Evening star., 1927-03-30
SALES OF TRUCKS
GAINING STEADILY
Trend of Industry Turning to
Smaller, SWifter Mod
els, 1t Is Said.
BY j. G. ROYLE.

NEW YORK, March 30.-Sale and
manufacture of automobile trucks and
buses have caught their Spring stride.
This section of the industry Is pro-
crossing faster than the passenger
automobile side, and earnings of the
commercial vehicle producers are
likely to be better sustained than
those of pleasure car producers.
Sales are on the up grade. Moreover,
the sale of trucks has in no measure
approached the saturation point and
cannot do so for long period to
come Over five times the number of
commercial vehicles were manufac-
tured in the last year than 10 years
ago, while the number of pleasure
cars manufactured in the last 10 years
has only doubled.
OFF to Speedy Start.
Spring selling is off to a fast start"
said Walter G.. White, president of the
White Co, today. THE first half of
March showed an increase of orders of
rs per cent over the previous month.
1t has been necessary to increase fac
tory production schedules, particu-
larly on the u, l ton and 1h ton
models, which were reduced in price
under the new merchandising policy
of our company with q consequent
immediate increase in volume produc-
ton"
Other truck producers also are ex-
periencing a strong demand for the
smaller truck models ranging from
quarters of ton to two tons ca
pacity. These are designed for ex-
press service and speeding up of de-
livery, and many of the orders are
coming from buyers of single vehicles
who are seizing their first opportunity
of securing a quality truck at price
within their means.
Orders at several factories have
piled up for the first six-cylinder truck
models, and those vehicles, with their
speed, power and flexibility, are now
moving into volume production.
$4,000 Listed as Carriers.
There are now approximately 5000
motor busses listed as common carriers
in this country, according to estimates
based on Interstate Commerce Com
mission figures. These operate over
nearly 100000 miles of highway Near
ly 10000 motor trucks are travelling
over 100000 miles of road as common
carriers of goods. The combined au-
tomotive common carrier mileage is
nearly four times the combined rail-
Aoelu tidthdSe Oh IillS country.
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion figures were obtained from class
railroads, whose answers to Ques-
tlonnaires included only bus opera.
tons close to their own lines.
Other statisticians say there are
$4,000 busses in this country, includ-
ing those in school uses, sightseeing
and tours, hotel use and Industrial
uses. The number of trucks in non-
common carrier use is estimated at
nearly 2,500,000
Steps to Meet Competition.
Henry r. TIumbower, economist of
the United States Bureau of Public
Roads estimates the freight carrying
capacity Of the Nations truck at g..
06b,676 tons, or 2.8 per cent of the
capacity of the freight
cars of the country which is put at
III. .45O,034.
Both electric and steam railways
are taking steps to meet bus com
petition in passenger service by in.
creased comfort and luxury of equip
ment. For example, a new Single
room car" pullman containing IA
rooms, each occupied by only one
person, will be put into operation be-
tween Washington and New York on
April a. Some of the newer type
street and interurban electric cars are
models OF comfort and luxury.