8 BULLETIN NO. 770, U. S. DEPARTMENT. OF AGRICULTURE 
truck. Freight and express schedules in some districts have been 
unsatisfactory to the shippers and by offering a more prompt and 
speedy service, operators have often secured for themselves a very 
satisfactory tonnage that ordinarily would move by rail. 
Good roads are a prerequisite to successful motor truck operation. It 
is believed that few motor truck operators realize the increased ex- 
pense which results from travel on poor roads. The prospective 
operator who plans to move his truck along roads which are virtually 
impassable or at any rate unsatisfactory, will find that his daily operat- 
ing costs are far in excess of normal costs of operation, and this one 
fact alone will seriously affect his profits. A careful road survey will 
be made in advance by the businesslike operator. 
Enough has been said in the preceding paragraphs to indicate the 
general scope of the preliminary canvass which every prospective 
motor truck operator should make. The Bureau of Markets has made 
a fairly complete study of a large number of typical rural routes and 
has assisted in the establishment of several such routes. The points 
considered by investigators of this Bureau in making a preliminary 
canvass of the field of operation may be helpful to operators who 
contemplate such a study in their own territory. The following out- 
line was placed in the hands of each investigator, and the final report 
on the feasibility of establishing motor service in any district covered 
complete reports on each of the items in this outline. 
Roaps. 
Character of surface. 
Grades. (As affecting motor hauling.) 
LocaTION AND LENGTH oF PROPOSED ROUTES. 
Terminals. 
Towns to be covered. (Distance apart, size, etc.) 
Total distance covered. 
Logical location for route headquarters. 
PRINCIPAL COMMODITIES TO BE CARRIED EACH Way. 
Nature of agriculture along route. 
Commodities to be hauled each way in summer. In winter. 
AMOUNT oF BusINEsSs WHICH WOULD BE PLEDGED. 
What business would be pledged in summer? In winter? 
Estimated quantity of business by months. 
Of what would return load consist? 
Who would furnish bulk of business—farmers or country merchants? 
Do prospective patrons seem inclined to pledge business? 
Service Now GivEN By OTHER CARRIERS. 
What other carriers serve the territory? 
The maximum, minimum and average farm haul to loading stations. 
Schedule maintained by present carriers. 
How do present delivery arrangements compare with proposed arrange- 
ments if a motor route should be established? 
Rates charged at present. (Freight and express.) 
