Evening star., 1940-10-20
BY ROBERT F. BLACK,
Vice President, Commercial Car Divisi
Automobile Manufacturers Association

Vice President, Commercial Car Division,
Automobile Manufacturers Association.
Current production and registra-
Sion figures on new motor trucks
indicate that 1910 will be a peak
year in the motor truck manufac-
turing industry.
With many of the plants engaged
In the production of Army vehicles
and finding added demand for COM
mercial transportation facilities, the
industrys pace has speeded ahead
Of last year when total of 756844
vehicles was produced from January
to the end of December.
Retail sales at this time last year
totaled 392077 as against the 470 900
registered for the same period this
year. an increase of 20 per cent
Production figures of American
manufacturers in the United States
and Canada for the first nine
months of this year were 617.300, or
Is per cent above 534807 made dur
ing the equivalent months of 1899.
Production for the u months end
ing September 80 totaled $4,000
units.
These statistics largely reflect the
increased commercial demand, and
to some extent increased activity
from the defense program, but out
put for the Army will be more in
tense during the latter months of
this year.
More Emphasis on Trucks.
Reports from abroad as well as
the growing recognition by Army
strategiSts of the indispensibility of
motor truck equipment to a we'll
prepared Army, have placed more
emphasis this year on motor truck
transportation than ever before in
the history of the country.
The Army has procured or placed
orders for, we'll over $4,000 units of
motor truck equipment since the
first Of the year. This includes the
light 1z-ton Jobs all the way up to
the 7-ton prime movers. An over
whelming majority of the Army
vehicles are four and six wheel
drive units. designed for rough
cross-countrv going as we'll as over
WeH-pdNeu highways.
Planning for additional thousands
Of troops will further tax the capac-
1tv of plants. AS this is written an
additional $4,000 vehicles, including
$4,000 armored motor cycles are pro-
vided in a House bill. 1882, now
pending in Congress. A fair ratio
of vehicles to manpoWer is con-
sidered as one to ten.
What effect the increased military
demand for vehicles will have on
commercial users of highway trans
portation is cause Of speculation.
To what extent priorities are re-
sorted to will of course depend
largely on the speed with which
the military authorities will need the
vehicles The present outlook is
that the motor truck plants will be
able to supply civilian needs if thev
build military vehicles in pace with
the production of armaments and
supplies. such as tanks, aircraft en-
gines and other specialized equip
ment which will require more plan
ming and tooling up.
Some "Ifs" Encountered.
There are some ifs in the form
Of getting adequate raw materials
and the necessary accessories, but
the general outlook is that the in
dustry has the plant capacity to
supply the Army needs as we'll as
those of the for-hire and private
motor truck owners.
Students of highway transporta-
ton in this country, noting the eff
cient execution of plans by the Ger
man military authorities. see the
need for meticulous care and plan