'Return Loads' to Increase Transport Resources by Avoiding Waste of Empty Vehicle Running.   By: United States. Council of National Defense. Highways Transport Committee

AUGUST 1, 1918

BULLETIN NO. 3 (FOR SHIPPERS)

"RETURN LOADS"

TO INCREASE TRANSPORT RESOURCES BY AVOIDING WASTE OF EMPTY VEHICLE RUNNING

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.

HIGHWAYS TRANSPORTATION AS A WAR TIME MEASURE ONE OF THE SOLUTIONS OF THE SHIPPER'S "SHORT HAUL" PROBLEM.

To increase the highways transport resources as one of the means of strengthening the entire transportation system of the country, and for the purpose of avoiding the waste incurred by running transport vehicles empty, return load bureaus are established. These bureaus are a means of bringing together the shipper having goods to move and the operator of an empty vehicle which is possibly running to the point for which the goods to be shipped are destined.

With the cooperation of State councils of defense, chambers of commerce, local war boards, and other organizations the Council of National Defense, through its Highways Transport Committee and its State Councils Section, is building up a system for the efficient utilization of the highways of the country as a means of strengthening the Nation's transportation resources and affording merchants and manufacturers relief from necessary railroad embargoes and delays due to freight congestion.

State Highways Transport Committees are being organized in all States of the Union. The primary functions of the State Highways Transport bodies are the development of the five outstanding activities to which instant attention is being given by the Highways Transport Committee of the National Council of Defense, as follows:

Return Load Bureaus, Rural Express, Cooperation with Federal Railroad Administration, Educational, Transport Operating Efficiency.

These activities encompass, briefly, and in the order named, the following:

Elimination of empty running of trucks by bringing together shipper and truck owner in such way as to provide full loads wherever possible.

Rapid development, over fixed routes, of daily power vehicle service, with definite schedules of stops and charges and provision made for gathering shipments both on outgoing and incoming trips.

Substitution of adequate truck service that the intracity and short haul service of rail carriers may be relieved and partially supplanted; the relief of congested terminals, and an effective store door delivery plan.

Organization of a campaign to place highways transport work throughout the States in its proper light before the public, that the support of the people in favor of national policies may be made certain. To this end an outstanding feature of the work will be enlistment of the support of all users of highways transport.