How to Organize Farmers' Transportation and Assembling Associations

Excerpts from the report: As a wartime conservation measure, an Executive Order of December 16, 1941, created the Office of Defense Transportation to regulate all transportation facilities and operations. Regional offices have been set up in each State to carry out this program. Wherever feasible, ODT desires to conserve trucks and rubber in transporting agricultural products through voluntary cooperation on the part of farmers and transportation agencies. If satisfactory results can be obtained in this way, it is obvious that mandatory regulations will not be necessary. One of the most practical means of conserving tires and trucks is for farmers to join with their neighbors in organizing local transportation pools or associations to assemble and haul livestock and other farm products to market, and to bring back farm supplies. Savings in equipment will result from: (1) loading trucks to capacity; (2) cutting out duplicating routes; and (3) utilizing empty trucks for back hauls. As far as possible, facilities of existing transportation agencies should be utilized. To assist producers in forming trucking associations, the Cooperative Research and Service Division of the Farm Credit Administration has prepared this report, which contains suggestions as to organization procedure and proposed organization forms. While these forms were drawn up specifically f or livestock trucking associations, they can, with some slight modifications, also be used for other types of transportation associations. County agents, vocational teachers, extension workers, local war boards, and others who are assisting groups of farmers and truckmen to perfect local transportation associations may also find this report helpful.