Thinking of buying a logging truck

Chris McFarland · May 20, 2015, 08:16:27 PM

I own a small business with my dad and younger brother logging our own land. I'm thinking of buying my own truck I live in western Maine (south Paris) looking fore some info pros and cons +-. I here that most guys can't keep up and there having a hard time moving wood because truckers are so tied up.

thecfarm · May 20, 2015, 09:01:56 PM

Chris McFarland,welcome to the forum. I use to log the land I live on now with my Father. We had a good trucker,would be there in usually no more than 2 days. A truck can help,but you will be a man down in woods while someone is taking logs to the mill. I always felt I could make more cutting the wood instead of being gone for 2-3 hours. I just felt it was money well spent to have someone else have the trucking expense problems.

coxy · May 20, 2015, 09:10:49 PM

thanks thecfarm I thought I was the only one that thought that ;D Chris McFarland welcome to the ff

lopet · May 20, 2015, 09:51:24 PM

Welcome to the forum Chris.
It probably depends on a lot of things, like how many loads you wanna haul in a year, how much money you wanna spend on a truck and insurance and maintenance etc. I know a log truck is a handy tool and can be used for other tasks. Even at the landing it could be used for sorting, that all needs to be weighed off.

Chris McFarland · May 20, 2015, 10:44:10 PM

I want to at least get 3 loads or more a day. To make any money at it. Price wise
Round wood $55.00 a thousand and $10.00 a ton for pulp wood. When I do fire wood off my lot it's $1000.00 a truck load. Truck wise I want something strong 13-18 speed with 14-18k,FR AND 46K Rears under 300k fore Miles skeleton frame and air ride front and back.

Chris McFarland · May 20, 2015, 10:48:07 PM

Thanks fore the welcome everyone. I chose this forum because we are all in the same business in one form or another and last face it I haven't been doing this very long so all comments and advice from the seasoned veterans who have forgotten more than I will learn.

sandsawmill14 · May 20, 2015, 11:34:15 PM

Chris welcome to the forum you will have to decide if you want to log or drive a truck. I know several loggers around here with their own trucks but hire trucks to haul their logs because they can make more money in the woods. they only use the trucks to move their equip. if you want to truck you could stay busy (down here anyway) but a truck that new would be expensive and all the tags and insurance you will have to stay in it to pay for it. I tried hauling my own logs years ago before i bought my mill 2 loads a day best i could do, hiring a truck to haul i could get 4 loads a day. it took 1 load to pay the haul bill for all 4 so i ended making more by hiring trucks than hauling my own. If you want to log IMO you would be better off with an old 6x6 and 3 or 4 trailers then you never get caught having to wait on a truck but never lose any time going to the mill. If you want to drive a truck go for it. but I should also say I dont log any more I just run the mill now. good luck whatever you decide

Chris McFarland · May 21, 2015, 04:35:19 PM

Sand sawmill 14
Thanks fore the info I here the same thing up here. I think I'm just going to truck and let my brother do the logging that way I can pull our logs and stay Busy galling for other outfits. As far as the truck goes I would most likely go with something a little cheaper that way I can pay it off. The truck I have listed above is my want truck unless I find a good deal I'll most likely go with something older and then move up. Thanks fore the info I'll post the pics of the truck when I get it.

sandsawmill14 · May 21, 2015, 05:55:31 PM

sound like a good plan

Woodhauler · May 21, 2015, 07:51:36 PM

Chris, if I had to do it all over again i would buy as new as a truck i could find! My first truck nearly put me under!! Talked the dealer into taking it back and he gave me one a little better. He begged me to take a new one, but at 22 years old i didn't dare! The second one was better but still a money pit! In 89 i bought my first new tri axle and loader! 26 years old, 2 kids and a wife and a payment book as big as the moon! Made more money with they new truck then i dreamed of! No break downs , just work! Have bought new since! 3 freightliners and 3 westernstars.

Chris McFarland · May 21, 2015, 08:35:13 PM

Senior member x2 thanks
I'm thinking the same thing if I go big I don't need the B.S that comes with an old truck if j want to do 3 or more loads a day I'm thinking new

jocco · May 22, 2015, 11:13:39 AM

Well weigh the exspence first. last I knew to put a tri axle on the road its $5 grand!!!! Look at upkeep tires $500 each and so on with most parts!!!! Payment on a new one probably $1500-2500 a month!!! PROBABLY WHY MOST SMALL OPERATORS HIRE IT OUT!!!!

lumberjack48 · May 22, 2015, 03:35:28 PM

This is back in the mid 70's. We had wood piled up on blocks that we couldn't get hauled. At the time there was some theft going on, on sales left with no loggers around. We had a 1000 cds of saw bolts laying around on different blocks. When its piled 16 feet high its hard to tell if some body's creaming off the top.
This is when we decided to by a truck. We picked up a old bull dog faced Mack. It had over a million miles on it, day cab, 711 motor, tri-plex tran, tandem, good rubber, brakes like new $3000. Drove it to Bemidji and put a new Barko 60 loader on it. We put a T plate on it, $100 or so, insurance, $100 or so. My dad drove it, he hauled 2 to 3 loads a day with it, some new wood, some old wood. I'll tell you its nice to have your own truck. It was easy to get somebody to haul once we had a way to load them. I delivered firewood on weekends with it and hauled Ceder during breakup. Expenses were low, one breakup we took out the camel back springs. Replaced them with a Hendrickson suspension that we picked up for a 1000. Then dad was stuck with it, he was going back an forth with it, i told him i'd go and get the skidder. But no, he kept going back and forth, then i heard a bang, he'd got it in two gears. The tran busted wide open, that was that. We found one for 1200., borrowed a tran jack, got two pieces of plywood and the tools. We put the tran in, in the mud hole, right where it went out. Other then that the twenty yrs we had it, we put a motor in it, which we picked up for a 1000. It took three days of monkeying around to put it in. I think at the time my dad fell in love with that OLE Mack, it was his baby. Tomorrow i'll tell you about my 3 yrs of trucking

treeslayer2003 · May 22, 2015, 03:46:34 PM

Quote from: lumberjack48 on May 22, 2015, 03:35:28 PM
This is back in the mid 70's. We had wood piled up on blocks that we couldn't get hauled. At the time there was some theft going on, on sales left with no loggers around. We had a 1000 cds of saw bolts laying around on different blocks. When its piled 16 feet high its hard to tell if some body's creaming off the top.
This is when we decided to by a truck. We picked up a old bull dog faced Mack. It had over a million miles on it, day cab, 711 motor, tri-plex tran, tandem, good rubber, brakes like new $3000. Drove it to Bemidji and put a new Barko 60 loader on it. We put a T plate on it, $100 or so, insurance, $100 or so. My dad drove it, he hauled 2 to 3 loads a day with it, some new wood, some old wood. I'll tell you its nice to have your own truck. It was easy to get somebody to haul once we had a way to load them. I delivered firewood on weekends with it and hauled Ceder during breakup. Expenses were low, one breakup we took out the camel back springs. Replaced them with a Hendrickson suspension that we picked up for a 1000. Then dad was stuck with it, he was going back an forth with it, i told him i'd go and get the skidder. But no, he kept going back and forth, then i heard a bang, he'd got it in two gears. The tran busted wide open, that was that. We found one for 1200., borrowed a tran jack, got two pieces of plywood and the tools. We put the tran in, in the mud hole, right where it went out. Other then that the twenty yrs we had it, we put a motor in it, which we picked up for a 1000. It took three days of monkeying around to put it in. I think at the time my dad fell in love with that OLE Mack, it was his baby. Tomorrow i'll tell you about my 3 yrs of trucking

this all sounds very familiar lol. waiting on tomorrow's story. it seems to me, and maybe you have the same experience, them old trucks gave less trouble and was much easier to work on. when i was a kid dad had a 66 brockway. toughest truck ever, he never spent much on it other than brakes and tires.

jwilly3879 · May 22, 2015, 04:01:36 PM

The fellow I worked with 20 years ago had an old International 1700 single axle dump. He would haul hardwood logs to the mill at least once a day and then we would put 2 cords of firewood on and deliver it on the way home. We had a triaxle haul our pine logs and pulp. In 5 years the truck only let us down once, the fuel pump went. I think that old truck made us a lot of money and more than paid for itself, best of all no payment book.

greenforestyy · May 22, 2015, 04:25:10 PM

man if i were u , like u need it, u really like it, u should really get it. Others have logging trucks and dont even use it 4 the right purposes 8)

Ken · May 22, 2015, 08:54:35 PM

Although there are those who wish to put in the hours to make it work in the trucking business, as far as I'm concerned owing your own truck to haul wood is nothing more than a very expensive convenience. I would much prefer to put wood roadside and let a responsible, reliable trucker haul it to a mill.

plasticweld · May 23, 2015, 06:36:53 AM

Chris I never really made money until I bought a truck. I don't make a dime owning one but the ability to keep the landing clean, move the firewood and take my logs to my own markets when I need to justifies the cost and convenience For the first 3 years I drove the log truck to work and always came home with a load and trucked all day on Saturday and Sunday. I put in a lot of 15 hour days which means you have to fudge your log book for DOT. I bought a decent truck and it is probably still worth close to what I paid for it 4 years ago, I have a good driver and if something happened to my truck I would buy another one in a heart beat.

Trucking where I live is tough, the mills will truck your wood for almost free to the saw mill, leaving no profit for an independent driver so few can make a living at trucking here. I do pallet wood, firewood and soft wood to my mill While I can get the saw logs moved they only make up a small percentage of what we cut, the ability to move your logs to the best market would be the most logical reason to have your own truck.

Welcome to the forum, I lived in Waldoboro before moving to NY...Bob

treeslayer2003 · May 23, 2015, 11:11:51 AM

Quote from: plasticweld on May 23, 2015, 06:36:53 AM
Chris I never really made money until I bought a truck. I don't make a dime owning one but the ability to keep the landing clean, move the firewood and take my logs to my own markets when I need to justifies the cost and convenience For the first 3 years I drove the log truck to work and always came home with a load and trucked all day on Saturday and Sunday. I put in a lot of 15 hour days which means you have to fudge your log book for DOT. I bought a decent truck and it is probably still worth close to what I paid for it 4 years ago, I have a good driver and if something happened to my truck I would buy another one in a heart beat.

Trucking where I live is tough, the mills will truck your wood for almost free to the saw mill, leaving no profit for an independent driver so few can make a living at trucking here. I do pallet wood, firewood and soft wood to my mill While I can get the saw logs moved they only make up a small percentage of what we cut, the ability to move your logs to the best market would be the most logical reason to have your own truck.

Welcome to the forum, I lived in Waldoboro before moving to NY...Bob

where you been? i have to have a truck, not many haulers here, i can't wait on them.

plasticweld · May 23, 2015, 06:05:15 PM

Quote from: treeslayer2003 on May 23, 2015, 11:11:51 AM

where you been? i have to have a truck, not many haulers here, i can't wait on them.
[/quote]

I disappeared for awhile, I had some bone head here on the forum give me a hard time for being successful :} he said something to the effect that anyone who buys land and all to cut the logs is really logging for the wrong reason, something to that effect. Maybe he meant something different than how it came across.. Heck TreeSlayer. I am a businessman first, I just happen to make my money in the lumber business.

How ya been?

treeslayer2003 · May 23, 2015, 07:06:32 PM

Quote from: plasticweld on May 23, 2015, 06:05:15 PM
Quote from: treeslayer2003 on May 23, 2015, 11:11:51 AM

where you been? i have to have a truck, not many haulers here, i can't wait on them.

I disappeared for awhile, I had some bone head here on the forum give me a hard time for being successful :} he said something to the effect that anyone who buys land and all to cut the logs is really logging for the wrong reason, something to that effect. Maybe he meant something different than how it came across.. Heck TreeSlayer. I am a businessman first, I just happen to make my money in the lumber business.

How ya been?
[/quote]pretty good man, i can't complain. good to see you back, i like sharing ideas and such. i don't put much stock in what others think of what i'm doing......if i did i prolly wouldn't be logging lol. i just try and do right, every thing else will fall into place.

treeslayer2003 · May 23, 2015, 07:07:02 PM

hmm, qoutes are acting funny

beenthere · May 23, 2015, 07:13:00 PM

The quotes start with the word quote between the square brackets, and end with the same except there is a slash (/) ahead of the word quote but still within the square brackets [].

Doing a Preview before posting will let you know if all is in order. ;)

sawguy21 · May 23, 2015, 08:40:54 PM

I am not a logger or a trucker but know a lot of them. The loggers generally do better staying with that and hire out the hauling as long as they can get reliable contractors and keep them happy. That means a steady supply of quality wood properly sorted and stacked for loading on decent roads. And pay checks on time.
New vs used is a tough call. Do you want to bust your butt so you can keep up with the payments and maintenance or are you willing to take the chance on an older unit that is paid for so you can spend nights and weekends fixing stuff? It is no fun laying in a mud hole at 2 am changing a rear end. I tried hauling logs, the money was good but not for the hours I had to put in.