Title: The Rural Motor Express
Author: United States. Council of National Defense. Highway Transport Committee
Language: English
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[Transcriber's Note: One obvious typographical error ("poulation" for
"population") was corrected, but the remainder of the text was left as
originally printed.]



BULLETIN NO. 2

MAY, 1918



THE RURAL MOTOR EXPRESS

TO CONSERVE FOODSTUFFS AND LABOR AND
TO SUPPLY RURAL TRANSPORTATION



HIGHWAYS TRANSPORT COMMITTEE
COUNCIL OF NATIONAL DEFENSE

WASHINGTON, D. C.



[Illustration]



RESOLUTION PASSED BY THE COUNCIL OF NATIONAL DEFENSE.

    "_The Council of National Defense approves the widest
    possible use of the motor truck as a transportation agency,
    and requests the State Councils of Defense and other State
    authorities to take all necessary steps to facilitate such
    means of transportation, removing any regulations that tend
    to restrict and discourage such use._"



WASHINGTON
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
1918

       *       *       *       *       *



COUNCIL OF NATIONAL DEFENSE.

HIGHWAYS TRANSPORT COMMITTEE.

WASHINGTON, D. C.

THE RURAL MOTOR EXPRESS.


The transportation burden on the railroads and highways of the country
has been tremendously increased by the war. There is a larger load to be
carried, of manufactured goods, raw materials, and foodstuffs. Not only
has production of manufactures, raw materials, and farm products
increased, but it is now necessary to transport a much larger proportion
of these goods over long distances.

The burden is further increased by the fact that we have removed across
the sea, 3,000 miles away, a considerable part of our population, which
must be provisioned and maintained. These men were in our Army camps
last winter. This year there are other men in these camps, and we must
handle goods and foodstuffs not only to these 30 new cities but to a
great population 3,000 miles away.

It is absolutely necessary to utilize our facilities to the maximum and
to extend the use of the highways by the more efficient use of motor
vehicles which can operate independent of fixed lines or terminals where
congestion of traffic is likely to occur. The motor truck can help the
railroad by reducing the short-haul load, and also act as a feeder line
in sections far removed from market.

Added to the increased loads of goods to be transported is the fact that
man power must be conserved. Heretofore the farmer has done his own
hauling to market, but adoption of the rural motor express will enable
him to delegate his hauling and to devote his own time to farm
operations. An enormous waste of time and labor of both men and teams
can be prevented by consolidating the small loads from a number of farms
into a single load to be carried by a motor truck.

In many localities local food supplies are in need of development. A
better use must be made of agricultural lands in the immediate vicinity
of population centers. It improves the business of the local community
and adds to the total food supply of the country. The improvement of
marketing facilities through the opening of regular daily traffic to
market centers and shipping points is a most effective agency in
encouraging food production.

We have, therefore, three outstanding facts that demand especial
attention be given to the increased use of the highways for rural
transportation:

     1. The increased volume of foodstuffs to be hauled.

     2. The need for more labor on farms.

     3. The need to encourage local food production.


=The Purpose of Rural Motor Express.=

The motor truck has demonstrated its adaptability to the hauling of farm
products. It is dependable wherever the roads are capable of carrying
its load. The use of the motor truck for farm transport is growing
rapidly and in the vicinity of many cities regular routes are now
maintained. The purpose of the organization of rural express on a
national scale is to bring to agricultural communities throughout the
country an understanding of the greater benefits to be derived from
regular daily service over the main highways from farm to city and from
city to farm.

By "Rural Motor Express" is meant the use of the motor truck in regular
daily service, over a fixed route, with a definite schedule of stops and
charges, gathering farm produce, milk, live stock, eggs, etc., and
delivering them to the city dealer and on the return trip carrying
merchandise, machinery, supplies, etc., for farmers and others along the
route. This service amounts to a collection and delivery that comes to
the farmer's door with the same regularity that the trolley car passes
over its tracks.


=The Plan of Organization.=

The Council of National Defense adopted the following resolution on
March 14, 1918:

     The Council of National Defense approves the widest possible use of
     the motor truck as a transportation agency, and requests the State
     Council of Defense and other State authorities to take all
     necessary steps to facilitate such means of transportation,
     removing any regulations that tend to restrict and discourage such
     use.

The highways transport committee of the Council of National Defense is
charged to carry out the purpose of this resolution. The several State
councils of defense have been asked to appoint highways transport
committees, or to delegate the organization of rural express to some
committee which will have charge of the development of the work within
the State. These State committees will in turn further the work through
local organizations.


=Indorsements of Rural Express.=

The Council of National Defense approved the widest possible use of the
motor truck in its resolution of March 14, 1918.

The Post Office Department has demonstrated the value of motor-truck
transportation through experimental lines of parcel-post trucks now in
operation in several of the Eastern States.


=The Need.=

The United States Food Administration has approved the plan in the
following statement by the Food Administrator:

     The development of the rural motor express idea, in my opinion, is
     in the line of progress and should redound to the benefit of the
     producer, the consumer, and the railroads. This means of
     transportation should facilitate delivery, conserve labor, conserve
     foodstuffs, and should effect delivery of food in better condition.

The United States Department of Agriculture through its bureau of
markets has inaugurated an investigation of the efficiency of
motor-truck transportation in the marketing of farm produce.

The United States Department of Labor through its employment service
urges the adoption of motor-truck transportation facilities in order to
conserve the time of men in farming neighborhoods during the period of
planting, cultivation, and harvest, so as to relieve the farm labor
shortage.

The preliminary surveys by the highways transport committee in sections
of Maryland and Virginia have shown that farmers and merchants
enthusiastically indorse the plan and wherever rural motor express lines
have been properly developed they have received the support of the
communities which they serve.


=Present Development of Rural Express.=

The rural express is in successful operation in the vicinity of many of
the larger cities. The development of this system of transportation has
been particularly rapid in Maryland and a survey of existing routes in
this State has been made by the highways transport committee and shows
the general possibilities of the idea.

A detailed survey was made of 22 routes, leading from agricultural
sections into Baltimore, Md., and Washington, D. C. On these routes 30
trucks were found in operation; the total capacity of these trucks was
73 tons; the mileage traversed daily was 1,574 miles; the average length
of the routes was about 50 miles for the round trip. Most of these
routes are operated by truck owners living at the outer terminal, making
daily round trips into the marketing center. Many of these routes are
operated by farmers who first learned the advantages of motor-truck
transportation by using trucks for their individual needs.

These lines have been developed on a sane, practical basis without any
special promotion or encouragement from any state or national
organization. The trucks start at a small town, gather the produce of
farmers and merchants along the road to the city, deliver it at the
market, secure a return load from city merchants, including orders by
farmers, and return to the country terminal, delivering the orders along
the route. These lines have developed chiefly on the roads of the state
road system where the condition of the roads facilitate the use of
trucks. Many farmers living short distances away from the rural express
route bring their milk and produce to a point on this route with
horse-drawn buggies and wagons and these constitute feeders to the
lines.

A preliminary survey for the State of California has been made, showing
an extensive use of motor trucks for passenger, freight, and express
hauling throughout that state. Over 136 separate lines were found; some
traversing routes as long as 125 miles on daily trips. Large quantities
of farm produce are handled, and charges are made according to published
rates. The excellent highways of California made it possible for these
lines to develop rapidly.

The detailed survey among patrons of a number of these routes discovers
the fact that there are three great economic advantages in this method
of transportation:

     1. Food production is stimulated since the regular outlet to market
     encourages many farmers to expand production which they would not
     be justified in doing if they were obliged to transport their own
     produce to market.

     2. Shortage of labor is greatly offset from the fact that the
     system leaves the farmer on the farm and his time is not consumed
     in trips to market.

     3. There is immediate improvement in the efficiency of the farm
     since supplies, machinery, and repairs can be secured promptly from
     city distributers of fertilizers and farm machinery.

From the national standpoint these routes aid in several ways:

     1. They relieve the railroads of local freight which permits
     car-load lot of materials and foodstuffs from distant points to
     enter the terminals.

     2. They help to avoid the necessity for local freight embargoes.

The need for the system of carrying goods to market without requiring
men and teams is generally recognized by farmers and where production of
the individual farmer has justified the purchase of a motor truck, the
adoption has been very rapid during the past few years. On many farms,
however, the quantity of production is not sufficient to justify the
investment in a truck by the individual farmer if he must maintain his
teams for farm power. The use of the rural express with its greater
speed enables the farmer to operate the same or an increased acreage
with fewer horses, making more land available for food production which
was previously needed to grow grain and hay for teams. In many
instances, the introduction of rural express has enabled farmers to
engage in the production of milk which requires daily marketing.

The rural express greatly aids the country merchants in carrying more
complete stocks of goods; in filling special orders promptly, and in
avoiding temporary shortage of staples due to delayed shipments or
embargoes on the railroad. In many instances the country merchants have
reported that their business has been greatly improved because of the
daily delivery service from wholesale centers.


=Expansion to a National System.=

The success of existing lines of rural express is convincing evidence
that the expansion of the system is an immediate necessity, both for its
value in meeting the present emergency and as a means of permanently
improving rural transportation. What has already developed becomes an
integral part of our national transportation system.

The present strain on our transportation facilities has emphasized our
need for improved means of internal communication not only between
cities, but also reaching out into every agricultural community.

The rural motor express is not, however, a development to meet an
emergency only, but rather an expansion of transportation facilities to
meet the growing demands, to bring the consumer in closer touch with the
producer; to relieve the producer of the burden of marketing his produce
and permit him to remain on the land where his labor is of highest value
to the community.


=The Organization of New Routes.=

The state highways transport committees are organizing local committees
in all communities where there appears to be the need for improved rural
transportation. The local committee first secures co-operation of the
local press and leading organizations interested in transportation and
food supplies. Among the various groups who might be interested are the
following: Chambers of commerce, boards of trade, merchants'
associations, local food administrators, farmers' clubs, county
agricultural agents, dealers in farm implements, feed, fertilizers,
grain, and other farm produce.

Meetings of the representatives of these organizations are held to
explain the plan of rural express and to make general survey of local
needs. Among the facts that are brought out at such meetings are the
following:

     1. Experience of existing motor-truck lines in the locality.

     2. Instances of localities now lacking such facilities.

     3. Conditions of highways in such localities.

     4. Labor shortage among farmers.

     5. Transportation facilities of country merchants from wholesale
     centers.

After a general survey of the country or district has been made the
local committee conducts an intensive survey by means of mailed
questionnaires or personal visits among farms and merchants along route
of prospective lines. Lists of names of farmers and merchants are
secured through county agricultural agents or their local organizations.

When the desirability of establishing a new route for a certain section
has been determined the committee proceeds to consult owners of trucks,
farmers, and other private owners to locate a man to establish the
route. Questions of scale of charges, the schedule of the trips,
character of produce to be carried, etc., are worked out by the
committee on the basis of experience of existing lines in the same
community, or other lines which have been surveyed by the state
committee.

Detailed suggestions on conducting these local surveys, methods of
making surveys through questionnaires, questions concerning roads,
charges, etc., will be furnished by the highways transport committee of
the Council of National Defense through the state committees. The plan
of organization is to adapt the service as perfectly as possible to
local requirements, utilizing at the same time the experience of
communities throughout the country as gathered by state and national
committees.





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