Evening star., 1943-12-26

ordered, due to the speed and flexibility
OF trucking service.
Mr.. Powells business Is not confined
to hauling foodstuffs and drugs. He.has
contract under which millions of
pounds OF oils and greases are hauled
to the District area military establish
ments.
Trucks move variety of things. For
example, Mr.. Powell remembers he
hauled here a carcass of q whale sent
from Alaska to the Smithsonian Insti-
tuition. Truckers elsewhere have moved
shark livers to laboratories for trans
formation into vitamins for the armed
services. Oranges from Florida, as we'll
as 800-pound tires for United States
Army bombers, likewise have moved by
truck as an essential part Of the Ma
tion's transportation system.
Long and Short Hauls.
Normally the short haul is the back
bone of the trucking business. But on
at least one occasion Mr.. Powell re-
members sending trucks to Louisiana,
journey Of some 1,400 miles.
Hauling explosives, mines and air.
plane parts is part of the wartime Job
being done by another large District
operator, the Davidson Transfer Co,
Otto Rupert, Davidson manager here,
outlined safety precautions for trucks
hauling explosives.
Those trucks" Mr.. Rupert said "are
labeled explosives. Safety precautions
include static chains on the rear of the
truck, the removal Of oil and flare pots
and the substitution Of electrically
operated flares, in case OF stoppages on
the road. In many States police escort
also is furnished, but not In the State Of
Virginia. They have told authorities
that If they furnished State police
escort for all the war goods being moved
through Virginia, they would have no
force left for their own purposes"
Hauling Of machinery for the making
Of airplane parts; quartz crystals from
Brazil used in radio manufacturing;
mines to naval stations and military
maps-al constitute part Of trucking
loads.
A Priceless Cargo.
Preceding the North African invasion,
Washington truck operator hauled
maps Of that war zone to an Eastern
seaport. Seven sets OF maps were
shipped, one set on each OF seven ships.
II any ship was sunk by the enemy,
other ships would survive to deliver the
priceless cargo.
Due to shipping restrictions, a large
Washington publishing house has been
forced to reduce its shipments abroad.
Trucks used to haul the entire load to
Eastern seaports.
The Davidson firm is not surprised,
Mr.. Rupert explained, when asked to
do unusual moving chores. Even in
peace, truckers were called on to do
lot of things far removed from the
carriage and heavy movement specialties
Of the trade.
I'VE hauled two giraffes to the Zoo
here" Mr.. Rupert chuckled. II won't
forget that trip, because 1t meant haul
ing the animals in an open truck and
forcing them to lower their long necks
every time we went under bridge"
What is happening in the Nations
Capital Is being done on a larger scale
throughout the country, especially in
war-production areas-moving raw ma
terials into plants and delivering the
finished product to ports Of embarka-
tions. At the same time the industry Is
helping to meet the needs Of our civilian
population.
Highways Are Assembly Lines.
Briefly, motor carriers are transform
Ing our highways into assembly lines
hundreds Of miles long. Playing q vital
role In the r-production program,
trucks today are moving 81 per cent Of