Piggybacking Truck & Trailers

I N efticient approach to increas11 ins customer service, conserving energy and reducing costly truck dead-heading times between mill sites in northern California, Oregon and the southern California area, has been innovated by the Ed Fountain Lumber Co. of Los Angeles.

The concept, an extension of piggy-back transport, makes optimum use of a flat bed "mother" truck and trailer. The mother truck and trailer piggy-backs two additional trucks and two trailers; one truck and its trailer, piggybacked on the mother truck and a second truck and trailer piggybacked on the mother truck's trailer.

Thus, the mother truck and trailer hauls two additional trucks and trailers double-piggy-backed

Story at a Glance

Innovative transport system uses a "mother truck" to carry two additional trucks and trailers . result is marked increase in customer service, conservation of gas and reduction of costly dead-heading which can be off-loaded enroute at other mills while the mother truck continues on to still another mill site for a third load.

Ed Fountain, company president, reports that the fitm's delivery efficiency and materials availability has been significantly improved. "We have also noticed a definite drop in fuel bills, tire wear and truck maintenance expenses since we have adopted this piggyback system," he added.

He further explained that lowering non-productive dead-heading costs and times, over these 750 mile trips, enables rolling stock to be dispatched with greater flexibility to faster, more economical productive use.

"We can now maintain better inventories to meet the growing demands for more immediate deliveries," noted Fountain.

The Ed Fountain Lumber Co. serves the Iumber yards in southern California with a wholesale distribution yard located at 6218 So. Hooper Ave. in Los Angeles.