| Show MOTOR TRUCK TRANSPORTATION COMPANIES NEEDED ALL OVER U S. S TO GUARANTEE DELIVERIES By George A. A Kissel President Kissel Motor Car Co E Editors Editor's s note note noto Is the first of thre s pedal Interviews n with Ith Mr Kissel d dealing with different avenues open to the average average aver aver- age ge cil CRY city to solve c Its haulage and transportation transportation trans trans- problems to Ito relieve relie the rat railroads rail rall- roads oads The second part will appear flex next wee week v The of or goods and nd supplies necessary sary to the life of a community ly cat can boost joost the high cose of or living Just as quick due to scarcity o of oC 1 v as labor abor or materials Ri Right ht now at the beginning of oC summer sum sum- of oC most community Is mer th the cost COt every ever unusually high At first glance blance one would is greater than the say ay y that the demand supply when as a matter of oC fact the goods are manufactured and ready read for lack of transportation trans trans- consumption but owing to a station facilities they cannot be de- de fast enough to those points fromn from n whence hence the demand arises I We Ve all nIl know the railroads have more than they can handle They are falling far lar short of keeping up the normal supply supply sup sup- maintaining an uninterrupted uninterrupted uninterrupted of goods while 11 ply delivery deliver of supplies for the government In addition the they are called upon to rush shipments of or raw materials to manufacturers doing government work worl as well as ns transporting supplies to the workers In the factories MIGHTY TASK r Thus It can bo Le seen that the tine railroads railroads rail rail- roads ile 1 handling a Herculean task r in a manner that speaks s well for Yankee all in ingenuity arc still unable to keep civilian ch channels as full fully supplied as for for- Such a situation will eventually c threaten ten the life of our communities if retail stores not remedied Th Tina Thi stocks In and w wai warehouses chouses nr are arc apt to be bo greatly I cannot reach them depleted if Jf supplies regularly and nd In sufficient quantities I the prices on the I become scarcer kAs As goo tAS In the s same me remaining goods will Increase same p portion as If the goods were ere not being manufactured at all COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION To those communities that have ha not felt celt as yet the inability of oC the railroads I Ito to lo keep keen their merchants supplied with goods but who vho realize that It Is good I judgment to take Immediate s steps to prevent pre pre- vent ent their being placed in such a position position truck offers immediate tion the tire motor I anti dependable relief That the government go realizes the sit situation sit sit- sit sit-I can be seen in fu a good many ways wars The recent appropriation of over for lor more moro good roads will make 1 It easier for communities to help hell themselves The committees on highway and transportation trans trans- the the excellent work of the council council council coun coun- cil of or national defense the defense the inauguration of return roads community bureaus community de delivery deliver de- de livery liver a associations etc are all for the purpose of enabling the country country- to maintain maintain maintain main main- tain Its normal life and work worl and at the same ame time help hell the railroads keep the lines litres of communication open between this country and its allies UNUSUAL CHANCES I doubt If IC business men are arc aware of the unusual opportunity the formation of or a local motor truck transportation company compan affords s the tho object of or which Is to haul produce and materials within a ra radius ra- ra dius of or fifty miles of oC the city or between it and neighboring towns J If there is one thing thins that a community community community must depend on Oil It is the receiving ns and shipping of oC the n necessities of oC life Not all cities are arc manufacturing or 01 producing centers Since Sluice their growth from village to town or city the they have had to de depend depend de- de e- e pend on certain supplies coming from the outside Now low at a time when the l facilities ties tics for bringing ng In supplies are arc threatened to to be curtailed it Jt is Js up to the local l business bustness bust busi ness men commercial club chamber o of commerce and other business or organizations to take immediate steps to provide dependable ble transportation lion THE PROVEN SOLUTION I L It Il has been conclusively cly demonstrated during the past winter that motor trucks I IC C can be used to a decided advantage e in relieving the thc railroads of oC short hauls and It has also been proven that trucks can be kept In operation over long distance hauls as ns witness the routes now In operation operation op op- between Akron Alron and Boston Chicago Chicago Chicago Chi Chi- cago and New York and Boston ami and New NewYork NewYork York and many others I p Over O the these e routes trucks have C been ben kept in continua operation the past win- win winI I I ter which everybody knows has been been In man many manly years one ono of oC the tine most severe se especially In the East llast If this Is 15 possible possible ble hIe I it t surely urel Is feasible ule to l keep 1001 ce motor shorter distances trucks running o over country communities or orto orto orto out of or cities clUeR to to neighboring cities I ties which as 5 a rule are arc usually connected b by fairly good am and unU much traveled roads A NATIONAL ASSET And this brings s me to a subject on which I would T like to touch touch Good good roads roath There Is not the sli slightest doubt that th tho those le e taxpayers vho tho have paid taxes taxes on good roads In their communities have lound that such taxes were well spent pent that thc they have 1 been ln returned to them many man times through the Increase business busi LUSi- LUSine business ne ness ness s- s these good roads ro have created and anda a natural Increase In realty values I That the country countr recognizes the vital vita i necessity of a a. network ot of good roads to toI facilitate the rapid transportation of I goods and supplies is evidenced by tho nati national nal state and county governments Jo ap appropriating during durin- HilS for lor I good roads a sum sun that Is J 52 2 per cent over the expenditure for the same purpose pur pr- pose of an any previous lous year ar and sli slightly I over halt half the amount Secretary has Y set net aside as necessary ary for building I I up the tho American railroad system An interesting sidelight on this contemplated contemplated con con- good roads expenditure is that government officials estimate ke that tilt with Willi good hl highways motor trucks and and motor vehicles are capable of oC carrying approximately approximately I mate per cent more freight ht than the railroads railroad and that the they value our highways s at 6 I It Is estimated that there are arc I miles o of public roads within the United I States yet ct only miles of these I roads are arc highly Improved or hard sur sur- surfaced faced hardly hard hardly one fifteenth of oC the tot total l a fact that should give Ji the vital necessity necessity sit sity of pore more good rO roads national Imor- Imor tance ROAD BUILDING I believe ever every community should form a local committee to Interview ever every property owner urging that lime line and mone money be spent this summer to clean cleanup cleanup cleanup up the roads leading leadin- In and out of or town That it is possible for such organizations organizations to accomplish good work has been proven pro In different parts of oC tho the countr country This work work- depends largely largel upon aped local conditions and to amount to anything the work should hould go beyond merely merel keeping keeping keep keep- if ing the roads filled up b by dragging In fact it should include the minor betterments betterments better better- ments on roads which have not been Im Improved Improved improved Im- Im proved as well as on the improved sec sec- ec- ec lions I understand that on a recent test of or approximately miles of earth road ro which was reasonably well main main- maintained reports show how that in general proportionate proportionate proportionate pro pro- cost ost of oC work ran as s follows follows' Reshaping 1200 l OO per mile Dragging 1600 per mile Miscellaneous repairs 1200 per pH mile When It Is considered that good roads ro faster and will build up a community permanently that the they will increase local business b by fa facilitating c iii ta tin rapid transportation tation the tation-the the above c figures s are ver very modest mod- mod pst est st In hl proportion to the results the they insure Insure in insure In- In sure I believe c that If communities wig wilf start st. this ln- ln movement this summer and fall enroll the local children 3 youth youth men mn hor horses s and trucks in the work worl even on one da day a wee week I. I dividends di will Mill bo returned tenfold I There Is In most every community a group of public spirited citizens who arc are successful business busine s men owning o and operating operating op op- local 1 concerns These men are lue broad minded and broad enough to realize the immense benefit the formation formation formation for for- mation of a local transportation company compan company com com- pany pan means to tho community as a whole and also know lenow what hat a good busness business bus busi nc ness s Investment It would make even with the charges well within the tho means of oC those concerns who could bo Lo counted upon to patronize such a comP company I As for Cor d details of oC forming such a company compan cost of or the trucks their proper propel sic and capacity upkeep etc any of ot the reco truck manufacturers will wll gladly furnish them It is 18 Interesting to note that the tho goI government government gov gov- I is behind this local motor truck transportation movement and it is not at atall atall atall all Improbable that short hauls within a radius of fort forty fifty or even en miles of or certain cities will be embar embargoed oed so soar far ar as railroads are concerned In fact I understand this has been done tIone In certain certain certain tain localities ZONING SYSTEM Dr Garfield United States fuel ad administrator ad- ad 1 has leas already adopted a zoning zoning zon zon- In ing system of oC coal distribution providing that coal producers frs must servo sen coal to the nearest con consumers umers Coal mines In Indiana mUst serve Terre Terro Haute or In Indianapolis In- In Illinois Illinois must most servo ser Peoria and Chicago and so o on I un understand that the producers to relieve relle the railroads d are arc using motor trucks s. s I Suppose that this zoning system Would I be Inc applied to other commodities such as MI clothing shoes groceries produce from the tine farm etc A community that I had an efficient and up-to-date up motor truck truel transportation company compan would hardly notice whether r such goods were received by y railroad or motor motol truck as asfar astar astar tar far as the tine supply I keeping up UI with the lo local local local lo- lo cal demand was concerned That local motor truck transportation companies arc are badly needed Is proven en b by companies no now operating and anti rendering service lc to communities There Is la a motor motor mo mu- tor truck In company an Eastern Eastorn city that han handles les any shipment from one I pound to several thousand nd and guarantees deliver delivery delivery Machinery clothing woolen goods textiles s foodstuffs household household household house house- hold articles building supplies etc otc arc being Leing- transported by Ly this company compan demonstrating dem- dem that once a transportation company compan Is es formed and becomes known manufacturers and concerns of or widely varied business Interests of their own own accord turn to It to help them then make early duly and quick delivery of oC goods and materials that are now either cither tied up In freight terminals or arc aro being held at factories until t tine tho Jo freight situation im Im- proves pro CONGESTION WIDESPREAD Without a doubt the condition of oC the war congested railroads threatens to af affect affect affect af- af cities and towns In ever every part of oC the country countr and It Il Is up lip to every com COlT community to have Its business s men off with motor trucks In the East merchants and manufacturers have hav already changed chan their methods methods methods meth meth- of oC shipping It was natural for Cor them therm to turn to local transportation and transfer transfer transfer trans trans- fer companies and while the rates charged by such companies are arc slightly over that tha t of oC the r rates charged by Ly the railroads s the service ice rendered has more mor than made up for this increase an and it is pr predicted that as motor truck transportation tation becomes better botter established and with more good roads the railroads will willbe willbe willbe be hard put to compote compete with such companies com coin even when the they have rollin rolling stock to carry out such work Even en at this time I understand there thero are quite a few transportation and transfer transfer transfer trans trans- fer companies doing Int Intercity hauling that arc are not only giving highly efficient service but are char charging a a. lower ra rate te than the railroads or the tho trolle trolley cars I have heard o of such a company compan that has more business than it can take carp care of oC and Is making a good profit on Its Invest- Invest This company compan has a contract with one of oC the big bl- express companies for h helping to move the latter's goods foods For this work ork the time transportation company compan Is 13 paid on a contract basis The rate char charged ed is less than the cost b by rail for while the railroad rate from terminal to terminal Is low lower r there Is an art additional additional additional addi addi- cost for pickup changes at both ends thus the total rate rale over that tha t char charged e by the motor trucks This proves that from an upkeep standpoint the motor truck can sCull compete with the railroads and trolle trolley express companies rendering better Letter service and still charging shippers a lower rate NO TERMINAL DELAYS An exclusive advantage of or shipping by motor truck is the lie absence of delay usual with the railroads In unloading goods at terminal points where they have to wait walt their turn for delivery deliver With the motor truck truel they are aro taken en Immediately to their ultimate destination The services o of this transportation company has been so much an Improvement Improvement improvement Improve Improve- ment over o former methods of or shipping that its total business now amounts to tot t tr I nn D 5 IJ I. I j worth of goods per year A TYPICAL EXAMPLE That a city with man many and improved ed railroad and snipping facilities is not congestion proof against con congestion estron was recen recently y proven pro in the East This city had hall always al always always al- al ways been noted for lor its many facilities for handling freight ht but is 15 now In the same class with the most seriously congested congested con con- cities In the countr country In fact the freight con congestion became so bad that the railroads divided the city into zones ruling that freight would only be re received received re- re at certain stations on specified days das Such a radical change swamped the local transportation and transfer companies r resulting In shipments being held up affecting the business of oC mer rn- chants Jobbers eteA etcA etc eta A little later the railroads placed place an embargo on all ferry car shipments withIn with with- |
