UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 BULLETIN No. 931 



Contribution from the Bureau of Public Roads, THOS. H. MacDONALD, Chief 



in cooperation with the Office of Farm Management and 



Farm Economics, H. C. TAYLOR, Chief 



Washington, D. C. 



February 25, 1921 



CORN-BELT FARMERS' EXPERIENCE 

 WITH MOTOR TRUCKS 



A STUDY OF 831 REPORTS FROM FARMERS 

 WHO OWN MOTOR TRUCKS 



By 



H. R. TOLLEY, Agricultural Engineer, and 

 L. M. CHURCH, Assistant in Farm Accounting 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Summary 1 



Method of Study .' 3 



Location and Size of Farms 4 



Distance to Market 4 



Size of Trucks 6 



Age of Trucks 6 



Are These Trucks Profitable Investments? 6 



The Best Size 7 



Advantages and Disadvantages 8 



Road Hauling With Trucks 10 



Road Hauling for Which Trucks Are Not 



Used 14 



Hauling on the Farm With Trucks .... 14 



Custom Hauling 16 



Effect of Different Kinds of Roads on Use 



of Trucks 17 



Change of Market 19 



Annual Use of Truck/ 20 



Life and~"Depreciation of Trucks 21 



Repairs 22 



Gasoline and Oil 24 



Tires 24 



Reliability 26 



Cost of Operation 29 



Cost of Hauling With Trucks 30 



Saving of Hired Help .• • • • 30 



Displacement of Horses . . . . ' .... 31 



Farms on Which Tractors are Owned . . 32 



WASHINGTON 



GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 



1921 



