22 
BULLETIN 931, U. S. DEPAETMEXT OF AGRICULTURE. 
maining life of the truck depends not only upon its present condi- 
tion but also upon the probable work it will do in the future and 
the owner's idea as to when it will be cheaper to discard it and pur- 
chase a new one than to spend more time and money on it for re- 
pairs. There is quite a wide yariation in the individual estimates 
on this item, but the average life as obtained in this manner gives 
the best available basis for figuring depreciation costs. The average 
life of all trucks as figured by this method is 6.5 years. 
The annual depreciation was figured by dividing the first cost by 
the life in years, and depreciation per mile of travel by dividing the 
annual depreciation by the average number of miles traveled per 
year. A comparison of these figures with those for the cost of fuel 
and oil in Table XVIII and for tires in Table XIX shows that for 
each size the depreciation charge is greater than the combined costs 
of fuel, oil. and tires. 
REPAIRS. 
Each truck owner was asked to report the amount he had spent 
for repairs since the purchase of his truck. A summary of the re- 
plies for trucks of different sizes and ages is given in Table X VII. 
Table XVII. — Average repair cost of trucks of different sizes and ages. 
Size of truck. 
Present age (months owned). 
Jandf- 
" ton. 
"*^ 3*£ «<*• 
Average total expense for repairs. 
12 and less 
19 
38 
41 
313 
26 
62 
$11 514 
13 to 24.-- . 
28 
32 
35 
31 
The amounts which the owners of trucks of different sizes had 
spent are as follows : 
One-half ton and three-fourths ton trucks: 
Of 
Of 
Of 
43 men who had used their trucks 12 months or less- 
24 had spent nothing for repairs. 
15 had spent from SI to $37. 
4 had spent from $38 to SSI. 
18 men who had used their trucks 13 to 24 months — 
4 had spent nothing for repairs. 
9 had spent from Si to S3T. 
3 had spent from $38 to $87. 
had spent from $88 to $137. 
2 had spent $138 or more. 
4 men who had used their trucks 25 to 36 months — 
1 had spent nothing for repairs. 
1 had spent from $1 to $37. 
1 had spent from $38 to $87. 
1 had spent from $88 to S137. 
