TRUCK TRANSPORT IN THE GDR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700180211-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 6, 2011
• Sequence Number: 211
• Publication Date: May 12, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000700180211-6
STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000700180211-6
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000700180211-6
Verkehrs-Wirtechaft
Duesseldorf, 19 Dec 1953
According to 1953 plans, the transport performances in the GDR Were to
have been 21.3 billion ton-kilometers for the railroads, 1.8 billion for water
transport, and 1.2 billion Por road vehicles. The situation for road trans-
portation, especially in trucking, has been deteriorating for the past years.
There are no long-distance trucking firms; private firms handle only local
transports. Despite all efforts by the authorities, two thirds to three fourths
of all goods transported by truck are bulk goods, with coal representing one
fifth of the total and wood and constructio^ material representing an almost
equally large portion.
Before the war, there were 80,000 trucks in the present-day GDR; today's
truck park Is estimated at 65,000. In addition, there are about 8,700 prime
movers. ThP availability of these vehicles for service is lessened because
the entire stock is obsolete. Before World War II about 40 percent of all
trucks were over 5 years old; most of them are probably 20 years old by now.
The average age of privately owned trucks is slightly higher than that of
"people-owned" vehicles.
Yearly production of trucks amounts to only a few thousand units and very
little of it is used to improve the domestic motor-vehicle situation. Heavy
tru~-a with a capacity above 3 tons are not being built. New trucks are built
by Horch, Phaenomen, and Pramo, but their production program includes only 1-
ton, 1.5-ton, and 3-ton trucks.
Even more important than the drop of nearly 20 percent in the number of
vehicles and tho progressive obsolescence of the vehicles is the change in
cargo capacity. Nearly 90 percent of all vehicles have a capacity of 3 tone
or less, while in Weat Germany there are now six times as many heavy trucks
on the road as before the war. Rardly any trucks with a capacity oP over
5 tone are left in the GDR; the total capacity of all trucks is estimated at
about 100,000 tone. This lack of cargo space, plus the shortage of fuel and
of spare parts necessitates utilization of the trailer park, but there are
only about 30,000 trailers of all sizes, and more than 80 percent of those
carry lass than one ton. The average trailer capacity is less than 2.5 tone,
while it is nearly 3.5 tons in West Germany. The total cargo space in trailers
in the GDR is estimated at about 70,000 tons.
STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000700180211-6