Evening star., 1927-08-14
TRUCK LEASING SERVICE :
USED TO REDUCE COST
Retailer or Wholesaler Offered Fleet or
Few Machines to Cut Operating II
Expenses of Cars. 81!

Of its transportation service. But
there seems still to be considerable
confusion.
Sensing an opportunity to sell the
merchant a service instead of q com
modity-Such as the motor truck it,
self-agencies stepped in and organ
lied enterprises that amount to truck
leasing. If the merchant was troubled
and confused in his efforts to deter,
mine the cost Of delivering his goods.
these organizations proposed to steu
in and end his worry and confusion
by giving him a fiat rate on the work.
and that involved very little book
keeping, much less the buying aud
maintaining of a fleet Of motor!
vehicles.
Included i'm Service.
An organization that operates be-
tween 750 and 500 trucks of all types
and sizes for widely varying business
and Industrial firms includes in its
service these items:
Trucks-Any type. size of design the
special character of the merchants or
manufacturers business may require.
Garaging-This includes not only
storing the vehicle, or vehicles. but
keeping it washed and clean. If the
vehicle travels a route that Splatters
it with mud each day, the truck lessor
agrees to have IL spotless when II
starts on its journey each morning.
Repairs-Complete chassis and body
repairs are made Immediately. The
truck is kept in the best possible me.
chanical condition at all times. All.
night service is maintained to assure
that the truck will not be tied up any
longer than is necessary. Brakes
n oil -eafa at 70
nightly and kept functioning at the
highest point of efficiency.
Tires-Kept in good condition and
replaced as soon as wear justifies the
change.
Gasoline and oil-The gasoline tank
is filled nightly and the crankcase is
checked after every days trip.
Painting and art work-As the les
see wishes.
Inspections-Reg oiling and
greasing is given to every truck.
Careful records are kept Of these
processes. Drivers reports of inefi-
cheney in any unit Of the car are acted
upon Immediately. -
Emergency Truck Ready.
In addition, if one of the vehicles
breaks down, an emergency truck is
ready to take it's place. Or, If an
extra heavy rush of business deluges
the equipment for which the merchant
had contracted, supplemental facili-
ties for delivery are placed at his
disposal.
An interesting feature of this par
ticular organization is that it retains
at the head of its mechanical depart.
ment one of the most prominent con.
sulting automotive engineers in the
country.
Many commercial enterprises are
availing themselves of this type of
service. In Washington, New York,
Miami, San Francisco and several
| Middle Western cities business and in
dustrial ventures, both large and
small, are using this new method.
Others, hoWev er, continue to operate
| their own fleets. undoubtedly because
they have had success with them.
The merchandising idea behind the
| truck leasing services is not new. al.
| though its application to so large an
article is relatively so. Every one
knows that dress suits and tuxedos
| have been rented for years. The idea
also has been applied by caterers for
| decades. Barber shops get their coats
and towels on the same basis. D..
The first application of the idea to
the motor truck field came several
| years ago. 1t was started in san
| Francisco. and after struggle
achieved a measure of success that
| justified its adoption elsewhere and on
| a larger scale.
Backers of truck leasing declare It
will prove genuine boon to manufac-
turers of commercial vehicles of all
kinds by putting their operation on
basis that will result in greatly re-
duced operating costs. And in so far
as experience indicates, this claim is
soundly based.
But, regardless of where the venture
leads. it is one of the most interesting
merchandising notes in a most impor-
taut branch of the automotive in.
dustry.