'Return Loads' to Increase Transport Resources by Avoiding Waste of Empty Vehicle Running

In Short

Published by the Highways Transport Committee of the Council of National Defense in August 1918, Bulletin No. 3 outlines an urgent home-front initiative: establishing return-load bureaus across the United States. Designed to free overloaded railroads for long-distance military logistics, this policy document instructs local chambers of commerce and state councils to organize motor truck routes for short-haul civilian shipping. By pairing idle or returning trucks with merchants needing swift door-to-door delivery, the program turns empty vehicles into a coordinated logistics net. The text endures as a vivid historical blueprint of early automotive freight management and organized civic cooperation.

The Story

The text unfolds as an official administrative call to action issued during the final months of World War I. Opening with a resolution passed by the Council of National Defense, the narrative establishes a clear mission: maximum utilization of motor trucks must be encouraged, and restrictive state regulations hindering highway movement must be removed. The core challenge facing the nation's industrial economy is severe freight congestion on the railway system. Rail networks are choked with short-haul shipments and crowded terminals, leaving manufacturers and merchants facing severe embargoes. To solve this crisis, the Highways Transport Committee introduces the concept of the return-load bureau, a non-profit civic enterprise meant to link shippers with truck operators who would otherwise drive home empty.

The strategy expands through five primary lines of effort: eliminating empty running, developing scheduled rural motor express routes, substituting highway trucks for rail short hauls, launching public educational campaigns, and boosting operational efficiency. By shifting the burden of local freight off the tracks, millions of tons of merchandise can move swiftly while freeing locomotives and railcars for long-distance war transport. The text highlights proven precedent, citing the success of return-load networks in England—specifically around industrial centers like Manchester—where driving an unloaded truck has come to be viewed as unpatriotic.

As the practical machinery of the plan is revealed, the narrative transitions to local implementation. Municipalities integrate these bureaus directly into public life by listing "Return loads" in telephone directories. Shippers needing fast delivery call their local bureau, which matches their goods with registered truck owners who have idle capacity. This door-to-door service avoids intermediate handling, ensuring same-day arrival for urgent commodities and minimizing winter railway disruptions. Shippers are urged to provide advance notice of their freight needs so inter-city networks can coordinate schedules effectively. Beyond immediate convenience, the program frames truck utilization as an act of national conservation: running loaded vehicles prevents wearing out roads without purpose and saves essential equipment and supplies. The argument closes with a direct appeal to patriotically-minded business owners, reminding them that local bureaus operate without profit to serve the public interest, and directing further suggestions to state defense councils or the federal committee in Washington.

How It Unfolds

The national mandate The Council of National Defense formally approves the expanded use of motor trucks and urges state authorities to strip away restrictive regulatory hurdles. Federal officials establish return-load bureaus as a vital home-front measure to combat rail congestion and strengthen national logistics.

The five-point strategy The Highways Transport Committee structures its campaign around five key objectives, focusing on return loads, rural express routes, railroad cooperation, public education, and operating efficiency. Replacing short-haul rail trips with highway trucking frees up critical railcars for long-distance military cargo.

The English precedent The document points to established foreign models, noting that return-load systems are already operating successfully across England. In manufacturing hubs like Manchester, driving an empty truck is treated as a wasteful, unpatriotic act that harms the broader war effort.

Civic phone directory integration Local telephone companies support the initiative by listing return-load bureaus directly under standard service headers in city directories. Merchants seeking prompt local freight movement can simply call the listed number to connect with available truck owners.

Conservation and continuous movement The bulletin calls on shippers to give early notice of cargo needs so regional networks can coordinate outgoing and incoming loads. Operating trucks continuously under full capacity prevents damaging highways with empty runs while conserving precious vehicular supplies during wartime.

The People

Highways Transport Committee Functioning as the central planner of the narrative, this federal body under the Council of National Defense seeks to relieve overwhelmed railroads by establishing nationwide highway transport networks. Standing against rail delays and inefficient shipping habits, the committee successfully transforms scattered local trucking into a nationwide logistical network.

State Councils of Defense Acting as the vital regional administrative link, these state organizations strive to implement federal transport directives, clear away local legal obstacles, and foster municipal cooperation. Faced with varying regional policies and localized shipping shortages, they establish the framework required to keep return-load bureaus functioning in every state.

The Civilian Shipper Representing local manufacturers and merchants, this collective figure wants rapid, reliable delivery of goods amidst severe railroad embargoes and terminal congestion. Struggling against weather delays and shipping backlogs, the shipper adopts motor transport over highways, gaining same-day door-to-door transit while directly aiding the war effort.

The Truck Operator Operating vehicles that often sit idle or return home empty after single-direction deliveries, the truck owner wants to lower haulage costs and maintain steady operation. By listing available capacity with local bureaus, the operator secures return freight, reduces per-mile expenses, and turns standard commercial driving into a recognized patriotic service.

In Its Own Voice

"The Council of National Defense approves the widest possible use of the motor truck as a transportation agency, and requests the State Councils of Defense and other State authorities to take all necessary steps to facilitate such means of transportation..."

The text begins by setting forth a clear federal mandate designed to sweep away local regulatory barriers in favor of expanded highway shipping.

"The return-load bureau system has been installed in England, where it is now considered unpatriotic to run a truck without a load."

To persuade American business owners, the bulletin cites international precedent to show how empty vehicle runs undermine national defense.

"To bring the shipper and truck owner together serves the interests of both, hence the return-load bureaus are of mutual benefit."

The document emphasizes that civic cooperation and practical economic self-interest can work hand in hand to solve local transport problems.

What It's Really About

Behind its administrative tone, Bulletin No. 3 addresses the rapid transformation of American infrastructure during national crisis. The document argues that modern war requires total resource efficiency, turning daily commercial decisions into acts of public duty. By addressing the wasteful reality of the empty backhaul, the text highlights how decentralized civic networks—chambers of commerce, municipal war boards, and local phone exchanges—can assemble a unified transportation grid without massive federal overhead. The argument redefines the highway system not as a series of disconnected local roads, but as a vital national utility capable of relieving overburdened heavy rail. Ultimately, it poses fundamental questions about corporate cooperation, conservation of mechanical resources, and how public-private partnerships can solve complex logistical bottlenecks during emergencies.

Why Read It Today

This bulletin offers a fascinating historical snapshot for readers interested in economic history, logistical design, early automotive transportation, or home-front mobilization during the First World War. Reading the document feels like stepping straight into a 1918 government office: the prose is disciplined, clear, and focused entirely on practical implementation. It provides a striking window into an era when motor trucking was just emerging as a serious competitor to the railways, capturing the exact moment when door-to-door highway haulage gained federal endorsement.

While the work is short and strictly functional, lacking literary narrative or individual character development, its clarity is remarkably refreshing. The text avoids modern bureaucratic jargon, favoring crisp, persuasive explanations of logistics and resource stewardship. Readers will be struck by how modern the underlying concepts feel—precurring contemporary ideas like real-time freight matching, ride-sharing algorithms, and supply-chain optimization. What remains with the reader is an appreciation for how simple civic organization, combined with existing communication tools like the telephone book, was deployed to solve massive national supply chain failures.