Taking a pulse of the industry.

[backwoods sawyer]

About a month ago, I started noticing that there seemed to be more log trucks on the road then what there had been. I drive 37 miles through the windy coast range one-way to work and it is close to that far in the other direction to a concentration of large mills. I seem to be about the only mill that is along this rout. Anyway, I started counting log trucks, chip trucks and lumber trucks on my drive to the coast. The numbers were consistently around 12 log trucks, 1-2 chip trucks, and a lumber truck every few days. Recently those numbers have been climbing. I have been counting 50+ log trucks, a dozen chip trucks a day, however the most lumber trucks that I have counted is three. That is understandable in that most of the lumber is shipped by rail or hits the freeway.
At first 50+ log trucks sounds like a lot, but it takes 50-70 loads per day for one of the large mills and there are several large mills in the area and dozens of smaller mills. This is not the only coast range road in the area, and the numbers are coming from a small portion of the day, but they do show an up tick in the industry in this area.

[mad murdock]

Log prices have been up in the middle 500's for a few months, and the woods are finally getting dried out from a long, and wet spring.  Mills are going to be moving to partial shutdowns starting in July, and prices are going to go way down again.  Timber companies are cutting and hauling as fast as they can till they all get cut way back after the 4th.  Pole prices are still good for now.  Things are going to fall off hard though after this week.  You will see a big decrease in the number of loads going down the road real soon.

[paul case]

here in ne ok and sw mo there is a tick up in the demand and price for our green oak lumber. it as been almost 2  years since we could sell much pallet stock and now the pallet mfgers are buying. the grade lumber is back up enuf that it pays more to cut this than ties do. most hardwood mills in this area would still buy logs but wouldnt pay much.  that is up too.  they generally dont shut down here.
    the future is uncertain, but aint it always been? its good for now. pc

[laffs]

not much change around here paper mills are about the same,slow. chips are about half the loads we see for biomass . most of the logs go to canada. killer Bs (sunbry) brings them back as studs. nafta at work

[Ron Wenrich]

We never had a shutdown in our small mill.  We've sold logs, lumber and chips right through the recession.  The large local mill has broken up into smaller divisions.  I believe the lenders had something to do with that.  Their mill runs every other week.  But, the flooring division is hungry for wood.

Pallet prices are up to where they were before, maybe better.  A lot of smaller suppliers have gone out of business or can't get logs.  But, the local paper mill is loaded with wood.  That means quota.  Ties move well, but their prices haven't moved up in accordance to 1 Com oak.  Red oak prices have recovered somewhat.

But, like the others, I have reservations about the fall.  Lumber prices took a large jump up when housing starts were going up, thanks to the tax credit.  But, they've slumped back down.  Hardwood follows the softwood markets by about 6 months.