Texas Almanac, 1952-1953 Page: 268
[674] p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
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Motor Bus and Truck
There were 2,115 common-carrier, intercity
motor buses operating in Texas by 176 com-
panies under authority of the Railroad Com-
mission at the beginning of 1949, according
to the commission's report for that calendar
ear. Total operating revenues amounted to
49,726,880.22, and operating expenses to
$47,321,743.75, leaving an operating profit of
$2,405,136.47 for the year 1949.
There were 2,761 motor-truck companies
operating under authority of the Railroad
Commission of Texas at the beginning of
1949, as follows: 257 common carriers operat-
ing 17,490 trucks, 2,193 specialized motor car-
riers operating 18,275 trucks, and 311 con-
tract carriers operating 1,526 trucks. Total
number of trucks operated was 37,291. Total
operating revenue for the year 1949 was
$363,481,284.42, and operating expenses were
$347,354,219.31, leaving an operating profit of
$16,127,065.11.
Truck and Bus Transportation.
IVMotor bus and truck transportation has de-
veloped rapidly in Texas in recent years.
Total revenue of all truck carriers (common,
contract and specialized) in the fiscal year
ended Aug. 31, 1943. was $44,401,557.49; total
revenue of motor buses for this year was
$42,560,560.00, a total of bus and truck reve-
nue of $86,962,117.49.
Going back to the fiscal year ended Aug.
31, 1939, the total truck and bus revenue is
shown to have been less than half as much,
or $30,226,214.36. Records of a still earlier
period, the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 1934,
show total motor transport revenues of only
$13,612,719.44. of which $4,857,722.25 was mo-
tor-bus passenger revenue.
A number of factors have entered into this
rapid increase in volume of business, among
which have been the rapid extension and im-
provement of the Texas highway system, the
improvement of motor transport equipment
and," in the instance of the motor truck, the
raising of the load maximum. Furthermore,
motor transport adapts itself to the wide
spaces of Texas with the varying conditions
and demands for transportation, much of
which is primarily with rural population.
There are about 3,000 towns in Texas includ-
ing every community from the three- or four-
store distribution point to the metropolitan
center. Practically all of these are served by
the truck lines:
Three Truck Classes,.
Motor truck transport In Texas is placed in
three classifications under Texas statutes:
(1) the common carriers that operate on
schedule over given routes, (2) the contract
carriers that carry freight under contract
only, and (3) the specialized carriers that
operate trucks built especially for some char-
acter of commodity. Among these are the
tank trucks and the special cattle and sheep
trucks that carry a large portion of the
farmers' and ranchers' livestock to Fort
Worth and other livestock markets. Data on
the business of each of these classifications
are given in tables below. Motor-bus carriers
are all in the common-carrier classification.
All motor and bus operations are under
statutes administered by the motor transport
division of the Railroad Commission of Texas.
Truck Load Limit Laws.
Following are laws enacted by the Fifty-
second Legislature, 1951, governing legal
truck load limits in Texas:
SB 57: This increases maximum legal load
gross-load limit from 48,000 to 58,420 pounds
and also adopts a bridge formula set out by
the American Association of State Highway
Officials governing gross weights of vehicles
according to axle spacing in combination
with length of the vehicle. The bill incorpor-
ates the AASHO Code in its provisions.Operations in Texas
HB 11: (Unloading Law.) This law re-
quires all vehicles loaded in excess of the
legal maximum axle weight, or gross-load
limit, to be unloaded to the extent of the
excess of either of the two weights. Five per
cent tolerance is allowed on the axle weight
or the gross load and the scales to be used in
weighing must be uniform scales approved
by the Department of Public Safety. Consta-
bles are not allowed to enforce this law.
MOTOR BUS OPERATIONS IN TEXAS
Annual report of operating revenue and ex-
penses for the calendar year of 1949 as filed
by motor bus companies operating under
authority of certificates issued by the Rail-
road Commission of Texas:
Operating Revenue Accounts.
Passenger revenue..................$47,014,995.56
U.S. mail revenue .................. 175,368 23
Express and newspaper revenue..... 1,127,603.02
Terminal depot revenue............. 485,884.24
All other revenue.................. 923,029.17
Total revenue...................$49,726,880.22
Operating Expense Accounts.
Superintendent of plant and equip-
ment ............................ $580,707.07
Maintenance of building and shop
equipment .. ................... 171,974 36
Maintenance of vehicles............4,824,685 03
Tires and tubes .................... 1,262,004.78
Depreciation (of year) ............. 4,223,751.49
Gasoline (exclusive of gasoline tax). 3,543,899.90
Lubricants (oil and greases)........ 277,411 94
Wages of garage employees......... 2,480,200.55
Garage supplies and expenses...... 531,693.33
Superintendence of transportation... 714,371.47
Bus operators (drivers) ............. 9,190,509.76
Station (terminal) expenses......... 4,911,089.71
All other transportation expenses.... 1,227,351.85
Advertising ........................ 701,655.96
Solicitation .. .............. 850,497.48
General officers' salaries, expenses.. 838,590.95
All other general office salaries and
expenses ....... .. . 1,945,964.80
Taxes (total for year) (including
gas tax) ...... ........... 4,281,098 51
License (total for year). ......... 1,192,429.23
Insurance (yearly premium)......... 2,294,259.46
All other general expenses.......... 1,277,596.12
Total operating expenses.........$47,321,743.75
Profit ........................$2,405,136.47
Miscellaneous Data.
Bus-miles operated in Texas...........181,751,437
Total passengers carried .............. 98,765,395
Gallons of gasoline used.............. 36,939,425
Number of vehicles operated........... 2,115
Number of garage employees.......... 1,441
Terminal employees ................... 915
Number of officers ................ 165
Number of bus operators (drivers) .... 2,611
COMMON CARRIER MOTOR TRUCKS
Annual report of operating revenue and
expenses for the calendar year of 1949 as filed
by common carrier motor carriers operating
under authority of certificates issued by the
Railroad Commission of Texas:
Operating Revenue Accounts.
Total freight revenue ...........$198,405,718.12
Terminal revenue................. 5,290,543.99
All other revenue ................. 2,212,193 17
C.O.D. return fees ................. 149,476.93
Total operating revenue..........$206,057,932.21
Operating Expense Accounts.
Superintendence of plant and equip-
ment ........................... $982,594.14
Maintenance of buildings and shop
equipment ... .............. 365,973.61
Maintenance of vehicles............ 8,508,952.51
Tires and tubes.............. ....3,745,112.35
Depreciation (of year)............ 5,880,285.90
Gasoline (exclusive of gas tax).... 7,817,661.75
Lubricants (oil -and grease)........ 1,035,682.95
Wages of garage employees........ 2,098,295.33
Garage supplies and expenses..... 506,605.85
Superintendence of transportation.. 2,835,151.00
Truck operators' (driver) salaries.. 29,646,808.61
Terminal expense ................. 29,860,651.02
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Texas Almanac, 1952-1953, book, 1951; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117137/m1/270/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.