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of which there were only 2 very worn out ones left by mid-1944.
2) increased availability of liquid fuel from Kansu from mid-1943. This was used for starting charcoal burners and supplementing their power over steep hills.
3) new trucks and US Army petrol in mid-1945.
It will also be noted from the Table that the medical and relief supplies, made up only 42-47% of the total load. In a system where the primary objective is a one-way movement of goods, this is inevitable. The balance was made up of return cargoes as mentioned, fuel and maintenance supplies for the trucks themselves. This latter was usually between 10 and 20% of the total.
The manpower required to keep the system operating is shown in Table VIII. Some of the garage employees were engaged in cargo handling rather than maintenance and driving, but it is not possible to separate these from the figures available. These figures included all the auxiliary staff of cooks, storekeepers, watchmen, and apprentices. This also shows the km. tons per man employed.
It will be seen that the efficiency in these terms rose steadily with the increased number of people supporting each truck. The scarce resources at this period were trucks and their engines, therefore investment of manpower in preventive maintenance and overhaul was considered necessary. The figures show that it was well justified.
In considering these figures for 1943 and 1944 and early 1945 it must be remembered that:-
1. The trucks on charcoal had heavy engine wear and it became standard practice to remove engines for top overhaul every 1,000 km, and major overhaul every 2,000 km.
2. All adaptation of the original and manufacture of new charcoal units was done at the garages using old petrol drums as the major source of sheet steel.
3. Most of the trucks had new box bodies built on them in 1943 and 1944, hence the number of carpenters.
In human terms, the cost was fairly heavy. Of those engaged in transport work, one member was invalided out with sword wounds after being attacked by bandits (the only occasion on which this
146
W. A. REYNOLDS
of which there were only 2 very worn out ones left by mid- 1944.
2) increased availability of liquid fuel from Kansu from mid- 1943. This was used for starting charcoal burners and sup- plementing their power over steep hills.
3) new trucks and US Army petrol in mid-1945.
It will also be noted from the Table that the medical and relief supplies, made up only 42-47% of the total load. In a system where the primary objective is a one way movement of goods, this is inevitable. The balance was made up of return cargoes as mention- ed, fuel and maintenance supplies for the trucks themselves. This latter was usually between 10 and 20% of the total.
The manpower required to keep the system operating is shown in Table VIII. Some of the garage employees were engaged in cargo handling rather than maintenance and driving, but it is not possible to separate these from the figures available. These figures included all the auxiliary staff of cooks, storekeepers, watchmen and apprentices. This also shows the km. tons per man employed.
It will be seen that the efficiency in these terms rose steadily with the increased number of people supporting each truck. The scarce resources at this period were trucks and their engines, there- fore investment of manpower in preventive maintenance and over- haul was considered necessary. The figures show that it was well justified.
In considering these figures for 1943 and 1944 and early 1945 it must be remembered that:-
1. The trucks on charcoal had heavy engine wear and it became standard practice to remove engines for top overhaul every 1,000 km, and major overhaul every 2,000 km.
2. All adaptation of the original and manufacture of new charcoal units was done at the garages using old petrol drums as the major source of sheet steel.
3. Most of the trucks had new box bodies built on them in 1943
and 1944, hence the number of carpenters.
In human terms, the cost was fairly heavy. Of those engaged in transport work, one member was invalided out with sword wounds after being attacked by bandits (the only occasion on which this
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