Pooling Facilities To
Serve Army Camp
How Indianapolis Dealers Supply Camp Atterbury
Just what is required of a group of milk
dealers who jointly strive to service a big Army camp with bottled milk
is revealed by C. W. Hunt, secretary of the Milk Bottle Service, Inc., Indianapolis
Ind., who describes how this group of Indianapolis dealers is servicing
Camp Atterbury.
"Camp Atterbury," advises Mr.
Hunt, "lies 30 miles south of Indianapolis and is built on what
formerly was very fine farm land. Thousands of acres are involved
and a year and three months ago this represented a typical Hoosier farm
section.
Pooled Facilities
"Shortly after starting of
construction, individual companies in the fluid milk business in
Indianapolis were approached by Quartermaster officials concerning the supplying
of Camp Atterbury with milk and diary products. When we were
informed as to the size of the camp to be constructed there and the number
of men it was to house, it was readily seen that no single milk dealer
in the city of Indianapolis, or within the surrounding area, could
supply the camp with its requirements and still maintain its regular
civilian trade. The industry, feeling its responsibility and
wishing to do its part in serving this camp and assisting in the war
effort, pooled its facilities and producer resources in order that a
sufficient supply of Grade A milk and dairy products could be maintained
at all times.
"At first it was the thought that a
new corporation would have to be created to handle this contract, but
after advice from attorneys it was agreed that the industry had a ready
made vehicle to use in Milk Bottle Service, the corporation that handles
the market's universal bottle. Bids for the camp's business were
then presented and accepted by the Camp Quartermaster. Contracts
were then drawn between every distributor within the market to supply
his proportionate share of each 1,000 quarts
contracted with Atterbury in the same relation as the distributor's
position, or percentage, of the Indianapolis market. A proviso was
also inserted in each contract that should the distributor fail to meet
Army specifications as to milk, then Milk Bottle Service could draw from
such company a like amount of raw milk and place it in any other company
equipped to meet Army specifications.
Delivery Details
"Some difficulty was encountered in
procuring trucks - more difficulty encountered in acquiring the material
to construct bodies for them. These things were eventually
overcome and deliveries started on the contract. The trucks are
rated 2 1/2 tons, body dimensions inside are 14 by 9 by 6 feet high,
semi-insulated. The contract calls for kitchen door delivery
between the hours of four and six a.m., with the exception of officers
mess, service clubs and post exchanges, these deliveries being made in
the afternoon. The carrying capacity of the tires on these trucks
approximates 2,000 quarts per truck. This, we find, is also the
driver's capacity. That is, one man can deliver that amount of
milk within the time specified. After making their deliveries the
drivers wait 30 or 40 minutes, until breakfast is over, then retrace
their routes and pick up their empties. Each truck picks up at not
more than three milk dealers. However at these diaries he may pick
up three or four different companies' milk which has been brought to
these central locations by outlying diaries. The driver's number
of deliveries, we find, is limited to about 44.
"Because of the fine cooperation of
the Quartermaster officials, the mess officers, the KP's, and the
employees of milk dealers at the loading points, capacity loads can be
delivered, empties returned to the diaries, in approximately eight hours
over all elapsed time. Because of the immediate pickup after the
milk has been served at breakfast time, bottle loss is held to an
absolute minimum. Our figures show an average of 90 trips per
bottle. The case float also is held to an absolute minimum which
we estimate at approximately three and one-half cases, with no loss
whatsoever. Much credit can be given to the fine spirit of
co-operation evidenced by the Quartermaster officials in being able to
maintain the foregoing figures on bottles and cases.
Servicing Problems
"When the camp was at its capacity it required three of our
trucks to fun hot - that is, they were used on morning delivery and again
in the afternoon. This created a servicing problem but by
scheduling drivers to different trucks on alternate days this problem
too was overcome.
"You will note in accompanying illustration that each truck
carries a different milk slogan, without the name of any company at
all. In fact, 18 slogans are used - a different one on each side
and also on the rear of the trucks - making them in effect
traveling billboards which have created a lot of favorable
comments."
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