ie 
to which truck charges were lower than total costs by rail was increased 
for a number of commodities. 
Addition of cartage costs also increased the amount of tapering off 
of the total costs of shipping by rail, according to distance. That is, 
the degree of increase in rail costs (if cartage costs were included) was 
lessened as the distances to markets increased. The reason was that 
cartage costs were not related to the length of haul, thus generally in- 
creasing the costs of rail shipments on the shorter hauls by larger per- 
centages than the charges for the longer hauls. Consequently, addition of 
cartage costs generally increased the distance at which costs of shipping 
by rail and by truck were on a par. For example, rail charges plus cartage 
costs for tomatoes first dipped below truck charges (but only slightly) 
at Cleveland, a distance of 1,317 miles. Excluding cartage costs, rail 
charges for tomatoes were first lower than truck charges (but here, too, 
only slightly) at New Orleans, 834 miles away. 
TRAFFIC MOVEMENTS 
The statistics of traffic movements used in this study are "unloads" 
of various commodities at leading markets by State of origin. Unloads are 
receipts actually unloaded at markets. Data for fruits and vegetables were 
reported in terms of cars unloaded, with motortruck unloads converted: into 
rail carlot equivalents. The statistics used were collected and compiled 
by the Market News Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Division, AM. 
In 1952, the period covered in this analysis, statistics of rail un- 
-loads were availabke for 100 markets in this country. Truck unloads by 
commodity and origin were available for only 18 of these 100 markets. The 
rate comparisons, where possible, were made for these 18 markets. 
Completeness of Unload Data 
A comment should be made regarding the completeness of the unload 
data. The rail unloads were compiled from daily reports of unloads fur- — 
nished directly by the various railroads, which were very cooperative. As 
a consequence, the rail unloads were essentially complete. 
Substantial quantities of oranges and grapefruit were shipped in 
mixed carloads, especially by rail. Based upon Market News reports, esti- 
mates were made of the volumes of oranges and grapefruit in these mixed 
carloads and truckloads, and these figures have been added to the volumes 
which moved in straight carloads and truckloads. This report’s data on 
other commodities were limited to movement in straight carloads and 
straight truckloads. For these other commodities, mixed carloads and 
truckloads were relatively unimportant. 
The truck unloads analyzed in this survey also were sufficiently 
accurate so that comparisons with railroad unloads are valid. The data on 
volume of long-haul trucking were considered to be reasonably accurate be- 
cause such movement typically consisted of shipments in for-hire trucks to 
organized markets and large receivers. The volume of short-haul traffic 
was probably understated because the Market News Branch found it difficult 
