The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1919-07-19
CONVOY BOOSTS
SH|P-bY-TRUCK
Emphasizes Worth of Motor
Vehicle in it's Newest Role
Of Long Distance Halus.

/ Emphasizing the worth and practibili- |
~ of long distance freight hauls by
motor truck is one Of the primary pur-
poses for which the government has
sent the Motor Transport Corps convoy
1 Of huge trucks which is in this city to-
day. on its ooast-to-coast trip.
/ In transportation circles the trip IS
/ held to be as significant and as historic |
an event in its way as was the first |
transatlantic flight. They see it Illus
trating the ultimate possibility Of a rev.
olutionizing step in the development Of
| transportation And they translate that /
ultimate possibility into dollars saved
/ for producer and consumer. They see
the freight totals Of the world increased.
/ the worlds markets grown fuller. and
thereby greater comfort. greater happi-
ness for the people
These transportation men argue that
| # has been clearly demonstrated for
several years now that the railroads
cannot completely meet the demands of
traffic. They see no future hope OF re-
/ lief through the railroads themselves.
It is physically impossible for railroad
rolling stock and terminal facilities to
meet the fuctuatin requirements Of de-
mand and supply. There comes the sea
son for moving the crops" That Job
alone. which demands speed. would tax
| the ca pacity Of the railroads for several
months. practically 70 the exclusion of
all other business Then comes the sea
son when coal must be moved in vast
quantities and quickly.
And thus 1t goes. transportation men
point out. The railroads work most OF
the year on thousands OF little Jobs IN
der the handicap OF big jobs.
in largo and small fleets according to
demand; that they are not restricted 10
central terminals for loading or unload
/ ing, but can overcome congestion by
moving freely from one TO another Of
the final destinations of their loads
There is also a certain class of freight
that because II demands special speed in
handling or special care can best be
HANDLED on long as well as short hauls
| by motor truck. Livestock Is in this
classification.
Already some livestock raisers have
/ realized the value OF the motor truck In
the handling Of their shipments. Gin
cinnati Indianapolis. louisville and Kan
sas city markets are receiving and in
creasing proportion of their hogs by
motor truck. During 1918. IN eight
months. 1851 hogs were hauled at Kan
I Y. .
same period in 1917 At Denver the haul
age of sheep increased more than 223
per cent, and approximately thirteen per
cent in cattle and twelve per cent in
hogs. In a single day at St Joseph. No.
/ 100 trucks brought in 400 hogs. 200
cattle and large number Of sheep.
Trailers practically double the value
of the truck. with but slight increase in
cost Of operation. Recently one truck.
running from Dallas to Farmersvillc
Texas hauled four trailers. It carried
| seventy head Of sheep. seventeen head
! Of steers-net weight 29.5O0 pounds
distance Of ninety miles. OF this dis
tance twenty miles we're over black
soil roads.
Even if the practicability OF the com
mercial motor truck is still in the first
stages of demonstration. its great value
as a feeder of the railway systems and
for bridging the gaps between farm and
nearby market has been clearly demon
strated, commercial men and farmers
who have tried II are proclaiming. There
IS network Of motor truck freight and
express routes from practically all local
markets throughout the United States
today New operators are coming into
The field daily as new possibilities unfold
themselves Vast quantities Of cream.
butter and eggs that would have wasted
on the farm are being marketed by tho
trucks. which carry to the farmer his
requirements in furniture. binder Irvine.
groceries and a thousand and one of the
everyday necessities of life on the farm
In this territory the interests Of truck
operators and shippers are watched over
by branch Of the nationwide organiza-
ton of the Firestone Ship-byTruck bu-
reau. with headquarters at Akron. Ohio.
The bureau acts as clearing house Of
information. bringing operators and
shippers together. VIM. Fitzgerald. who
directs the branch. has Offices at 1920
Michigan ave. Chicago.
AT present we are centerins our en-
erg.es on the return load problem" said
Mr.. Fitzgerald yesterday. I'VE are de-
terrnined 70 systemic the motor truck