MILK CARTAGE 11 



In a study of collection routes in Maine, ^ it was found that size of load was 

 definitely associated with the distance traveled by the truck. This relationship 

 exists in this section of the Springfield shed, particularly as between collection 

 mileage'' and volume rather than total mileage and volume. 



Just as there is a positive relationship between distance and volume, so is there 

 a positive relationship between density^ of milk traffic and size of load. No 

 route in the section had the desirable combination of both of these factors. The 

 routes having a high density of traffic were low on collection miles. The relation- 

 ships are shown in Table 4. 



Table 4. — Efficiency of Milk Cartage as Determined by Relationship of 



Selected Physical Factors 



May and December 1935 



The relationship between collection mileage and total mileage deserves con- 

 sideration. A high percentage of collection miles to total miles traveled means 

 little unless the density of traffic (pounds per collection mile) is heavy. Truck 

 travel in non-pick-up territory may of itself produce no income, but it may be 

 supplementary to collection operations in a heavy producing area. From the 

 viewpoint of the individual route operator a certain amount of deadheading^ 

 may be preferable to an increase in collection mileage if such increase is in low- 

 producing territory. 



It would seem to be in the interest of the industry to reduce deadheading to a 

 minimum. If the industry accepts the principle that all milk in the section 

 should move to market, there is little to justify certain routes taking only that 

 part of the section having low volume per mile traveled. That service so provided 

 increases the cost of the product laid down at the distributors' plants hardly needs 

 emphasizing. Routes organized to collect milk with the minimum of deadheading 

 could not expect the density of traffic now enjoyed by the best routes in the 

 section, but they would develop a volume substantially heavier than the bulk 

 of those now operating. 



The influence of traffic density is shown by the cumulative loading charts in 

 Figure 4. Charts A, E, and F show the volume of milk on selected routes for 

 January 1935 and include the one with the heaviest load, the one with the highest 



^Dow, G. F. Costs and return? in operating milk and cream collection routes in Maine. Maine 

 Agr. Expt. Sta. Bui. 374, 1934. 



'Distance between first pick-up and last pick-up. 



^Pounds of milk per collection mile. 



'Truck travel in non-pick-up territory, i.e. from plant to first farm and last farm to plant. 



