consequently, it was difficult to 

 obtain historical data as in the rail- 

 freight and rail-express indexes. 

 Sufficient information was gathered 

 to develop indexes for 15 representa- 

 tive rates on fresh, frozen, and 

 canned fish. 



The motor-carrier index (table 6) 

 includes a separate index for each of 

 15 routes (table 3), and the average 

 for all of them. The base year of 

 1947 was as far back as data were 

 available for this index. The index 

 for 1952 shows an average increase 

 of 35.6 percent over 1947. 



To understand particular aspects 

 of motor-carrier rates recorded in 

 the index, we must classify the 

 types of truckers engaged in public 

 transportation of fishery products. 

 There are first the large common 

 carriers operating fleets of trucks; 

 with good equipment and insur- 

 ance, they dominate the field and 

 their rates are the standard for the 

 industry. Another type of carrier 

 organization results when small 

 truckers combine less-than-truck- 

 load shipments, for economy. Then 

 there are the owner-operator 

 truckers who operate independently. 



These owner-operators carry fresh 

 and frozen fish and other commodi- 

 ties that are exempt from certain 

 provisions of the Interstate Com- 

 merce Act, over various routes as 

 opportunity offers. Many of them 

 haul produce from the South to the 

 North, and return with a load of 

 frozen fish. To obtain return loads, 

 they sometimes cut rates to cover 

 only their fuel costs, rather than go 

 home empt}'^. These rates are not 

 included in this index, but trade 

 sources estimate that regular rates 

 are cut 10 to 50 percent. The rates 



of the larger carriers which are 

 available for use in the index are 

 afl^ected considerably by the rates 

 of the one-truck operators. The 

 unregulated state of fresh and 

 frozen fishery products truck trans- 

 portation has helped keep down the 

 rate levels. 



Protective-service charges 



All shipments of fresh and frozen 

 fishery products require some form 

 of refrigeration. By rail freight, 

 there are additional charges for 

 necessary protective services. Most 

 refrigerated motor carriers do not 

 make any additional charge at the 

 present time. The Interstate Com- 

 merce Commission in December 

 1951 authorized the Railway Ex- 

 press Agency to charge for re-icing 

 shipments of fishery products. Un- 

 less the shipment is marked "Do 

 Not Re-Ice for Account of Shipper," 

 packages will be re-iced when neces- 

 sary and the charge will be 20 cents, 

 25 cents, or 30 cents per zone, 

 depending on the size of the pack- 

 age. 



In the past decade the railroads 

 have been granted three increases 

 in their protective-service charge. 

 This charge is based mainly on the 

 cost of ice and salt placed in car 

 bunkers. Labor costs, switching 

 charges, and other operating ex- 

 penses contribute to the cost of the 

 protective service. Increases in the 

 protective-service charge of the rail- 

 roads since 1940 have been an 

 increase of 15 percent effective 

 January 1, 1947, and a 10-percent 

 interim increase authorized April 

 13, 1948, which was modified to a 

 15-percent increase on July 27, 1948. 



