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Looking to truck my own logs, in wi

Started by trecher2, April 28, 2014, 05:31:27 PM

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trecher2

Hello all, I'm looking to buy my own log truck. Have been having issues getting pulp and firewood hauled and most mills I sell to will hire me to haul saw logs also. As stated I'm in wi, and wondering what guys with experience would recommend for a truck. Kinda leaning to an over the road day cab semi with a locker, short wheel base then add wet kit per trailer loader specs. All the dedicated log trucks I've looked at are used up big time. I'm not sure on a trailer have questions on the proper length thinking something around 40 ft or even less. I would like to haul 10+ cord of pulp and thinking mid mount loader. My pulp mill is around 30 miles away so 60 round trip, saw logs and firewood who knows where that will end up. My concern is having a trailer big enough to haul a good size load but also still able to get in and out of tight field roads and small log landings. Any input to help me avoid mistakes would be helpful thanks.

ABTS

If you are looking for something that will get onto tight farm fields and such a truck pup is your best choice. I have owned both I now have a tractor trailer. It will get into most places but at times I wish I had the truck pup. Mine is a peterbilt 378 with a wet kit and a great lakes 45 ft 3 axle crib with a center mount loader.I haul saw log and pulp  the only thing about the crib is sometimes getting the volume on of pulp weight wise. Other than that I really like the setup.

coxy

what do you run for board feet or do you get payed by the ton

barbender

If you want to be able to turn when off road, you don't want a short wheelbase.
Too many irons in the fire

trecher2

Well I learned another important lesson today, drove 650+ miles round trip to look at a loader truck with a pup. I asked the right questions had about 12 pics all looked good well I grabbed a bud and hauled thinking we had one, pulled in looked at the worst most rusted, weather checked tires, broken glass, cracked up frame, radiator rotted out, pos on the planet. Geeez I gotta do way more pic analyzing and make them take the pics I want instead to giving me the good ones. This forestry stuff sure can get hammered in the wrong hands. Also when your selling you have realize at some point the buyer is going to come and look. The search continues..

mad murdock

Years ago, my brother and I bought a self loader from a place in iron river, an Autocar constructor. It was a good truck, had a prentice 110G loader. We put a "private, not for hire" sign on the doors, and would scale each load and give the loggers a hand receipt with price on the load. That way the wood on the truck was always our own.  We sold to our own markets/contacts, and paid the loggers, always more than the mills paid, as we were filling specialty orders in niche markets.  We paid that truck off in 18 mo. We bought it used then t was about 15 years old or better when we bought it. In summer a legal load on it was 8-9 cord, in winter we could legally haul 10-12 cords. Saved a bunch of $$ by not hauling over state lines and not paying for an LC. Don't know if you can still haul raw forest products like we did theme in wisc, but worth a look see.
Turbosawmill M6 (now M8) Warrior Ultra liteweight, Granberg Alaskan III, lots of saws-gas powered and human powered :D

Woodhauler

Quote from: trecher2 on April 28, 2014, 05:31:27 PM
Hello all, I'm looking to buy my own log truck. Have been having issues getting pulp and firewood hauled and most mills I sell to will hire me to haul saw logs also. As stated I'm in wi, and wondering what guys with experience would recommend for a truck. Kinda leaning to an over the road day cab semi with a locker, short wheel base then add wet kit per trailer loader specs. All the dedicated log trucks I've looked at are used up big time. I'm not sure on a trailer have questions on the proper length thinking something around 40 ft or even less. I would like to haul 10+ cord of pulp and thinking mid mount loader. My pulp mill is around 30 miles away so 60 round trip, saw logs and firewood who knows where that will end up. My concern is having a trailer big enough to haul a good size load but also still able to get in and out of tight field roads and small log landings. Any input to help me avoid mistakes would be helpful thanks.
In my 30+ years hauling wood, the biggest reason people have for not getting their wood hauled is because there piles look like a bomb went off in them. All the big contacters around will tell you to do one or the other... either cut wood or haul wood. They have trucks out of nessesity. Most big companys will hire most of it done cause its cheaper.
2013 westernstar tri-axle with 2015 rotobec elite 80 loader!Sold 2000 westernstar tractor with stairs air ride trailer and a 1985 huskybrute 175 T/L loader!

jwilly3879

We call those piles that look like a bomb went off "beaver huts." Where they just keep pushing it up with the skidder. Before we had a loader to sort the trucker would pull the logs out of the pile and then throw the pulp in a big heap. I asked why he didn't stack the pulp as he went through the  pile and his response was I don't have time. It would take him twice as long to load the pulp, picking from the beaver house and we would have to be there to push wood to him with the skidder 'cuz he threw it so far.

Now everything is sorted and stacked, makes for a much nicer landing. This trucker loves it.

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