16 BULLETIN NO. 770, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Road conditions bear a direct relation to the size of truck to be 
selected. Roads having a light surface or country roads having a 
soft surface may not permit the operation of heavy trucks. In some 
states bridges in rural districts have not been designed to care for 
heavy modern traffic, and in these districts it is necessary to use 
lighter vehicles. Some States and some municipalities have placed 
legal restrictions on the weight of rolling vehicles passing over the 
roads. In most cases these restrictions are so worded as practically 
to forbid the use of trucks whose gross tonnage when loaded exceeds a 
certain maximum. In other cases the load which trucks may carry 
depends upon the width of the tire equipment. The prospective 
operator should communicate with the Public Service Commission or 
such other body as may have jurisdiction over the operation of trucks 
in his territory and inform himself in advance as to legal restrictions 
covering the operation of trucks on the highways. 
BODY EQUIPMENT. 
The selection of body equipment must be based primarily upon the 
general character of the loads to be hauled. In rare cases where the 
goods are highly perishable or must be carefully protected from 
weather conditions, it may be necessary to use specially constructed 
bodies. Under ordinary conditions, however, the operator usually has 
his choice of several types, and his selection, as a rule, is based upon 
his requirements and the initial cost of the equipment. 
Body equipment is usually secured from one of three sources. Bodies 
may be built locally, according to the ideas of the operator, and super- 
imposed on the chassis when delivered; or, bodies of regulation design 
may be furnished by the manufacturer of the chassis as regular or 
special equipment. Some concerns specialize in building truck bodies 
according to regular or special designs and will furnish a body of any 
design submitted by the purchaser. 
Certain basic considerations are necessary in the selection of body 
equipment. The prospective operator should have a fairly clear idea 
of the general nature of the commodities which he will be obliged to 
haul. He should estimate the bulk of his load as compared to its 
weight. If any appreciable proportion of the ordinary load is perish- 
able, necessitating special protection from heat, cold, or rain, con- 
sideration should be given to this fact in the selection of a truck body. 
If the average load is to be composed of package freight, the truck 
body will be much different from the one used if regular loads are 
composed of commodities shipped in bulk. 
Of the large number of body types, many are entirely unsuited to 
the needs of the ordinary operator of a rural motor freight route. 
However, attention may be directed to a few of the more common 
types of bodies. While no uniform names have been applied to these 
