Evening star., 1943-12-26
foreign fighting front.
BY Robert C. Harper.

BY Robert c. Harper.
No "E" pennant flies from a WASH
ington truck for war service excellence.
No romance is attached to a truck
yet these carriers have hauled cargoes
whose nature was unknown to the
drivers themselves.
A partial lifting Of this veil Of secrecy
reveals story of colorful achievements.
Explosives, torpedo shells, priceless
minerals, automobile and aviation gaso-
line-these are among war items hauled
by Washington truck owners.
Food, drugs, clothing and other
civilian necessities-these account for
many trucking activities on the home
front.
Here is q record Of accomplishment,
without fanfare, that has been achieved
despite loss Of manpower, rubber short
age and difficulty in securing parts for
trucks.
Producers Of planes, tanks and ships
have won Army-Navy "E" flags. Serv-
Ice groups, however, to date have not
received similar recognition.
For security reasons, specific destina-
tions OF war cargoes hauled by WASH
ington trucks will be omitted. A glimpse
behind the scenes, however, lets the
public know the trucking industry's
great contribution to victory.
Let's 60 back to the very first day Of
the war, December 7, 194l, and pick up
the thread of the Washington trucking
story to date.
Refuelin& a Convoy.
On that Sabbath morning, when the
japanese struck with aerial fury at
Pearl Harbor, q convoy Of 1900 Army
trucks was moving northward through
Virginia. Maneuvers had Just been
completed at Fort Bragg, N. c. Like
private motorists on other occasions, be-
fore and since, the moving Army found
itself running out Of gas. Here was no
Job that could be done by filling sta
tions along the road. This called for
big-scale, systematic refueling by firms
equipped to do the Job. In the emer-
gency Washington firm, headed by
lSlClldlO ~ oOy40p Wd0 0ohCA w ICAAA -
helping hand.
Mr.. O'Boyle was instructed to bring
gas In truck tanks to three designated
points in Northern Virginia. In two
days and two nights he had fulfilled
the contract. His fleet Of rubber-tired
"tankers" helped the convoy proceed to
Its destination.
ut was a remarkable sight," he re-
calls. "As far as the eye could see, trucks
were lined up 80 feet apart, awaiting
precious fluid. remember, too, 1t was a
cold day."
A Christmas Order.
Last Christmas Eve Navy barge
was getting ready to sail on an I'M
portant mission, where speed was Of
the essence. It needed additional fuel
oil, and quickly. A high Government
official asked Mr.. OBoyle to throw all
his equipment into the breach. Since
it was the day before Christmas, labor
ers were hard to round up, but Mr..
OBoyle's firm succeeded in performing
the task assigned It.
On the civilian front, there was the
case Of the oil shortage in Bethesda last
winter Tank cars in nearby yards
needed to be shifted to proper con-
Meeting lines. Due to the congestion
other war demands produced, rail lines
found q certain delay would be un-
avoidable Mr. OBoyle put his fleet Of
% oil tankers to work. In one day they
delivered $4,000 gallons Of the fluid
sorely needed in the suburb adjoining
Washington. "The railroads, too, are
doing a grand job," Mr.. OBoyle said.
On long and short hauls, Mr.. OBoyle
moves about 100000 gallons Of oil or
alcohol daily under war contracts, the
alcohol being destined for munitions
manufacturing.
With the same equipment and less
manpower available, Lester B. Powell,
president OF Powell Transportation Co.,
says his volume OF business Is 24e per
cent greater this year than last year.
How was it accomplished?
"By working longer hours, by cutting
out all special runs, by discontinuing
Sunday holiday delivery of luxury goods
and by systematizing deliveries SO that
trucks do not travel empty in any d.
rection," Mr.. Powell explained.
Mr.. Powell has been in business here
nearly 80 years, and he is proud to
.ay the first man he hired still works
for him.
Hauling Food Products.
I'VE haul all food products going to
Government cafeterias," he stated.
sThis means millions Of pounds of food
stuffs. much of 1t perishable unless
promptly delivered. When you con-
slider that the Pentagon Building alone
has a cafeteria accommodating 5000
nersons at time you get picture OF
the loads we must haul within the
city"
Before the war, Washington was
known as a consumers town, with about
10 pounds of goods coming in for every
pound shipped out. This was due, and
still holds true today, to the fact that
washington is not a manufacturing nor
war-production center. The 10-to-1
ratio. however, has been curtailed, Mr..
Powell believes.
FOR example, drugs hauled by truck
from New York and intermediate points
Are offered on the shelves OF Wash.
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