Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 58, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 October 1918 — RETURN LOAD BUREAUS OF GREAT ASSISTANCE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

RETURN LOAD BUREAUS OF GREAT ASSISTANCE

Many Communities Adopting New Way of Transportation as War Measure. The Chamber of Commerce of the United States, which includes the live commercial organizations of practically every city of importance in the country, has issued to its members the following bulletin on Motor Truck Transportation, specifically dealing with a Return Load Bureau: The motor truck is a part of the transportation equipment in every community. Its use more nearly to capacity will help solve local problems. " More complete use means loads both ways. A motor truck usually carries a good load to its destination, whether the destination is in the same community or <in another city. Too often, however, the truck makes the return trip with no load. Every time this occurs there is waste of at least half the capacity of a truck to do work in transportation.

Of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, who is putting into execution the most effective plans for making the Return Load Bureau of greatest usefulness.

Owners of trucks do not wish half the earning power of their vehicles to j be lost. Manufacturers and mer- j chants with goods piled up and await-| ing shipment do not like to see empty trucks pass their doors. Both need a local clearing house for information about the trucks that are available, and the shipments that are ready—l. e., to bring together loads and empty trucks. Such a clearing house the local commercial organization can easily pro- i vide. It will not ordinarily entail any I special expense. It will promote co- ■ operation in the community. It will [ render a very real service for which., business men will be thoroughly grateful. Retnrn Load Bureau is a convenient name for a clearing house. The Bureau should ascertain the established lines of trucks that run regularly on fixed routes and the part of their capacity that is not being utilized. It should then obtain infor-! mation from all owners of trucks used for private hauling, getting statements 1 about the capacity of each truck, how far its capacity is used, between what i points the capacity is unused, if the unused capacity cap be made available for other persons at a reasonable price, etc. Besides gathering this information the bureau can make known to everyone that whenever a truck is to make a trip without a load the i bureau will respond to a telephone in-' quiry by endeavoring to give the name , of a person who wants to send a load over the route in question. Efforts can be made also to have drivers who,

bring loads by truck from other points to the Bureau in order to get return loads. At the same time the bureau can enlist the co-operation of business men who may have shipments to make. In order that any driver or other person from out of town may quickly ascertain if there is a return load for him, each bureau should be specially listed in the telephone directory. With incidental questions the Bureau will not usually need to deal. For example, it can leave the compensation that is to be paid to negotiation between the parties. In England Return-Load Bureau* have proved of great assistance. They have been most developed in the United States by commercial organizations in Connecticut. Experience has demonstrated that the assistance they can render is very real and important, and that they can be organized advantageously in many communities where they have not as yet been tried. ....

GEORGE S. WINDERS.