FAITH IN THE FUTURE

[Music] independence freedom liberty freedom to worship as I please freedom to call a meeting and talk things out freedom to print the truth for all men to read freedom freedom to work out my own destiny to build a home to build a business my business freedom to take advantage of all this rich nation offers any man willing to work yes no other nation was ever so bountifully endowed by nature the resources were here they had been here for millions of years it took people to development courageous resourceful hard-working men and women with their everlasting faith in the future rich forests covered the rolling hills and mountains with an almost countless variety of wood for man to fashion to his knees fertile prairies and farmland waited for the farmers touch with plow and cultivator to be turned into productivity under the topsoil were tremendous mineral deposits of iron copper gold silver and toll to name only a few and the great pools of oil destined to bring the nation to undreamed-of levels of convenience comfort and prosperity hundreds of mighty rivers flowed through the valleys surging with power and offering ready-made transport lines for anything which would float large natural harbors are bounded along the coastline east and west and south it has been truly said that except for the land itself everything upon which we depend for life and happiness must be moved in some way or another the distance may be small in the early days of civilization it had to be small because man had to carry it or drag it there himself before the white man came to a mare the Indians traveled on foot later some tribes notably in the West broke horses to carry them in fact they knew and use their knowledge that a horse could pull more than he could carry the simple principle around which the motor transport industry was built in later years the first white settlements in America were made along the water both along the coast and on rivers for boats were the only means of transport the first settlers had roads were built connecting the settlements and over these crude often impassable highways freight and passenger traffic began to flow great wagon trains pushed on westward behind them a new era of transport was coming into existence and finally rails which started on the Atlantic coast met rails which started on the Pacific and as transport facilities grew so did our nation the first railroads were built to connect the already established key cities which had grown up along the waterway soon cities sprang up along the railroads and as feeder lines to the mines to the factories to the grain and cattle sections were added railroad centers became big cities almost overnight as a result cities grew to enormous size and were densely overcrowded but great open areas those not reached by railroads had to be conquered by some other form of transport before the nation could reach full prosperity and social sufficiency horses and oxen were just not enough about the turn of the century the solution to that transport problem began to appear on the streets and highways the manufacture of automobiles began nothing so necessary to our national development could fail to succeed this was the beginning of the gasoline age as more and better passenger cars proved themselves it was inevitable that trucks would be built to haul things to and from the factories the farm railroad stations and dock those early years of motor transport were not easy one roads were often impassable the hours were long and the work was hard it took men with vision and courage to foresee the great industry they were building with these pioneer motor transport lines well we got here in the morning we're just getting in ten hours to make the last 12 miles earn another six hours forget a start on the load then head back for another load we're playing food if you ask me oh I've run back on the road at least you don't have to try an engine out of the mud every hundred yards I'd like to see a railroad engine get down the hole Sullivan's grist mill where we went today still have a move that mill into town that's where we fit in fun sullivan has to keep his bill there where he has water power and there the farmers who grow the grain he grinds we can give the market to year round and he's just one example my farmer's feed fires and ended merchants used to have to buy almost a year in advance to be sure of getting deliveries we're changing that yeah from one mud hole to the next water transport something people just can't do without why someday every country in the world will have its own network of hard road and the equipment we have now right there'll be more truck equipment that will make our old trucks look like toys we'll move our hundred tons of freight for every ton move now my BOB it'll be the biggest industry this prophecy came true faster than anyone could have dreamed it would asphalt concrete brick and other hard surface highways swept from coast to coast and from border to border keeping pace with the number of cars and trucks turned out of our factories and as for motor transport equipment just another application of the old principle that you can pull more than you can carry a principle which revolutionized motor transport when it came to life in the form of the truck trail the story of the company which pioneered the building of these great trailers offers a close parallel for the growth of the entire motor transport industry in 1914 the Sibley Lumber Company came to Peru Hoff's little blacksmith and wagon shop on Gratiot Avenue in Detroit to have a wagon built which they could pull with their Ford car actually it was a two-wheeled wagon a semi-trailer the idea caught on later that year the one time wagon building concern started operating under the name of the flu hop trailer company building more trailer trailers like anything else had to be sold but their advantages were so readily apparent that the demand grew rapidly truck operators wanted what trailers had to offer bigger loads with smaller trucks lower operating expense for fuel drivers maintenance replacement your power units since one truck could handle several trailers in shuttle operations more efficiency from every standpoint by 1920 the company had outgrown the grass ship plant and in keeping with a fixed through hot policy of reinvesting profits in the business a new plant was built on Harper Avenue one of the results of continuous growth at the home plant location is seen in this distinctive building containing all the general offices including the big engineering staff a manufacturing plant stretches off a long city block back of the office section across the street is another huge assembly plant and storage yard a block away are the service experimental and traffic department buildings but that only begins to tell the size to which the company has grown true huff has a big plant in Cedar Rapids Iowa where all parts are machined from this central location parts are shipped for assembly to the other company plants and service branches in Los Angeles there's a FRU Hawk plant building trailers for West Coast views there's another plant in Kansas City Kansas building trailers for the Midwest market another in Omaha specializing in tank trailers of all types one in Fort Wayne producing stainless steel and heavy-duty Terry all units the plant in Springfield Missouri specializes in cattle carriers full trailers and oil field types the Canadian plant in Toronto supplies the Canadian market with trailers of all types these are perhaps present manufacturing facilities but such is their faith in the future that a new plant the largest trailer plant in the world is under construction near Cleveland with still another being built in Los Angeles thus in three decades crew huff has grown from a small blacksmith's shop to a great industrial organization operating eight large manufacturing plants and from a working staff of seven men to a force approaching ten thousand employees in addition through Hoff has over 60 factory operated sales and service branches where the company's several hundred transportation engineers a station and we're complete stocks of parts are maintained for the best servicing of trailers needing such attention the credit these branches deserve for keeping trailers in operation cannot be overemphasized yes trailer manufacturing has progressed a long way from the first one made the modern full hot trailer as experienced owners no requires a specialized type of engineering found in few other products trailers are built to carry the biggest loads possible under existing highway restrictions and it takes the best of engineering knowledge and skill to design weight out of a vehicle without sacrificing necessary strength and durability but it pays off in increased earnings for the user trailers must be exactly fitted to the job if costs are to be kept to the minimum this demands a thorough knowledge of many factors knowledge which only men long experienced in trailer engineering can provide trailers also have much to do with such important things as tractor operating expense safety and overall ease of operation scientific weight distribution ease of pulling simplified trailer maintenance foolproof mechanical items all these are dependent upon the trailer engineer the through half I beam axle for instance is heavy and strong vertically where the loads are applied and light through the middle where stresses are low this bridge like construction with every pound of Steel contributing to the support and protection of the load is an engineered feature of through hoc trailers extra strength is built in where stresses are great and all useless deadweight is eliminated trailer manufacturing begins on the drawing boards of the engineers here general improvements applicable to all through hull trailers and specialized performance features our first worked out on paper many trailer features have been developed in this department such as the quick-detachable coupling or fifth wheel which replace the crude kingpin and bolt connecting the first Sibley trailer and Ford and the trailer support these two developments made it possible to quickly detach truck from trailers this resulted in the shuttle type of operation in which one truck pulls first one trailer and then another here scores of other features were developed the pole trailer for instance designed to serve the specialized needs of its field in a new and better way the radius rod preserving the alignment of trailer axles under all conditions of operation power brakes to provide safe Shore stopping of the heaviest loads the carry all a veritable juggernaut among trailers delta transport steam shovels bulldozers and heavy machinery of all times the full automatic trailer designed so that supports automatically come down under the trailers when the tractor pulls away and slack adjusters that make possible quick and easy brake adjustment equally important future developments are always on the drafting boards of true Hoff engineers the translation of ideas to blueprints and then on to experimental construction is a never-ending cycle a notable example of this is the gravity suspension tendon a revolutionary development that among other things eliminates conventional old-style Springs months of creative engineering experimental construction modification and redesign were necessary to perfect this new trailer under construction and to years of continuous Road testing followed to supply conclusive proof that this new design was ready for production it is so with every new development thousands of miles of test running give up final answer to whether it will be released for production or referred back to the engineering department for further study and refinement all blueprints and specifications involving machining are sent out to the Cedar Rapids plant this plant is completely equipped with all the modern machines necessary for trailer parts machining operations for ease of operation many of the machines are semi-automatic all through hot parts are so designed that excess weight is eliminated in manufacture wherever it will not sacrifice the necessary strength of the part weight saved in construction means that more payload can be hauled closed limits are maintained on all machining operations because in trailers as in any other piece of equipment accuracy of manufacture has much to do with the service given the user in the Cedar Rapids plant as in all the other plants working conditions are made as pleasant and safe as possible a curtain of air and water for instance protects the painters at this pink booth by keeping fumes and spray away from them the latest of safety devices are constantly being added to all equipment the company also provides jobs for those with physical handicaps giving them an opportunity to be self-supporting these two men who assemble numerous small intricate units are both blind these deaf mutes are used for inspection work but there is no reduction of their earnings because of their handicap this policy is followed to especially benefit disabled War veterans and give them a permanent place in our industrial future because of its machining capacity and equipment the Cedar Rapids plant is able to keep all the other company plants and service branches supplied with parts here at the Detroit plant manufacturing operations are typical of similar procedures in the other plants in this big building the chassis frames are built welded or riveted depending on their type of design and are then moved to the assembly conveyor line it is along this chassis assembly line that you begin to understand that a modern truck trailer is more than just a body on wheels carefully controlled advanced planning has already brought the various sub assemblies to the point where they'll be needed along this conveyor for final assembly after the chassis leaves the assembly line and has received a complete coat of paint it is taken to the body plant usually this big one across the street good deal bigger than you would imagine in here on modern production lines most of the aero van bodies are made and here the body becomes a part of the trailer for a FRU hot trailer isn't just a chassis or just a body it's a body and chassis inseparably joined into one a vast movement over the old-style heavy to unit type the same careful engineering which goes into chassis construction also applies to body manufacturing the patented arrow van body framing is made of steel tubular members welded together to form one structure the sides are welded together in jigs designed to give easy access to the joints to be welded then in pits the top is assembled to the side framing this airplane-type construction gives great strength and eliminates all non-essential weight at this point the body frame joins the chassis and the two are welded into a single unit ready to receive panels roof flooring inside lining and the other things necessary to safeguard the load it will carry like all other metal parts the skeleton framework now gets a protective coat of paint the panels are cut to exact size and pre shaped before they come to the assembly line this exterior covering has several unusual features developed by proved off engineers the lightweight aluminum panels are specially treated to provide a perfect surface for painting and also to resist the effects of rain snow ice and sudden changes of temperature snap-on moldings make it easy to replace a panel and the rub rail at the bottom protects the body from damage one of the reasons for the spacing of the longitudinal ribs of the chassis now becomes apparent floorboards chemically treated for long life are fitted between the steel ribs making a floor 2 and 1/2 times stronger than an all oak floor of equal thickness and making it easy to replace any one of the floorboards should it become damaged the roofing material is made of weather and rust resisting metal which has a surface ideally suited to bonding with paint it is composed of sections which are joined together before installation with seams which are water dirt and dust proof this sectional construction simplifies repairs the interior is lined with light yet tough corrugated aluminum applied in sections which may be replaced easily in case of damage through half bodies are built so that they are their own protection against all kinds of weather to ensure this all metal from axle to roof which might come into contact with the weather is cleaned and given four coats of paint now the trailer is ready for the road bodies for specialized hauling operations are made in about the same manner but not on a production line in this plant many special bodies are built designed for the jobs they have to perform panels and other body features are tailor made from the blueprints sent up by engineering body builders in this department except the impossible as their everyday job - Huff's body production facilities at this and other plants have been responsible for thousands of the trailers sent to our armed forces during World War two for the Army for the Navy for the air forces for the Marines for all our Allied armies thousands of specially built trailers made our fast drives possible and safeguarded the lives of millions of our fighting men the trailers came in almost an endless variety of types and sizes thousands of trailers were fitted with special field equipment for repair shops office headquarters hospital unit tank recovery trailers similar in design to the heavy carry oz pioneered by frohe played an important part in keeping our tanks in service after battle damaged special trailers for use in getting supplies ashore from landing barges cut down battle losses in the Pacific thousands of trailers were utilized to keep our army supplied both with food and ammunition they were a familiar sight behind the lines and parked at Depot's and roaring over the highways in giant convoys the most versatile of all our everywhere trailers did their share but at home on the production lines behind the battle lines trailers really became the bulwark of the motor transport industry they help keep our forces armed and supplied by shuttling from large manufacturing plants and from little contractors making sub assemblies to the final assembly lines motor transport indeed became the nation's conveyor line from factory to factory and city to city with deliveries made as promptly as though under one factory rule the nation's production lines were stretched not feet not yards not miles but hundreds of miles by the motor transport industry and how are these trailers kept in operation on the road even under the toughest operating conditions through through Hoff's nationwide organization of factory branch service stations they are located in every important transportation center to assure a convenient source of fast efficient service to trailer owners everywhere the speed with which a trailer can be returned to operation after being laid up for repairs depends upon several important factors and the man who can tell you most about these is a full half factory branch manager how about it mr. factory branch manager how do you do it well now that's a pretty tough question there are a lot of things involved first of all I have to have plenty of floor space for efficient operation on a number of trailers at the same time trailers are big piece of equipment I have all the special equipment needed for body and chassis repairs and servicing that means both tools and fixtures take a paint job for instance you couldn't expect to wash an elephant in a laundry tub well you can't expect to paint a trailer in anything except a specially built paint booth of course probably the most important of all I carry a big stock of replacement parts for threw offs of all ages I've got workmen trained and experienced in trailer service maintenance and repair but the best man's no good unless he has the tools to work with that's why frou Hoffs spends more than half a million dollars every year in branch shop equipment you repair other makes beside through Hoffs sure that's a good share of our servicing business and that's what some of the special equipment comes in my machine shop enables me to rework and make repairs and parts from any kind of trailer cuts down a repair time to by keeping all service operations under one roof get any headaches keeping them rolling headaches hi who doesn't but get this and ask the trailer operators I take care of if you don't believe me we do keep them on the road and we don't care what make they are yes the job of keeping the nation's trailers on the road is a tremendous one and it grows bigger year by year the growth the flu Hawk trailer sales alone explains why what the future holds no one can say definitely but perhaps some motor transport operator using trailers can supply a clue let's ask bill Jenkins who operates a fleet of trailers he's grown up with the motor transport industry you want to know what I think of the future look years ago I started out with a one-ton truck then Along Came trailers and tractors to pull them I helped open up this section and the job isn't half done yet the very existence of this community depends on motor trucks and trailers well it's one of the 54,000 in the country which hasn't any rail service at all I'm just a driver but I have been pulling trucks and trailers over the road since the first war it's a responsible job and I wouldn't trade it with anyone my two boys back from the service they feel the same way I do about it why they both got jobs just like mine to spend a lifetime you know Bob someday I'm going to get rid of that chair I think it's gotten your blood dream I don't know how many years I've sat here listening to you bellyache about what a hard life we have to live we've got one of the nicest little businesses in the world we've got money in the bank we've raised our families and repose perspective for having made this community what it is today I suppose you're still crabbing because you didn't go back to railroading years ago at least the railroad train doesn't have to stop for inspections when it crosses the state line it doesn't have to take off part of its load before it goes into a certain state or cut down the length of the train and another or stop because the cars are two inches higher than some one state says they oughta be nothing is indispensable as the motor transport industry can be legislated on a maximum usefulness to the people Bob it's true we've had to fight state barriers for years and still do well America goes ahead Bob not backward it isn't the spectacular things that have been done and will be done with trucks and trailers that count it's the everyday there's steady dependable things why just think of the thousands of communities in the nation which are served only by truck and trailer transport think of that think what it means for the future when we really differrent of our national resources some of the Lord's hold by trailers are spectacular in the shipyards for instance heavier and larger loads are handled by trailers than have ever been moved overland before it would be next to impossible to move these huge ship units in any other way millions of feet of lumber are handled every year by trailers especially designed for logging from the skid weighs the logs are hauled off to the sawmill and from the mills off to the manufacturing plant trailers built to operate over narrow and rough roads make it possible to cut over areas far removed from other means of transport truck trailers are at their most spectacular peaks in the oil fields particularly when a new field is being opened up and the big drilling rigs must depend upon them in a race against time and competition to get set up and get a hold out big utility companies have portable substations in told on specially-built trailers for use in emergency entire communities can be served by one of these trailer units in the event of a breakdown of other facilities in the early days of the industry motor transport was dependent on roads now the roads themselves are pushed ahead by the use of big trailers on which the road building equipment can be delivered to the road camps throughout the nation there are a number of transport companies who specialized in moving big bulky objects commonly considered unmovable they of course use trailers as other engineers use specially designed machinery to solve big manufacturing and production problems but these are the unusual the dramatic uses to which trailers are put the industrial social and economic development of America is dependent upon the everyday standard forms of trailer transport seen by the thousands on our highways and streets and that the nation's Freight duct looking at any trunk highway entering any city will illustrate how much every home benefits by motor transport and will also give some idea of how dependent our nation is upon this great industry milk just a few hours from the dairy barns rolls in for the nation's breakfast table in fact 49 large cities receive all their milk over the highway fresh vegetables with the dew still on roll in from the truck farm fresh fruit tree rises will be delivered just a few hours after it was picked from the tree grapes from a thousand miles away will be on the table before the fresh smell of the vines from which they were picked will have been lost some hundred thousand truck and trailer loads of fruits and vegetables come in from Florida alone every season you can live more than a thousand miles away from either the Atlantic or the Pacific and still get seafood from either ocean saltwater fresh over ten million head of cattle rolled from the feeding pens right into the packing plants annually and beef ready for the butcher shop is delivered from the packing plants in rolling refrigerator and the modern prefabricated homes moves by a trailer direct from factory to building site flexible trailer transport permits production close to the source of raw materials thus minimizing transportation costs moving has been simplified by the use of trailer vans families may move hundreds of miles over the weekend with hardly any interruption of their home life yes food clothing and every single item in every American home has been moved at some time for many times by motor transports from the area where it was produced to the plant where it was processed and then on to where it is used or consumed lumber for your home gasoline for your car drugs for your medicine chest groceries for your tables ink for your daily papers tolls for your furnace fuel oil bread cleanser in fact there is not a single home anywhere in the nation that does not benefit everyday in some way from Motor Transport there is not a single industry that is not dependent on Motor Transport by the little trucks the big trucks and the truck grown trailers we live and prosper on these our great factories and industries depend for their very existence and the millions of miles of highways which now cover the nation like a protecting canopy who built them and who paid for them the people did but who wrote the checks according to the United States government every vehicle in the motor transport industry has overpaid its full share of Road building and upkeep costs in Texas and license fees as for the future no one is in a better position to talk about what part trailers will play in the years to come then Harvey through hops president of the full house trailer company mr. Prue huh well that's a big order forecasting the future and I appreciate the compliment I don't have my crystal ball either I feel that motor transport serves the public so very well that it's bound to grow and I don't think we need to worry about its future and since truck trailers are a necessity to motor transport our company should continue to grow along with it but we all must remember this no company grows automatically a famous saying by a great man eeehm Statler of hotel fame puts it this way life is service the one who progresses is the one who gives his fellow beings a better service that's why we're determined never to let down in our efforts to design and build a better product and in our efforts to aid and support motor transport in its growth we must always remember that the only boss we have is the customer and that our future is in his hands and that will grow according to how we serve him some such papers death must have spurred on the pioneers who pushed our frontiers westward they served future generation traced new pathways for civilization and human progress but it is doubtful if any among them could foresee that we would span in a few hours distances that took them days and weeks of travel new and better methods of transportation have enabled us to build a nation knit together in unity in spite of the handicaps of distance ours indeed are the rewards of a people who have kept their faith in the future [Music]