DOES TRUCK OVERLOADING PAY?

Hokitika Guardian, 12 July 1923, Page 4

DOES TRUCK OVERLOADING PAY?

(By !’• B. Sniffiu.) U will invariably lie found that the excavating contrai tors who make a 1 raetice of overloading tlieir motortrucks do so more through a lack of understanding as to its effect on operating economy than they do through eager desire to got “sonteUiing for nothing.” In other words, theie are fewer truck purchasers who deliberately buy a truck with the idea of overloading than there are those who buv, .say. a two-ton truck, haul two-toil loads ■ v ich it ior a while, then, when a ru-h i'oi io l comes along, put on an extra ion or two. and not noticing any perceptible duTereuae in the truck’s ) c-r----■'■ruuuine make the pngth e a pcrnmii‘‘iit policy. 'Where loads are nnue weiglu.v i hail they arc bulky. as in the contracting business, it is only natural that the operator should feel that ferrying capacity i- being wasted if the load is (online! to the truck's rated capacity. It is c h "t. although on first thought it might seem mmtorv to reason, that the o'.via rof a high-grade true!;, the power anil strength of which enables ir to v.iih-t.md severe load conditions, i. much harder m convince of the in'tituble depreciation _of bis investniont. The t Ifems of overloading as a deliberate policy may le summed up as follows: (1) The constant strain on the truck's motor in excess of its rated capacity • an-o- jiiemature wear t.-n the varii us pa: Is and shortens the life of the mote :• a- a v.hole. (2) Both body and ilrs-i, arc slres-cd beyond their natural limits of durability. (15) The ell eel icnnns s ol brakes and othc]- safety factors is reduced, thereby involving ri-k oi accident mid endangering public lives. i h Springs a>c overslie-.-ed. tending to ecus'' tliein to settle and io-'e resiliency. (.Ti Tires :ro compressed beyond their elastic limits, 10-c their resiliency ami deteriorate rapidly.

One |i 11 • ■ 11 1 mnnufa.Hirer l.rdlx presents the subject of overloading in the following maimer: The nni't slioi t-siglited economy in which l 1 :' l‘ii'l; owner can engage in is t t in saving in to-da.v's co.-ts cl transjnii'tai i'u by overloading bis truck. \ motor truck is built to c yyy a i ''i dhi el. 11 s component parts are nitimif." iii d wit It that load i n view . !■ i ut.i■ !e I nil In - provide a margin ol - i regiii |j above that leipilii'd for the i.u ids lajacily. to gu:i:d against sites- ami -I::ii11 due to unusual road coudlti: ti-. This is eiic'igency st'ciigih ei.l.v it 1- the i .pit' ! slock of ti e dividend:- it: opera', ing. To diminish i!o- (on r/• i: > r<'«er.e l>v constant use i- ; - f"illi. ii a - in liar (low u one's li io i : fee | tlii- v. inter's furlin' "in u-nig trucks for t’"c fir.-t tune owtieis iii. v be excused in falling into the c‘T. i (.f overloading. T hey have iii n -", 1 to bar- as. Serious ovorb a in liorsc baid ing i'i'e automataally ju-t so much, tlmn tie-It and hone reI '. Hot a in '.■ ■■ il ie k is inariicultiie. ! ■ dcis net protest, and for » time may he made to carry considerably more than its rated load. ‘‘Seeing the immediate dollars to be made by reducing the contemplated ni!in! or of loads, owner.- are sometimes Minded to ultimate cost, and for a time | rolit - pile up. Then, after a year or l .'.e. wlioii the 11 tick if properly used should lie a i it- maximum efficiency, it suddenly begins to disintegrate. M’.'ire"! beyond it- i"-i-t!iico power by 11-1 ant mel leading it g< es t o pieces pair tail. man*. an-! days oat 1 sell''' -lit ill i i pr- til •• Th-‘ ;1 : Hilillll't: (I ■-"oing- -brink, il-eii d-np|enr. and Ille dm I I'.e r.nuiso truck i.a nor JlWMsen- l" lhe i i i I hal lie ha- neither jin!, nor money.''