Highway Transport Commitee Council of National Defence, Bulletins 1-5 | Page 3

Commerce in any city should wait for it to do so. It is perfectly
feasible for the Chamber to initiate the work itself in its own
community and then propose to similar chambers in neighboring cities
to do likewise and establish an exchange of information.
Having ascertained what trucks are available for hauling, the next move
is for the Return-Loads Bureau to circularize the merchants,
manufacturers, and other business enterprises in the community,
advising them of the establishment of the bureau and asking them to
report to it whenever they have any goods or materials which they wish
to have hauled, either within the city or to near-by cities or villages.
These reports may be made by telephone or on postal cards. Blank
cards of a size (as 3 by 5 inches) suitable for filing may be supplied to
shippers in quantity by the bureau for the purpose.

LIST RETURN-LOADS BUREAU IN TELEPHONE DIRECTORY.
The telephone company should be asked to list the Return-Loads
Bureau under the title "Return Loads" in the local directory and truck
owners and shippers be notified that by calling "Return Loads" or the
telephone number of the bureau they can learn where a load may be
obtained to carry back to the city from which the truck brought a load
or where a truck can be obtained to carry the goods the shipper desires
delivered.
Publicity should be given in all the local newspapers and in those of
neighboring cities of the establishment of the bureau, so that all
interests may immediately begin making use of the facilities afforded.
It will be found that there are two classes of business to be handled by
the bureau--regular and irregular. In many cities there are motor
express lines operating on daily schedule over regular routes and there
are shippers who have regular shipments to make. Having brought
these together once, further service of the bureau will be unnecessary
so far as these particular parties are concerned. Then there are many
companies, firms or individuals that own trucks which they use only in
their own business but which stand idle part of the time or which from
time to time deliver a load in a neighboring city and return home empty.
There are also shippers who have depended on the railroad but in
emergency wish to make a quick shipment. It will be necessary to keep
a daily record of these and cross off the truck or the shipment as soon
as it is learned that the truck has gone back to its home city and is no
longer available or the shipment has been completed.
INTERCHANGE INFORMATION ON IRREGULAR WORK.
A system of daily interchange of information regarding this irregular
service should be arranged with bureaus in other cities, so that a truck
operator in Hartford, for example, who has a load to haul to New
Haven can learn from the bureau in Hartford before starting where and
on what day or at what time he can secure a load in New Haven to take
back to Hartford. He may find that by delaying his own shipment a day
or by making it a day earlier he can get a return load, whereas

otherwise he might have to return light. Shippers, therefore, should be
urged to give as much advance notice as possible of shipments they
wish to make.
Within a short time this system will extend to long distances. Recently
a company in New York called up the Chamber of Commerce (before
any Return-Loads Bureau was established there) and stated it intended
to send a motor truck to Vermont to bring back some machinery and
wanted to know where a load could be secured to take to Vermont or at
least a considerable part of the way. Another company called up and
said it had a truck coming from Philadelphia with a load and wanted to
get a load going back. Motor express lines are already operating on
daily schedule between New York and Philadelphia, between Hartford
and New York, and between Boston and Hartford.
It is the purpose of the Highways Transport Committee to bring about,
just as quickly as possible, the organization of Return-Loads Bureaus in
all the cities where it will be beneficial and to establish reciprocal
relations among them on the plan of the Connecticut system.
SECURE COOPERATION OF MOTOR-TRUCK DEALERS.
Motor-truck dealers can be of great assistance to the Chambers of
Commerce in promoting this movement and in helping to get the
bureaus started. They are in direct touch with truck owners, know the
routes over which trucks are operated, condition of the roads, railroad
shipping difficulties, etc. It is recommended that the Chambers of
Commerce call on them to appoint a representative committee from
among them to cooperate with it. They can