UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BULLETIN No. 931 
Contribution from the Bureau of Public Roads, THOS. H. MacDONALD, Chief 
in cooperation with the Office of Farm Management and 
Farm Economics, H. C. TAYLOR, Chief 
Washington, D. C. 
February 25, 1921 
CORN-BELT FARMERS' EXPERIENCE 
WITH MOTOR TRUCKS 
A STUDY OF 831 REPORTS FROM FARMERS 
WHO OWN MOTOR TRUCKS 
By 
H. R. TOLLEY, Agricultural Engineer, and 
L. M. CHURCH, Assistant in Farm Accounting 
CONTENTS 
Page 
Summary . . , . . 1 
Method of Study 3 
Location and Size of Farms 4 
Distance to Market 4 
Size of Trucks 6 
Age of Trucks 6 
Are These Trucks Profitable Investments? 6 
The Best Size 7 
Advantages and Disadvantages 8 
Road Hauling With Trucks 10 
Road Hauling for Which Trucks Are Not 
Used 14 
Hauling on the Farm With Trucks .... 14 
Custom Hauling 16 
Page 
Effect of Different Kinds of Roads on Use 
of Trucks 17 
Change of Market 19 
Annual Use of Trucks 20 
Life and Depreciation of Trucks 21 
Repairs 22 
Gasoline and Oil 24 
Tires. . 24 
Reliability 26 
Cost of Operation 29 
Cost of Hauling With Trucks 30 
Saving of Hired Help 30 
Displacement of Horses ....*.... 31 
Farms on Which Tractors are Owned . . 32 
WASHINGTON 
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
1921 
