The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-06-28
FLEETS OF TRUCKS
TODELNER COAL
BY WARREN b. BULLOCK
Formerly Captain. Motor Transport
Corps. L. 6. Al

Corps. L. S. Al
One of the simplest problems In
truck operation is the handling OF
coal by motor, for the delivery OF fuel
comprises fewer problems than almost
any particular line of truck operation,
because of the narrow variation OF
deliveries.
A miscellaneous delivery business
may have a load of light weight
bulky materials one day, and the next
be required to handle a big shipment
OF machinery, heavy metallic cargo o.
little bulk The coal delivery prop
lem, however. is confined to the best
manner of distribution of various
sized orders of a standard weight.
The average coal truck fleet needs
to comprise few different types OF We
hicles. Into the coal delivery prob
lem, however, comes the utilization of
the automatic dump truck, with
need for a higher capacity body than
would be required for a miscellaneous
delivery body.
Bulk of Deliveries Standard.
The bulk of the shipments Of coal
delivery fleet are with a standard
three-ton truck, with additional five
ton machines for handling deliveries
to big consumers, and the five-ton
trucks are needed usually as auto
matte dump trucks. There are few
times when it will be found advisable
for a fve-ton truck to be used with
out the dump attachment, and the
best method is to handle a fleet with
all of the fve-ton trucks of the auto
matte dump type.
There are comparatively few deliv-
cries to make where the total load Is
less than two tons At times there
may be an emergency delivery OF
small quantity, but this is seldom the
case for the larger bulk of coal c)i'-
pany's clients.
A Typical Fleet.
In one Of the big cities of the Unit
ed States a typically well operated
coal truck fleet is balanced about as
follows:
One and one-half-ton trucks...... 2
Three-tOn trucks ................
FiVe-tOn trucks
All of the five-ton trucks are OF
the automatic dump type, and the
three-ton trucks are generally half
dump and half solid body. The re-
placements of the three-ton trucks,
however, have all been of the dump
type, on the theory that when it is
possible to use the dump apparatus
the time saved in cost of labor Of
coal handling is so great as to much
more than balance up, in the long
run, the additional cost Of the power
hosting machinery.
About Forty Trucks.
This fleet is comprised of about
forty trucks. In other words. with
two Of the one and one-half ton
trucks the company finds that it is
covering one-quarter of its total bust
ness, the two trucks being the ratio
to the total in the feet. Half Of the
business is with the three
ton type Of trucks, the balance being
distributed between the light and the
heavy models for small retail and the
bigger buyers.
The company, however, is often
forced to throw it's three-ton trucks
into the five-ton field, and then uses
the dump type exclusively for quick
handling Of big shipments
The ton and a half truck is used
for the small consumer, whose cash
on hand is not sufficient to enable
him 10 buy his winters supply Of
coal at one time. and whose fuel bin
capacity may even if he has the
money be insufficient TO care for his
needs. The coal company finds in
the city under question probably a
smaller proportion than the average
city of hOuseholders who have TO do
business in small lots. In addition,