October 1, 1920.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



eral of the points mentioned, as to Newark, Paterson, New 

 Haven, etc., practically amounts to the conventional and oft- 

 quoted average of a cent a hundredweight a mile, while the 

 rate to Providence is little more than a half this theoretical 



figure. 



MOTOR FREIGHT RATES IN MINNESOTA 



The Rural Motor Truck Terminals, Inc., of Minneapolis, 

 whose motto is "Safe Speed Service with Every Shipment In- 

 sured," operates seventeen lines out of that city and St. Paul in 

 all directions. Its published schedule throws some light on 

 motor freight rates in the Middle West. 



Rural Motor Truck Termi.vals, Inc. 



1 to 501 to Over 



Distance from 500 lbs. 1,500 lbs. 1,501 lbs. 



Minneapolis, I'irst Second Third 



Miles Class Class Class 



1 to 15 $0.34 $0.29 $0.24 



16 to 20 40 .34 .28 



21 to 25 46 .39 .32 



26 to 30 53 .45 .37 



31 to ?5 59 .50 .41 



36 to 40 65 .55 .46 



41 to 45 71 .61 .50 



46 to ."^O 78 .66 .55 



51 to 55 84 .72 .59 



56 to 60 90 .73 .63 



6! to 65 96 .82 .67 



66 to 70 1.03 .88 .72 



71 to 75 1.09 .93 .77 



76 to 80 1.15 .98 .81 



81 to 85 1.21 1.03 .85 



86 to 90 1.28 1.09 .90 



91 to 95 1.34 1.14 .94 



96 to 125 1.40 1.19 .98 



126 to 130 1.45 1.23 1.02 



131 to 135 1.50 1.28 1.05 



136 to 140 1.55 1.32 1.09 



141 to 145; 1.60 1.36 1.12 



146 to 150 1.65 1.4» 1.16 



151 to 171 1.86 1.58 1.30 



It will be noted from these schedules that for first-class ship- 

 ments of 1 to 500 pounds the rate per hundred miles of haul 

 amounts to one and four-tenths of a cent a mile ($0,014), for 

 second-class $0,012, and for third class $0.0098. 



SOME IOWA MOTOR TRUCKPORTATION RATES 



The Interurban Motor Express Company operates a daily 

 service over five routes out of Sioux City, Iowa, to small towns 

 in that state and publishes a schedule of freight rates in four 

 classes in which merchandise is rated according to the Official 

 Western Classification : The figures below represent rates in cents 

 per 100 pounds, for classes 1, 2, 3 and 4: 



From Sioux City to — Miles 12 3 4 



James City 6 30 28 23 20 



Henton 11 30 28 23 20 



Merrill 18 30 28 23 20 



Lemars 25 30 28 23 20 



Lawton II 30 28 23 20 



Moville 17 30 28 23 20 



Kingslcy 27 30 28 23 20 



Bronson 11 30 28 23 20 



Clumbing Hill 15 30 28 23 20 



Holly Springs 16 30 18 23 20 



Horlick 26 30 28 23 20 



Sargent's Bluff 8 30 28 23 20 



Salix 16 30 28 23 20 



Sloan 21 30 28 23 20 



Neptune 20 35 30 28 23 



. O'Leary 24 37 32 29 24 



I have reproduced this schedule as a whole in order to illus- 

 trate the fact that rates of charge by truckportation companies 

 do not always follow the mileage basis. This company makes 

 the same charge for hauling 100 pounds 6 miles to James City 

 as to Kingsley, which is 27 miles away. But for some reason 

 not known, perhaps owing to highway conditions, its charges are 



increased on all classes of goods for hauling the 20 and 24 miles 

 to Neptune and O'Leary. Taking the first-class rate from Sioux 

 City to James City, 6 miles, the rate per 100 pounds per mile is 

 five cents, while the 100-pound mile rate to Kingsley, 27 miles, is 

 1.11 cents. The Iowa company makes special rates on cream, 

 eggs and live stock which I will not quote. Its minimum charge 

 for any shipment is SO cents, which rule is generally adopted by 

 all truckportation companies. 



THE NEBRASKA RAILROAD COMMISSION FIXES MOTOR RATES 



On the other hand, the Nebraska State Railway Commission, 

 the only state that has so far prescribed rates of charge that 

 motor freight companies shall use, has followed strict railroad 

 practice and adhered closely to the graduated mileage basis. Its 

 published schedules cover from one to 150 miles of haul, taking 

 the four classifications into account. Its rate on first-class mat- 

 ter carries an initial charge of 20 cents, plus one and one-half 

 cents a mile for second-class, 85 per cent of the first-class rate. 

 Taking the first-class rate on a 25-mile haul, this amounts to 57J4 

 cents per 100 pounds, or 2.3 cents a mile; for a 100-mile haul, 

 $1.70, or 1.7 cents, and for a 150-mile haul, $2.45, or 1.64 cents 

 a hundredweight a mile. 



TRUCK COMPANIES THE COUNTRY OVER 



It is stated by some authorities that there are 600 different 

 truckportation companies now in operation as common carriers. 

 It is impossible, however, to accurately estimate their number. 

 Statistics of this kind are difficult to obtain and the business is 

 growing so rapidly that they would be worthless in a short time 

 if available. We do know, however, that there were 316,364 

 commercial trucks manufactured in the United States in 1919, 

 as against 25,375 in 1914 and that there were 750,000 such 

 vehicles registered in this country last year. There are twenty 

 dififerent motor freight lines running out of Baltimore and 

 Washington to nearby and distant Maryland towns covering 500 

 miles of highways and making a daily average of 1,500 miles. 

 California is said to have 150 separate lines. There are no less 

 than 138 trucking companies doing business in and around New 

 York, if the advertisements in the motor magazines may be 

 credited. In ten months, motor trucks carried from Council 

 Bluffs to Omaha 18,498 head of cattle, 158,019 hogs and 37,130 

 sheep. In Cincinnati, much the same thing is happening. A line 

 from Adrian to Detroit carries everything from butter to buttons 

 and from castings to calves. There are lines all over Ohio, 

 Missouri and Kansas. A trucking company that operates from 

 Deadwood, South Dakota to Sundance, Wyoming, 45 miles, 

 makes delivery of goods in six hours, where it is claimed the 

 railroads take four or five days. From Chattanooga, Tennessee, 

 to Atlanta, Georgia, is a long haul, but the motor truck is doing 

 it regularly, serving the farming communities on the way. 



Perhaps the best-known people in long-distance trucking is 

 The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Akron, Ohio. This company 

 has five trucks that operate between Akron and Boston. The 

 distance is figured at 1,500 miles and the round trip is made in 

 five and a half days. It also operates six 3^^ to 5-ton trucks be- 

 tween Akron and Cleveland. The Goodyear company, however, 

 does not operate as a common carrier but confines itself to trans- 

 porting its own finished products to the Eastern markets, re- 

 turning with raw materials and supplies. 



LOOKING AHEAD 



What is the future of truckportation? It is more than evident 

 that, as an adjunct and feeder to the railroad, it has a distinct 

 field of operation. In paralleling a railroad for short hauls it 

 can, no doubt, successfully compete with it even at much highsr 

 rates of charge because its service is so markedly superior. 

 What will happen at some future time when the railroads have 

 emerged from the difficulties and embarrassments that have io 



