SHIPPING MASSACHUSETTS APPLES 13 



checked. The principal source of variation is "errors in commission", that is im- 

 proper allocation of charges by the sales agent. It should be apparent that simi- 

 lar shipments made under similar conditions to the same destination should move 

 at the same charge. If one sales report lists each charge by items and the second 

 report groups several items under "freight" or "terminal freight" it is natural that 

 the grower should wonder why his shipping charges vary. 



Opportunity for dissatisfaction is also afforded by the form in which the sales 

 agent makes his report. On it are listed the payments made to various agencies 

 with no accompanying vouchers. The result of this practice is to stimulate the 

 grower's distrust of carriers and sales agents. 



Comparison of Truck and Rail Rales 



The only data collected on which to base a fair comparison between truck and 

 rail rates were on shipments to the New York market. In order to get the actual 

 trucking rate paid, the data were obtained from the growers. No attempt was 

 made to secure rates from trucking companies against which to check the charges 

 secured from growers. It is conceded that truck operators quote charges to fit 

 the situation, hence any figures given by them would be of little value in this study. 



Certain differences in practice must be recognized before a reasonably sound 

 comparison between charges assessed by railroads and by trucks can be made. 



First, the unit on which the charge is based. Railroads quote rates in cents per 

 hundred pounds: - viz., Amherst, Mass., to Barclay Street, New York City, 26 

 cents per hundred pounds.^ Truck operators quote rates in cents per box or 

 package : - viz., Amherst, Mass., to New York, 15 cents per box. A box of apples, 

 however, weighs approximately 45 pounds.^ Two and a fifth boxes weigh 

 100 pounds; in other words the truck operator's rate from Amherst to New York 

 is ii cents per hundred pounds. The last column of Table 5 shows the converted 

 truck rate per hundredweight. 



This railroad rate is effective only when apples are shipped in car lots with a 

 minimum weight of 24,000 pounds, or about 540 bo.xes. The railroad rate on less 

 than carloads is approximately twice the carload rate; for example, from Amherst 

 to Barclay Street, it is 52 cents per hundred pounds. The rate per box by truck 

 ordinarily does not vary with the size of the load, unless the load consists of only 

 a few packages. 



Another difference which must be considered pertains to the application of the 

 rates. Rail rates apply from definite points in Massachusetts to definite destina- 

 tions in New York City. The groupings of towns which the railroads use in es- 

 tablishing rates are few. For the most part rail rates are established on a point to 

 point basis. On the contrary, truck operators evidently had but one group of 

 towns from which to develop rates in 1931 and but two groups for 1932. It would 

 seem that the boundaries of the groups vary to meet the situation. 



The computed savings per car (derived from Table 6) on shipments by rail are 

 net. Barclay Street deliveries are given overnight service. Apples can be shipped 

 in ventilator cars without ice provided they are not out of storage. Except in 

 particularly inclement weather even apples out of storage may be loaded in ven- 

 tilator cars and arrive in good condition. There is then no bunker or icing charge. 



^Boston and Maine origin. 



'Corbett, R. B. and Christopher, E. P., "A Study of Apple Containers." R. I. Agr. Expt. 

 Sta. Bui. 227, 1931. 



