MOTOR TRANSPORTATION FOR RURAL DISTRICTS T5 
under conditions which were not all comparable to those in the opera- 
tor’s own territory. Few operators realize that costs are directly 
related to the plan of operation, and the final costs of operating a given 
route will depend almost entirely on the local conditions under which 
the route must be maintained. 
SELECTION OF OPERATING EQUIPMENT. 
The problem of selecting proper operating equipment is one that 
ordinarily is not given the consideration its importance deserves. Too 
few operators have a sufficient knowledge of the mechanical operation 
of motor vehicles, so that many a promising route has proven unprofit- 
able because of improper or insufficient mechanical equipment. In 
making their first purchases, some operators rely exclusively upon the 
statements of sales agents for motor truck companies. Often this 
procedure has proven satisfactory in the long run because as a rule 
the sales agent is anxious to see that his customer is supplied with the 
proper equipment, so that other orders may be expected in the future. 
It will be well, however, for the beginner in this industry to confer 
with owners and operators of motor trucks in his vicinity, who will be 
able to give him unbiased and unprejudiced advice. 
SIZE OF TRUCK. 
The size of the truck to be purchased will, of course, depend very 
largely on the estimated tonnage to be hauled. Not only must the 
operator purchase trucks of sufficient size to care for the business at 
the outset, but he must plan for a normal increase in tonnage, so that 
at a later date he will not find it necessary to purchase other equipment 
more suited to his needs. It must be remembered that there is a very 
definite relationship between the size of the truck and its upkeep 
cost. The cost of operation per mile of a large truck is greater than is 
that of a small truck. If a large truck is purchased and the average 
load carried is well below the rated capacity of the truck, the operator 
will find that his cost per unit of load is high. On the other hand, 
where regular loads are uniformly heavy, the cost per unit of load is 
much less with the larger truck. One five-ton truck will transport 
a five-ton load much more economically than will two trucks of half 
that capacity. In some cases, consideration must be given to the 
character of the load to be hauled. If the load is perishable by nature 
and the truck is not loaded to capacity, the comparatively heavy springs 
of the larger trucks may cause a deterioration of the load. If the load 
promises to vary considerably during different periods of the year, it 
may be advisable to consider the use of a trailer in connection with 
a truck of smaller rated capacity than the maximum load. The trailer 
seems to have been successfully used by a large number of commercial 
operators, but the Bureau of Markets has no data regarding the 
advisability of using trailers when the load is uniformly greater than 
the rated capacity of the truck. 
