
making deliveries Of portions of their
loads. The big majority of trucks are
operated under this condition. 1t can
readily be seen that absolute ton-mile-
age would necessitate separate igur-
ing for each stop and would be decid-
edly lmpracticable. Hence, the CONNER
cial ton-mile used.
The information from which TO figure
the commercial ton-mile comes from
the drivers card. All that is needed
IS the number OF deliveries made. the
weight OF each load and the total mile
age for the day. First determine the
average tons per trip. This is found
by reducing the total number OF pounds
haulcd to terms OF tons. /. G H. 600
pounds would be termed as six tons.
ne average tons per trip, or the aver
age load, is found by dividing the
number Of tons hauled by the number
OF oeliverles made. /. g, six (tons)
olVldee by flve deliveries :. equals one
ana one-htth tons, or the average load.
his result multiplied by the total
m mileage for the day gives the ton miles.
r or example, If the mileage covered by
me truck is sixty, the ton-miles for
the day amounted to seventy-two. or
sixty times one and one-ffth.
when your truck makes but one trip
day you simply multiply the mileage
by the number of miles carried. there-
by using the absolute ton-mile basis.
- Ion-mlles are nothing more than
the units for measuring truck per
formance. The principle of ton-mileage
may be applied to any class Of motor
truck haulage. whether the units are
baskets, bundles, kegs, cases. or thous-
ands Of feet Of lumber. For the concern
which does not do its hauling in tons.
the same measure of haulage NAV be
mad by simply substituting for the ton
the unit best served to measure the
delivery system. Thus, instead of the
ton-mile we have the package-mile.
multiplying the number of packages
delivered by the number of miles GOV
cred IN delivering them, or the keg-
mile, or the case mile.