Road Transport's Vital Function
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THE President of the American Trucking Associations, speaking in January at a meeting of vehicle operators and shippers in Pennsylvania, made some remarks concerning the great importance of road transport, which are worth quoting. He said : "I cannot bring myself to believe that they (the Government) will make the mistake of crippling one of our most vital transportation agencies at a time when it is most needed. There is little likelihood that this • country will make the mistakes that England did in ignoring the importance of motor transportation • in prosecuting the war."
This was in reply to arguments that vehicle operators might not be in a position to obtain the lorries, spare parts and tyres which would be • necessary to continue efficient and economic running.
He explained that the Office of Production Management had granted " high-priority " orders to vehicle manufacturers, and that during the recent fuel curfew commercial vehicles were given preferential treatment.
Another statement of interest from this leader of the haulage industry in the U.S.A. was that it would be foolhardy to attempt a war-production programme beyond the ability of the railway and • trucking industries to perform the necessary transportation.
Britain's Cardinal Transport Error It would thus seem to be fully recognized in America that Britain, in so severely restricting the haulage side of the commercial-vehicle industry, committed a cardinal error, which is still being reflected in the comparative dearth of vehicles and transport delays, which must have a material effect in preventing the full development of our production facilities.
At the same time we must point out that Britain . is not the only country to have made such mistakes, and, no doubt, the speaker was considering the future rather. than the past, for America has for long possessed a reputation for passing many laws which have gravely inconvenienced the operation of haulage vehicles, and which, in some cases, have debarred the crossing of certain State boundaries except by a minority of the vehicles requiring to do so.
For example, in a leading article in "Transport Topics" of last December it is mentioned that State highway patrol men are unwittingly interfering with the prosecution of the war by stopping lorries hauling military goods and supplies of materials for the production of armaments. This is a result of the extraordinary variations in the authorized weights and sizes of commercial vehicles as between different States.
Recently a committee of the Senate filed a voluminous report dealing with the nefarious activities of a railway representative, who succeeded in criss-crossing one important State with highway barriers effectually to trap any vehicle that failed to come •within the limits of, an unreasonable weight law.
U.S.A. Also Restricts Road Transport In many instances, the States concerned argue that they have the right to enforce such restrictions, because they affect problems of safety within the areas in question, and they should not be controlled in this respect by any over-riding regulations imposed by the Federal Government.
It is believed in America, however, that too many of these laws, introduced under the smokescreen of safety, are employed merely as moves to penalize road transport, and are conceived and promoted by railway authorities. However, Congress now has before it a Bill which follows recommendations by the ,Interstate Commerce Commission. These were to the effect that transport between the States was being undulyhindered, and that, even as a peace-time meastre (for the U.S.A. was not then at war) the law, so far as • commercial road transport was concerned, should be unified.
How important it is that this should be done, now that everything depends upon speed in production, will be fully realized. Any, interference with the programme of rearmament and of supply to America's Allies, merely because of jealous adherence to antiquated and oppressive regula tions, will, undoubtedly, not now be countenanced.
Once these barriers have been broken down, it is highly improbable that those concerned in raising them will be afforded facilities for their reinstatement ; so that, at least in this one respect, the war is likely to do good to the commercialvehicle industry of the States.
We certainly did not have this particular trouble, although we had others, and we also have some reason to hope that the British Government will not again be so foolish and short-sighted as to place restrictions on road transport here, which might have the effects of restraining its growth and the extent of the services which it can render to the Nation in times of peace.
We are afraid that many people possess the belief that immediately hostilities cease "everything in the garden will be lovely," and that they will be able immediately to return to their peacetime vocations and pleasures, the latter including ample supplies of unrationed foods, etc. They will, we regret to say, almost certainly be sadly disillusioned.
Despite the huge programme for shipbuilding which has been instituted, there will undoubtedly be a big deficiency in this respect which may take months, or even years, from which to recover. Britain may then well have to rely for a long time upon home products and indigenous materials to meet a proportion of its needs almost as large as was required during the war.
This, combined with the development of the schemes for reconstruction in building, roadmaking and other directions, will unquestionably make a huge demand upon all our transport facilities, and at a time when the majority of our vehicles will be obsolescent and the railways engaged in renovating or replacing rolling stock and making good their deficiencies in engines. There will, therefore, continue to be many demands for raw materials in addition to manufactured products.
Withal, we shall be called upon to do everything possible to reconstitute our overseas trade. We cannot expect Lease and Lend to last for ever, and we shall have to fight hard to regain the biggest possible measure of balance in our imports and exports. Road transport will, no doubt, play its part in this, just as it is doing in the war effort.