30 



BULLETIN 931, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



COST OF HAULING WITH TRUCKS. 



The cost of hauling with a motor truck is determined by the cost 

 of operating the truck, the charge for the driver's time and labor, the 

 size of load hauled, and the percentage of time the truck runs with- 

 out a load. In Table XXIII are given the cost per mile of haul and 

 the cost per ton-mile of hauling crops with trucks of different sizes. 

 The cost of operating the truck is taken directly from the preceding 

 table. The charge for the driver is obtained by allowing a rate of 

 50 cents per hour for his time while driving and while loading and 

 unloading the truck. The average time required for hauling differ- 

 ent materials as given in Tables V to VIII is 0.12 hour per mile -of 

 travel for each size of truck. 



It is stated on page 13 that these men have return loads for their 

 trucks about 34 per cent of the time ; that is, each truck hauls loads 

 both waj^s on 34 out of every 100 round trips it makes from and 

 to the farm, and runs without a load 66 one-way trips. The cost of 

 operating the truck and the value of the driver's time for these 66 

 trips with no load must be charged to the 134 trips with loads, in 

 order to obtain the actual cost per mile of haul. Every 134 miles of 

 haul, then, must bear the expense of 200 miles of travel, or every 67 

 miles of haul must bear the expense of 100 miles of travel. The cost 

 per mile of haul as given in the table is obtained by multiplying the 

 total cost per mile traveled by 100 and dividing the product by 67. 



The cost per ton-mile hauled is determined by dividing the cost 

 per mile hauled by the weight of the load in tons. As shown in 

 Table V the average weight of the load of crops hauled with the 

 J -ton and f-ton trucks is 1.326 tons; for 1-ton trucks the average 

 load is 1.313 tons; for 1^-ton trucks and l£-ton trucks 1.745 tons; 

 and for 2-ton trucks 2.204 tons. The costs per mile of haul for the 

 trucks of different sizes divided by these figures give the costs per 

 ton-mile. 



Tabioe XXIII. — Cost of ha/uli/ng crops with trucks of different sizes. 



Size of truck. 



A-ton 

 and 

 2-ton. 



1-ton. 



11-ton 



and 



lj-ton. 



2-ton. 





$0. 152 

 .060 



$0. 152 

 .060 



$0. 213 

 .060 



$0,258 





.060 







Total 



.212 



.212 



.273 



.318 









.316 

 .240 



.316 

 .241 



.407 

 .233 



.475 





.215 







SAVING OF HIRED HELP. 



The saving of time is given by these men as the greatest advantage 

 in the use of a motor truck ; but the saving of time will not be of any 

 financial benefit to a farmer unless he uses the time thus saved on 



