26 BULLETIN NO. 770, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
THE RETURN OR SUPPLEMENTARY LOAD. 
The success or failure of many routes has depended largely on the 
ability of the truck owner to operate his truck at all times with loads of 
sufficient capacity to return at least a moderate profit. Too many 
routes have been started where a good one-way business was secured 
and the operator felt justified in returning with empty trucks. It is 
unsafe to generalize, but it may be definitely stated at this point that 
practically no route has ever been successful which has depended for 
its existence on a one-way load. Where truck operators have been 
farsighted enough to provide for even a partial load on the return 
trip, the business has offered a fair promise for success. Many of the 
more successful rural motor routes now in existence have achieved 
their success because of the fact that before operations commenced, the 
return load was arranged for. Those who contemplate embarking in 
the rural hauling business, would do well to look into the possibilities 
of securing contracts for supplementary or return loads, even though 
such contracts promise to pay little more than the cost of operating the 
truck. Most rural operators return from the city bringing back loads 
of general merchandise for country stores or supplies for farmers 
along the way. Where the operator makes it plain in advance that 
he proposes to cater to the merchant or farmer who makes his pur- 
chases in the city, he finds himself supported by a more or less perma- 
nent class of business which, while possibly not showing a very high 
net profit, makes it possible for him to handle his other business on a 
closer margin and with greater net profit to himself. 
In many districts there are certain periods during which there is 
a heavy local demand for transportation facilities. Truck owners have 
taken advantage of this condition in many districts and have greatly 
improved the financial condition of their business. Special contracts 
for hauling outside of schedule hours are often exceedingly profitable 
and sometimes make it possible for the regular route to be operated 
regularly. | 
In general, it may be said that too few operators realize the im- 
portance of utilizing their trucks to full capacity at all times, ard 
many failures can be traced to the fact that operators have tried to 
secure all of their profits from a one-way business. 
THE CENTRAL TERMINAL. 
A noticeable feature of the operation of rural motor routes into and 
out of various cities, which came under the observation of investiga- 
tors of the Bureau of Markets, was the lack of central receiving or 
distributing stations. In each city the operators maintained their 
own individual stations and each carried on his business independent 
of the business of others. 
