Transportation by Truck, 2004
HogTrucking Along
With
the coming of gasoline-powered trucks things could be moved from one place
to another more quickly, Iowa farmers found that trucks were very useful.
A farmer who lived near the town of Irvin told how trucks had changed his
life in the 1940s.
"Years ago to haul hogs to market, I had to get the help of five of my
neighbors. In 6 wagons we would carry 30 hogs. We went 5.5 miles to the railroad
stop in Irvin, I had to buy a meal for the men and myself. Generally it cost
me about 50 cents apiece. Those men ate a real meal, not a lunch. That's three
dollars. To put the 6 teams in the livery barn cost $1.20. Because I had the
men come and help me, I had to go and help them, which meant 5 days of work
off the farm for myself and my team. The cash cost alone was $4.20. Today,
I can hire a trucker to take 25 or 30 hogs to Harlan, more than twice as far,
for only $2.50. He can get them there and be back in 2 hours. And I don't
have to spend any time off the farm."
Trucks Instead of Rails
Because trucks could provide door-to-door
service, people began to use them instead of the railroads for long-distance
hauling. It seemed more sensible to load the product just one time on a truck
instead of the two times needed for railroad transport, After World War II
ended (1945) the number of trucks hauling the nation's goods increased greatly.
The new demand for trucks and truckers to haul goods for people created new
businesses. Some Iowans saw the need for trucks and went into the trucking
business. Others got jobs as drivers of trucks.
