The Washington times., 1922-05-21
EXPERT TALKS
ON OPERATION
Of AUTO TRUCK
Traces Industry's Growth to
Up-to-Date Transporta-
ton Plan.

The question of transportation. be
by horse, railroad or motor, Is a
proposition of traversing stated dis
tances with given loads, says l.. V.
Newton, superintendent motor equip
ment and transportation department
the Texas Company.
The motor transportation problem,
and especially the phase that has to
DO with efficiency and low cost per
mile, begins with the judicious pur.
chase of trucks.
The question now arises as TO what
would constitute a judicious pur-
chase? This is answered by touch
Ing on two suCcinct determining fac.
tors which co-ordinated force US 10
the realization that this is a ques-
ton of no minor import:
First-A truck may be looked upon
rs a piece OF machinery-a carrier
which gives an amount of service
determinable by the understanding
with which II Is Observation-Disclosures
to travel a given mileage then TO be
relegated to the scrap heap.
Second-This resolves itself into
the question of truck purchase, not
OF particular make OF truck, but Of
q truck so constructed as to give the
greatest number OF miles at the low
est cost per dollar of investment, re-
gardless of the initial
When II is realized that truck mile
age or specified transportation is
marketable, the next step is that Of
tonnage selection.
Tonnage Selection.
A question occupying the minds of
unqestioned authorities in the truck
world today dncluding those interest
ed either directly or indirectly in the
operation of motor trucks is that Of
overlooking. Warnings have been Is.
sued both by truck and parts manu-
facturers, but still the practice con-
tinues, due to some one Of the follow
ing reasons-lack of appreciation Of
the work to be performed by the
truck; lack Of proper routing, or
shortage Of equipment.
Conservation OF Truck Time.
From this evolves the necessity
that work to be done be analysed
carefully and possibilities of con-
servation Of time of the truck be
taken into consideration. Once de-
fined or put in comprehensive form
the work of the truck should be 80
supervised that the program is car
ried out without doubling loads and
by paying strict attention to routing
and possible DELAYS.
Having determined by all informa-
ton available and from actual ex-
perience the best equipment from
the standpoint of tonnage and size,
the next item for consideration
should be, What is behind the
truck?" This includes the following:
The manufacturer; his financial
standing, his methods, his policies,
his reputation. his experience and
service facilities.
Financial standing, reputation and
experience are usually controlling
factors in determining the merits OF
any product, because back OF these
charact eristics lies the worth built
up by experimentation, factory in.
spection. value Of materials, heat
treatment, design, etc.
Testing of Trucks.
Experimentation is interesting to
the truck operator when he knows
that it has been done in the factory.
Reputable manufacturers operate ex-
perimental trucks for months-even
years-before inaugurating changes
or deviating from set standards or
principles, or exploiting a change,
whether in model or construction.