Pueblo chieftain., 1921-01-23

rated at certain capacity. with fac
tor of safety, it does not mean that IL
WIN carry a fifty per cent overload
without damage TO the machine. Be
cause the manufacturer claims the
truck will carry fifty or one hundred
per cent overload is no reason tho
load should be put on the machine.
This should be counted as reserve
capacity and would correspond to the
capacity Of a horse to pull fifty per
cent or moro overload on a grade. Tho
man who drives horses would be fool
lsh to keep them under a strain such
as they would have on the worst part
OF the road. all of the time. Tho
same principle holds true for a. truck.
\ typical example due to overload
ing resulted in tho loss of one-half
gallon OF oil per day from the oil
pump that drives the hoist 1t was
proved that tho trouble was due to
gross overlooking, because. when a
new hoist was Installed. and only cap
actty loads were carried, no further
trouble was had.
y moro serious case that was caused
by overlooking was that Of contrac-
or owning two fivs-ton dump trucks
Of a well-known make. He had a
contract hauling crushed stone out in
the Cumberland Mountains. He
thought he could make more money
hauling eight tons per trip. this he
did. nicely until Just before he fin
ished the contract. While ono of tho
trucks was descending mountain
with an eiCht-tun load gomethine
broke and tho truck ran into a large
boulder, was almost completely
wrecked and the driver was severely
injured. The truck then caught fire
and burned. Tho contractor was
forced TO so out OF tho business be-
cause OF the accident aIg he acknow-
ledged that overlooking caused it all,
not poor maieria> or Workmanship.
The truck was ne built to Withstand
such abuse.
When the states generally take this
matter Up IS New Jersey has done
and a code Of uniform laws is drafted
and enforced the evil Of overlooking
will be less apparent The proposed
Uniform Vehicle Law. when complot-
ed. will be a forward step and should
stabilize conditions materially. Tho
best interests OF tho country will be
served by the adoption of this law. As
many OF Its provisions as possible
should be enacted by each state. Es-
pecially Is II important that tho pro-
visions as to speed. height. width. tho
rules OF the road. etc, with the pen
slues for the violation OF the same. be
adopted. 80 that when n driver or op-
orator OF a vehicle becomes familiar
with the traffic laws OF his own state,
ho viii bo familiar with those OF all
tho other states
Truck abuse. whether Il be over
loading or anything else, IS n grievous
offcnso against business. because It
blocks the progress or transportation
tho life blood OF business. Millions
or tons OF freight arc accommodating in
this country every day on account Of
conEested terminals. The task OF NOV
Ing II is too great for railroads; tho
less than carload shipments arc the
permanent cargo Of the trucks. 4
system OF motor trucks is therefore
needed 10 supplement tho railroads.
No railroad Bwitchmer's strike or
lonEshoremen's strike is required to
cnnhlc tho business man OF vision to
ovaluats tho worth or tho continuous
operation OF an adequate transporta-
tion system. II Is the duty OF bus
incvs to see that overlooking and kin
drcd abuses do not interfere with its
development