Texas Almanac, 1947-1948 Page: 305
[610] p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
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MOTOR BUS AND TRUCK TRAFFIC
Motor Transportation in TexasMotor transportation companies received
total gross revenues of $212,510,968 35 in
Texas during the fiscal year ended Aug. 31,
1945, according to the Motor Transportation
Division of the Railroad Commission of Texas.
Of this amount, $73,895,314.10 of revenue was
to operators of motor buses; $138.615,654.25
was to operators of motor trucks. Of the total
amount received from operation of trucks,
$75,204,422.63 was revenue to the common-
carrier truck operators; $55,175,460 32 to
specialized motor-carrier operators, and $8,-
235,771.30 to contract motor-carrier operators.
There were in Texas, during the fiscal year
1945. a total of 2,243 operating companies of
buses and the three classifications of freight
carriers. Of these, 173 were bus operators,
310 wei e *common carriers, 1,423 were *spe.
cialized carriers, 337 were *contract carriers.
Total number of buses on the intercity lines
of the state during 1945 was 2,555. The total
number of trucks was 11.332. Of the total
number of trucks, 4,555 were operated by the
common-cai rier lines, 5,701 by the specialized
carrier operators, and 1,078 by the contract
carriers.
Total number of truck and bus miles oper-
ated was 540.236,385. Total bus miles operated
were 129,172.364; total truck miles operated,
410,764,021. Of the total truck miles. 242.775 -
646 were operated by the common-carrier
trucks, 135,092.942 by the specialized truck
carriers, and 33,195,433 by the contract-carrier
trucks. Bus companies operated over 29 000
route miles; trucks over a somewhat greater
mileage.
About 12,000,000 tons of freight are carried
annually by the three classifications of truck
carriers. Number of passengers carried aver-
ages about 80,000,000 annually. Freight traf-
fic includes a wide variety of merchandise
and manufactures in addition to livestock,
cotton, mohair, wool, milk, Iivestock feed-
stuffs, oil-field equipment, timbers and lum-
ber, and wheat and other grains Bus and
truck operation is under supervision of the
Motor Transportation Division of the Railroad
Commission of Texas.
Increase in Motor Transportation.
Gross revenues of the motor transportation
operators in Texas increased 1415 per cent
from 1943 to 1945 Total revenues in 1943 were
$86,962,.117.49, including both truck and bus
receipts As far back as the fiscal year ended
Aug. 31, 1939. total truck and bus i eenues
were only $30,226,214 36. During the fiscal
year ended Aug. 31, 1934, they were $13,612,-
719 44.
Freight revenues have increased more rap-
idly than passenger revenues. Passenger ieve-
nues increased from $42,560,560.00 in the fiscal
year 1943 to $73.985.314.10 in 1945 During the
same period freight revenues from the three
classifications of carriers increased from
$44,401,557.49 to $138,615.654.25. The increases
were large in each of the three classifications
of carriers, but specialized carriers had the
largest increase on percentage basis.
While railroad revenues have increased
rapidly in recent years (see p. 295), motor
transportation revenues have increased more
i apidly on percentage basis. In 1945, revenues
of motor transportation carriers were approxi-
mately half the revenues of the rail carrie s,
*Motor truck transportation min Texas is divided
into three classifications under the regulating
statutes, as follows. (1) the common carriers that
operate on schedule over given routes, accepting
a general freight business, (2) the specialized car-
riers that operate trucks built especially for some
character of commodity, for example, the tank
trucks that carry gasoline and the special cattle
and sheep trucks that bring a considerable per-
centage of Texas liestock to the Fort Worth and
other markets, and (3) the contract carriers that
haul freight under contract only. All motor buses
are in the common-carrier classification.though the tonnage figures were overwhelm-
ingly on the side of the rail lines. In recent
years practically all of the rail lines of'Texas
have themselves entered into the motor trans-
portation business, operating their own motor
common-carrier lines in a co-ordinated rail
and motor truck service to shippers
Motor transportation has increased rapidly
In recent years for several general and special
reasons. With the building up of the paved
highway system of the state-now having a
paved mileage, including both designated and
local roads, about twice that of main-line rail
track-the motor truck has readily adapted
itself to certain classifications of carrier
service The decline of rail mileage in recent
years (see p 293) has been primarily the
abandonment of feeder rail lines in the face
of this competition. Transportation authoi-
ties point out, however, that there ai e defi-
nite limits to this service and that a stabilized
relationship of rail and motor transportation
will soon be reached
Truck Load Limit.
The principal special reason for the increase
in motor freight business in Texas in recent
years has been the amendment of state lae s
to increase the load limit.
The Texas truck load limit was raised by
the Forty-Ninth Legislature, early in 1945.
from 38.000 pounds to 48.000 The original
truck load limit had been 7.000 pounds of net
load, that is, exclusive of the weight of the
vehicle In March. 1941. the Legislature raised
the limit to 38.000, including vehicle and lood.
The new truck load limit law did not raise
the burden per wheel that was set by the
statute of 1941 The load under the Texas
statute is fixed by formula, under which the
gross weight is ascertained by adding 40 to
the distance in feet between the first and
last axles of a vehicle, or combination of
vehicles, and multiplying this sum by 700.
provided the gross shall not exceed 48 000
pounds The statute also provides that "no
such vehicle or combination of vehicles shall
have a greater weight than 600 pounds per
inch width of tire upon any wheel concen-
trated upon the surface of the highway and
using high-pressure tires, and a greater
weight than 650 pounds per inch width of tne
upon any wheel concentrated upon the surface
of the highway and using low-pressure tires,
and no wheel shall carry a load in excess of
8,000 pounds on high-pressure tires and 9,000
pounds on low-piessure tires, nor any axles
a load in excess of 16,000 pounds on high-
pressure tires, and 18,000 pounds on low-
pressure tires."
Motor Transport in Texas Carrier System
In other chapters, attention is called to the
diversity of conditions that characterizes
nearly every aspect of Texas' physical status
and economic affairs. This diversity, begin-
ning in the geologic strata beneath the sui-
face, and continuing in the soils at the sur-
face and the climatological conditions above.
is reflected in all forms of human activity
including transportation. While the regions of
the North and East, with intensified indus-
trial activity, have a much greater flow of
transportation than Texas, this state has had
peculiar needs for development of each of
the forms of carrier service-the rail lines,
shipping through the ports at the Gulf coast,
public road traffic of both private vehicle and
public carrier, and aviation. The wide spaces
of Texas, the great variation in density of
population, the very great production of raw
materials for export across the state boundary
lines, and the diversity of these products,
have created these special needs.
In this situation the motor branch of trans-
portation has had a logical development to
fill the peculiar needs to which It is best
adapted.
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Texas Almanac, 1947-1948, book, 1947; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117136/m1/307/: accessed May 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.