The Washington times., 1919-06-21
How To Operate
Motor Trucks
der Systems To Inter-City Trolleys.
By WARREN B. BULLOCK,
Formerly Captain, Motor Transport Corps.

Business was handled between any
point on the consolidated system and
any other.
Operation Problem Solved.
The problem of operation was solv-
ed along strictly army lines, copying
the methods used by the motor trans
port corps in handling supplies for
soldiers in France. The electric ter
minal is the raiIhead and highway
transport lines in different directions
brand out from this railhead to dis
tribute the shipments in their re-
spectiVe territories. With the agent
Of the rail line as the dispatcher at
this railhead. it is possible to throw
trucks from one OF the highway
routes to another, as traffic demands.
The electric company copied Uncle
Sam in another way. 1t decided to
put two men on every truck, driver
and an assistant driver. The driver
was responsible for the operation,
and his assistant was placed under
his Jurisdiction. To make the sue
cessful working OF the truck an am
bition for the driver, a standard rate
Of pay was devised. and an average
cost of operation figured. The driver
is penaliZed for delays, but paid
bonus for savings, and a commission
also on new business developed.
sliding scale of bonuses makes the
truck driver a personal factor in the
business.
So much for the operation Of the
system. The problem of the truck is
little difficult to describe, as into
this phase of the story came the use
of differing types Of vehicles. 1t may
be said that at the start an error was
I'll % "a Nd -H
three and one-half ton type was used,
with extra wide gauge Of its driving
wheels. This made much difficulty,
owing to the constant conflict with
the ruts in the highways traversed.
Perfectly satisfactory for a concrete
road. with a country highway. diff
culties were amending. The problem
was met, however. by the substitution
Of a standard width truck of a two
ton type. and for certain types OF haul
the adoption of a one-and-one-half-ton
vehicle wa found advantageous, espe-
cially for milk.
Probably VIII BE Used.
A long study was made Of the pro-
posal to use the mediums truck
with diversified, expensive pneumatic
tires. This type has not as yet been
installed in this particular system,
but probably will be used, based on
the experience Of other similar traf-
&c systems elsewhere. The pneumatic
tire proved to take up the vibration,
and to save milk. particularly, from
churning on the long haul. 1t also
added to the speed possibilities of the
truck by relieving the engine from
vibration when running over fifteen
miles an hour.
The speed element, however, is sub
ject to the rule of a fourteen-m mile
per-hour maximum, the Government
mark. by the way, with provision for
the use of the big tire. and fast truck
for transport of perishable freight.
green vegetables. milk products and
the like, in hot weather.
The outline as given is, Of course,
only a skeleton. showing what can be
done by highway transport in connec-
ton with electric lines. The expert
ence OF this system, however, was
such as to convince the company after
two weeks OF operation that an enor-
nous new territory has thus been
tapped. and plans were at once made
for immediate expansion of the VOL
ume OF the service. both by additional
trucks and by light trailers. and also
by new routes in different directions.
The feasibility Of the truck, however,
vas proved instantly by the new bust