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Truck Transportation 



Trucking plays an important role in the movement of food. 

 Two thirds of the livestock, one half of the fruits and vege- 

 tables, and two fifths of the butter, cheese, and dressed poul- 

 try move by trucks. 1 



There has been a downward trend in the total tonnage and 

 the proportion of food moved by trucks. From 1941 to 1942 

 the proportion so moved declined from 60 to 55 per cent. 

 Conversely, the amount and the proportion moved by rail 

 rose. 



There is little question but that the amount and the pro- 

 portion of food moved by trucks will continue to decline, 

 placing an increasing burden on the railroads. This has and 

 will continue to be due to the rising "death-rate" of trucks. 

 During 1940 about 40 to 55 per cent of the farm trucks on 

 Midwestern farms were more than ten years old. The prob- 

 lems of replacements, repair parts, tires, the quantity and 

 quality of gasoline, overloading, incompetent drivers, and 

 unskilled repair men are serious but will not be impressed 

 on folks until the trucks and autos break down like the "one- 

 hoss shay." 



Transportation is so important that someone must survey 

 from time to time the allocation of Detroit's productive plant 

 to jeeps and tanks. Unless the war is of short duration, De- 

 troit will ultimately be producing more trucks for the trans- 

 portation of food and less fighting equipment for the armed 

 forces. Detroit cannot produce both. 



Supplies of Nitrogen Short 



The outlook for fertilizer is hampered by the supply of 

 only one element, nitrogen. Phosphorus and potash are rela- 



1 Webner, W. G.: Estimated Volume of Motor Freight. Bureau of Agri- 

 cultural Economics, United States Department of Agriculture Mimeograph 

 report, July 1943. 



