The Washington times., 1920-10-09
By L. ]. FAULKNER.

Those who thought that "Dobbi9p had permanently
retired from his former rural homes have another think
coming according to recent investigation made by the
United States Department of Agriculture. This inyestga
ton made to find out why and to what extent farm
owners used motor trucks.
The question propounded to 753 farmers located in
Maine New Hampshire, Vermont Massachusetts, Rhode
Island Connecticut New York, New Jersey Pennsylvania
Delaware and Indiana "What do you find to be the
greatest advantage of owning a motor truckf"
Ninety one per cent said saving tme;" about % per
cent said they had found better markets since buying
90 per cent of them had cut down the number
of their work stock by much as single head, while
less than in ten had cut down this work stock
more than two head
This result prevents the arriving at any definite
clusion in motor truck study 1t certainly indicates how
ever that the motor truck the farm relies for its prn
cpa value time saved rather than expense Most OF
the farmers to think that the profits ACQUIRING from
the saving in time than over-balance any extra
expense entaied by the of the motor truck.
The majority of those who hold to this opinion are
located considerable distances from markets. fourfths
of them being five miles from their shipping point
and therefore their saving in time would be eec
tive by the of trucks than it would be the
farm which lies to market.
The farms which Investigated were of all sizes
the motor trucks running from half to five TONS but
the rated capacity of very few of the trucks owned
greater than two TONS nearly onehaf of them of the
one ton size. -..
Ninety five per cent of the farmers were emphatic in
their belief that trucks prohabe investment Line
opinion of these 753 farmers that the principal dIsad
vantage of motor truck not in its expense of main
tenance in its original cost, but in poor roads,"
That the trucks proved efficient time is shown
by the fact that they saved from oneha to twohirds
the time required for hauling materials to and from their
FARMS The farmers reported that they have return loads
for their trucks about onefourth Of the time
The majority of the farmers reported that while they
would not part with their trucks they still used their
horses for road hauling
About one-fourth of the number of farmers inter
viewed do custom haulng the amount received
during one year for such work is about STA.
a The farmers interviewed stated that there only
about eight weeks in the year when the condition of the
roads, owing snow, mud ETC., probtve for truck
use and threequarter of the trucks in travel on all
dirt roads
These farmers said that the average life of their trucks
between six and onehs to years. and that they
travel an average of 73 days per year; 1920 miles
Another interesting fact brought out that the ma
joy of of onequarer and ton trucks
prefer pneumatic tires the of oneton trucks
about evenly divided in their preference and the owners OF
trucks larger than oneton prefer solid tires.
As indication of the reliability of trucks it might
be stated that twohrds of the trucks had not been
out of commission when needed, for single day during
the year covered by the report and nearly the
portion of the stated that they had not lost any
apprecabe time account of motor and tire troubles
breaks etc. ,...
Summed up, only truck in thirty had been out of
commission ten days
The average cost of operation of the ton trucks
about cents per mle trucks about
13 cens truck about II cents and onequarer
and and onehaf tons 19 cents and two tons about
twenty cents =