UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 BULLETIN No. 910 



Contribution from the Office of Farm Management and Farm Economics 

 H. C. TAiXOR, Chief 



Washington, D. C. 



December 10, 1920 



EXPERIENCE OF EASTERN FARMERS 

 WITH MOTOR TRUCKS 



AN ANALYSIS OF 753 REPORTS FROM 

 FARMER TRUCK-OWNERS 



By 



H. R. TOLLEY, Scientific Assistant, and L. M. CHURCH, 



Assistant in Farm Accounting 



CONTENTS 



Summary 1 



Method of Study 3 



Location of Farms and Types of Farming 3 



Distance to Market . , 4 



Size of Truck 6 



Age of Trucks 7 



Are These Trucks Profitable Invest- 

 ments? 7 



The Best Size 7 



Advantages and Disadvantages ... 9 



Road Hauling with Trucks ..... 10 

 Road Hauling for Which Trucks are Not 



Used 13 



Hauling on the Farm with Trucks ... 15 



Custom Hauling • . 17 



Effect of Different Kinds of Roads on 



Use of Trucks 17 



Change of Market 19 



Annual Use of Trucks 21 



Life and Depreciation of Trucks . . . 23 



Repairs 24 



Gasoline and Oil ....".... 26 



Tires 27 



Reliability 29 



Cost of Operation 32 



Cost of Hauling with Trucks .... 33 



Saving of Hired Help 34 



Displacement of Horses 35 



Farms on Which Tractors are Owned . . 36 



WASHINGTON 



GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 



1920 



