A Study of the Economical Loading and Operation of Motor Trucks 360098
MANY organizations and individuals have been trying to get a simple formula for measuring the economy of motor trucking from a load-carrying standpoint; that is to say, is it more economical to buy a low-priced truck, load it to the limit for a few thousand miles, discard it and buy a new one, instead of buying a higher-priced truck, and run it three or four times farther, even up to the point of obsolescence, before buying a new one?
To make an intelligent analysis, it is well to consider first the type of truck that should be used to do the work required in the most efficient manner and then compare it with a vehicle that will do the work after a fashion. In making a study of this subject, we often find that all the factors have not been taken into consideration.
When actual operating records are compared in the same organization, doing the same kind of work, the results are most interesting. And it is easy to see that it is poor economy to buy a motor truck and operate it out of its class by overloading, not only from an economic standpoint, but also from a safety and highway-hazard standpoint. Failure on the highway, loss of time, delay in delivery, and the like, are all factors that should be considered.
