The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-10-09

the uutk.
DESIGN or VEHICLE
IMPORTANT
The design Of me which. ~ wril
a. size. has an important BEARING
on the potantiAi returns Of our $500.
eoo. 900 Investment Certain tests
conducted by the bureau Of public
roads at Washington show that road
impact. which Is the principal cause
OF road wear. does not necessarily
increase In proportion To the size
OF the truck. but In governed by the
amount Of weight which truck
carries below Its springs. For In
stance. n five and one-haif ton chain
driven truck. fully loaded. delivered
only IS per cent OF the road impsct
pressure produced by = three-ton
shaft.drivcn truck operating under
the same conditions and carrying the
same tonnage In = shaft.drivcn
truck. all OF the final driving
mechanism u carried below the
springs and this weight delivers a
continual series Of direct solid
blows to the road. while In = chain
driven truck there II no weight be.
low the springs except that OF the
wheels and = comparatively light
axle- That In why a seven and one
half ton chain driven truck will pro
duce less road impact and conse-
qusntly less road wear than . five
ton shaftdrtven truck. And. further.
morc. that II why vehicle design
should BE- considered In framing leg
islation TO drive the greatest
possible benefit from our $500. ooe..
900 highway investment.
Unfortunately. this subject ef
gross weight restriction In too easily
misunderstood The tendency %
jump ~ conclusions In determining
which types and sizes Of motor We
hiclcs exert the greatest road wear
is q very natural one. owing to the
popular confusion between static
weight" and impact weight" To be-
SURE. a seven and oue-hAif.ton truck
standing still II heavier on the roa~
than a five-ton truck. regardless Of
whether Il Ii chain or shaftdrtven.
But static weight does not wear out
the roads, NJ was proven by the gov
eminent tests and ~ any one can
readily see. IL In the constant I'm
pact pressure unused BY . moving
truck--she repetition OF shocks or
blows-that alone affects the road
surface and It's foundation And II
has been ccnciusivsiy pruven time
and again that qnai drivv conssruo
ton has an exceptionally important
bearing on impact psessure---thst In
motion . seven and one-hAlf chaja
driven truck produces less tmpac;
pressure, and consequently less road
wear, than . five-ton shaftdriven
truck Il II not reasonable. there
fore. for the people Of this country
who arc paying this $500. 200. 900 TO-
highway Improvement and who afs
vitality concerned In transportation
costs A. they affect commodity
prices, To demand that legislators
apprsse themselves Of the facts con
corning motor vehicle design that
win provide . method for both
lengthening the life Of the Highways
and lowering transportation eosts'
VEHICLE RESTRICTION
NECESSARY
II II conceded shat vehicle resfric
don ii one form or another n Z
prime necessity In getting the most
out Of this huge Investment but
when proof OF the fact that hrgs
capacity chain driven rucks win re
tducs transportation costs and re
duce road wear u 10 conclusive. does
IL not seem that vehicle design Il
worthy Of consideration ~ = bast,
for framing restrictive legislation! !,
u not the duty Of legislators 70 box
their efforts on something mors
than asumption--to ansiyxe the Fl
feet OF substituting = greater mum
Der of high speed small trucks fol
fewer barge trucks. md TO listen OF
study the tests made by government
officials that = consideration Of W
hicie design will Increase the effect
ivcness of our $500. 900. 900 hishwa,
Investment by at least 50 per cent
4