Abstract
The truck transportation concentrated in the metropolis of Tokyo has remarkably developed lately. Within considerable distances from Tokyo trucks have overwhelmed freight trains in goods transportation.
The author has studied from the data on the kinds of goods and their carried distances, obtained from investigating 6, 155 trucks coming into and going out of Tokyo during just one day frm 10 a.m. on May 5, 1950 to 10 a.m. on the next day. According to its investigation, the truck transportation areas of Tokyo are divided into five. They are as follows:
1. The suburban area (10-60 kilometers). Within this area a truck driver can return to his base early enough to do his works of the next day. This area is a sphere within which the truck is superior to the train whatevera condition may be.
2. The middle distance area (60-150 kilometers). Within this area it takes one day including the times both for loading and unloading for the truck to reach over there. The daily fresh provisions such as vegetables, fruits, milk and meat area are transported profitably by means of truck service, within this area. But in general this area is a competitive zone between trucks and trains.
3. The long distance area (150-300 kilometers). As this area is beyond one day's reach, the driver has to put up for the night on his way or to make a through-night driving and it is hard to get the chance of acquiring the return loads. Therefore the freight rate in trucks becomes higher than that in trains.
4. The areas out of limits in far distances (more than 300km). Beyond 300 kilometers it becomes very difficult to operate the trucks economically from theoritical and practical point of view. This is a monopolistic sphere for the activity of the freight train.
5. The area out of limits in short distances (less than 10km). Within 10 kilometer circle trucks can not work effectively. In place of trucks, bicycles or carts work much more profitably.
