Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 96, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 March 1918 — TRUCK ROUTES ESTABLISHED [ARTICLE]

TRUCK ROUTES ESTABLISHED

Motor Cars Will Carry Freight to Many Indiana Cities. Indianapolis, February 28. —Motor trucks to ply over twenty routes, carrying goods from wholesalers to retailers in seventeen terminal cities within a radius of fifty miles of Indianapolis, will be placed in operation on April 15, according to plans of the Inter-communities Transfers Terminal company, which was incorporated late Monday with a capltal stock of $50,000. The directors are E. E. Kelsey, J. T. Elliott, O. BL Ent, J. G. Marshall and H. J. lAlsop, all of Indianapolis. Mr. Kelsey said the terminal cities !on the routes radiating from Indianapolis are Cambridge City, Rudhville (two routes), Greensburg, Columbus, Nashville, Bloomington, Gosport, Brazil, Greencastle, Bainbridge, Crawfordsville (two routes), Frankfort, Tipton (two routes), Elwood, Kokomo, Anderson and Newcastle. It is planned to have the trucks come to Indianapolis in the forenoons and make deliveries in the terminal cities in the afternoons. In this manner orders given the operators in the forenoon or telephoned in to Indianapolis will be delivered in the afternoon. The trucks will be owned and operated by men living in the terminal cities. They will remain in terminal cities over night. Mr. Kelsey said that the automobile truck routes will sfirve 950 groceries, 325 confectioners and an equal number of retail meat markets. Only goods from wholesalers to retailers will be handled and the cash and carry plan will be followed. Wholesalers will receive the cash for their goods from the truck owners, who will collect from the retailers on delivery. This, Mr. Kelsey points out, will be in line with the company’s plan to eliminate unnecessary handling of goods and of bookkeeping. Ten men were sent to Chicago today to drive the first ten trucks overland to Indianapolis. All will be of a standard one-and-one-half-ton capacity. Twenty-four trucks have been ordered and delivery of the other trucks will be made later. It is planned to place twenty in operation and a few auxiliary trucks will be kept at Indianapolis to insure maintenance of schedule, should a truck in a terminal be out of commission.