Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-31
Sustained Demand Il Factor.

Sustained Demand a Factor.
Sustained demand has been a vital
factor in this achievement" he said.
THE industry has experienced none of
the tranSitory periods of depression
The effect upon the whole industry of
this greatly increased volume of huSi
ness has been most SalutarY, taking
up some of the slack which usually
exists in an industry in which pro
duction capacity is in excess of
normal market requirements.
During 1918. 1919 and 1920. the
wholesale value of the truck business
was. each year, in excess of $500 900
600, although the number of units pro
duCed in these years was. at its high
est, in 1920, only 322 039. The great
increase in truck production in 1923
was largely III the inexpensive One-ton
and one and one half ton classes. The
1925 record. too. was made as result
of a further big increase in the mum
Der OF light trucks manufactured, and
also in the number of heavy duty
trucks built.
mo slump in truck production as
in 1924 has married the years record.
Production in the early months Of the
year was lower than in 1924. hut be
gan to pick up in the Spring and has
kept up to high levels during the sum
mer. eliminating d record production
in September Of 5000 units. The
years total includes actual production
figures for the first II months of the
year and an estimate of % al for the
month of December.
Effect Regarded Salutary.
The effect upon the whole in
dustry Of this greatly Increased vol
ume of business has been most
salutary, taking UP some Of the
slack which usually exists in an in
dustry in which production capac city
IS in excess of the normal market
requirements.
Part of the years good record
may be ascribed to the rapid devel-
opment in the foreign market al
though this was a negligible factor
In the truck field only three az four
wears ago. Exports during the past
wear have reached q total estimated
Al 64.HI1 trucks and busses This
includes actual reports for the first
10 months IF the Year with November
and December estimated. It does not
include. however. the number Of
trucks and busSeS assembled in
foreign countries from parts shipped
abroad 10y American manufacturers
Another vital factor affecting par
ttclllarly the great increase in whole
sale Va Tue uf me business done, has
been the rapid growth of the bus
manufacturing industry. While the
number of units manufactured last
wear is estimated only at about 10 600.
as compared with about 10.0 900 in the
previous year. the price of the bus
unit is much larger than that of the
heavy truck unit. and frequently TWO
ar three times as large. In fact. the
price Of the average bus is six or
seven times the price Of the average
truck, which. in 1924 was approx.
inately s1,l26.
Not Due to New Developments.
While there have been number
OF new developments III the use of
trucks and buSSeS during the year,
the tremendous increase could not
properly be laid to any one or two
factors. Tho true economic field of
the truck is becoming more and more
apparent each year. and its use is
hciug gradually enlarged in 30 lead
ing vocational fields into which it
may be divided.
'One factor which may have been
prominent in bringing about the in
crease in the number of heavy duty
trucks manufactured last Year is
the replacement Of trucks put into
service during the war and immedi-
ately after il. when railroads were
crippled and shippers found II neces-
Sary to resort TO the truck. Many
of these trucks have now been in
service six or seven years. and
great many of them were rcpla ced
during the past wear.
confidence of the motor truck in