Evening star., 1953-12-02
Trucks Become Vital Cog Here in Daily Living Urban Growth

80 49, wv ~h
new drivers are trained differ
emily. The industry has become
aware that good public relations
are essential and that their
drivers are the front-line troops
in making friends. Safety pro-
grams have been developed, and
drivers who can't make the
grade are taken off the road.
The psychological factor in
the automobile -versuS-the- truck
controversy is a great annoyance
to truck firms. Accident Statis-
tics prove that the percentage of
trucks involved in highway
crashes is no greater than that
of private cars. But, while
trucks aren't often directly tied
up in a wreck, there's no doubt
they indirectly are responsible
through no fault of their own
for many accidents.
A private-car driver-the fell
low who hits the open highway
for a long trip perhaps once a
year-pulls in behind a $4,000
pound tractor-trailer and starts
to pass. About halfway, the high
sides of the truck suddenly seem
to be crowding this little driver
off the road. He becomes frantic,
| loses control of his car and
usually ends up in a ditch or
against a tree. What he didn't
realize was that the truck actu-
ally hadn't moved toward him at
all. His fear of its size in
f1uenced his Judgment, thereby
causing wreck.
This problem, the psychology
cal hazard, has the trucking in
dustry working overtime, seek
ing some means of educating
the public into acceptance of
trucks without fright.
Road Damage Discounted.
/ The industry constantly con-
tends that trucks cause no more
damage to modern highways
than passenger cars totaling an
equal weight. 1t has discounted
its case with exhibits and de-
tailed surveys, in which most
damage is laid to improper con-
struction and to weather. The
industry and the State of Mary
land recently completed long
test at La Plata, Md, with little
or nothing settled in the con-
troverSy.
However, the Federal Bureau
of Public Roads is convinced
that trucks do break up the high
wayS-much more than stock
automobiles of the same total
weight. If a truck is loaded so
that one axle exerts $4,000
pounds pressure on a given spot
OF highway, it stands to reason,
the bureau says, that one auto
mobile with an axle weight of
about $500 pounds cannot do
the same damage. And, since
the load of 10 automobiles would
not be combined, the highway
cannot suffer the same load as
from a truck.
The answer to the highway
problem, the bureau says, lies in
a complete rebuilding of many
major highways, reinforcing
them to stand the increased load.
And who will foot the bill?
Last year, the trucking indus
try paid nearly $1.1 billion out
in special use taxes designed to
be used for highway mainten-
ance and improvement. Many
States contend that it isn't
enough; that the ante should
be raised. -
In the District, truck highway
use taxes neared the $3.5 million
figure while the number of We
h1cles involved represented only
9 per cent of total motor regis
trations here. Highway and
bridge maintenance here cost
about $1,065. 900 in fiscal 1852.
The railroads have been a
leading foe of trucks, and the
reason is obvious-competition
Yet, without trucks, many rail-
road shipments would be impos-
Sible today. since the short-haul
from rail terminal to destination
depends on quick, mobile trans
port. Even airlines are depend
ent on trucks, since the mo-
torized carriers are the only
means of transportation, which
can pick up at almost any point
and deliver anywhere road
leads.
So long as this holds true, the
trucking industry believes, it
will have justified its existence.