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Logging equipment

Started by dirthawger, December 20, 2017, 11:08:39 PM

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Skeans1

Parts of the country it's hard to get a driver or truck anymore, a buddy has a large scale trucking firm as well as logging on any given day he's running 50 trucks with at least 20 sitting that's part of the reason most of us out here do our own trucking. One other bonus is I'm setup as a quick change from bunks to fifth wheel for pulling lowboy I'm not sure about you guys, but here it's a minimum of 125 an hour up to 50k roughly of equipment weight after that it goes up. We know a few guys that have the 568 shovels with drums on them for yarding that are just shy of 140k that's one thing I wouldn't want to move myself you're always fighting the scales with those machines.

chevytaHOE5674

Our wood is hauled on dedicated log trucks so there isn't much else you could haul with them. So if you cutting wood 8 or 10 hours a day that leaves no time to run the truck unless you hire somebody. And for the hassle it is to hire somebody and maintain a truck it's just easier to hire it out and let somebody worry about it and focus on cutting wood.

Skeans1

Aren't your guy's trucks running subframes for the sideways wood hauling? If so that's all we have setup for a log bunk, and stinger to pull out switch out takes me about 20 minutes to be hooked up from long logger to lowboy. Sounds like you guys have better luck with trucking back there then we do out here especially running a short logger mule train it's harder to find someone to drive one. Myself when the day comes that our driver retires I'll find someone to drive our truck there's too much on the table left by not having one.

chevytaHOE5674

Our log trucks are long straight trucks pulling a pup trailer, you could pull a float trailer and a skidder maybe but that's about it. For guys here the cost of owning and maintaining a truck is high so it needs to be running all the time, so there are either guys who run small fleets of trucks and haul for many different loggers, or owner operators. That way if the logger is down, moving jobs, weather bad, etc he can just send his truck someplace else and haul wood.

Nothing worse that being in the woods and get a call from your driver saying he's 200 miles away and broke down, then you have to stop producing wood to deal with it. Costing you the double whammy breakdown and downtime. Best thing my old boss did was dump the log truck and focus on producing more wood.


Stoneyacrefarm

Chevy.
Nice load of logs you have there.
Work hard. Be rewarded.

chevytaHOE5674

I wish it was my load of logs. Just a picture I have in my gallery of a Michigan truck.

Skeans1

For stuff like this I would loose my shirt not having the trucking myself the long ones were 85' the short one was 55', at 175 an hour plus mileage, and tickets I wouldn't of made anything on a 1500 a thousand pole now with the trucking added in that's another 2500 in our pocket a trip.

mark_h

85' that's quite the log. what species is that? doug fir?

Skeans1

Yes Doug fir the trees these were from 200' or so some taller some shorter we had to to take a log off the butt for straighten them out.

treeslayer2003

same for me skeans. not many contract trucks here and i need a truck when i need one. so i have one lol. insurance and tags are through the roof for what we do.....don't go far......but its a necessary evil for us. also pulls lowboy and landing loaders around, it would be pricey to pay for that every move or need to bring one home.

Skeans1

I agree completely it's a necessary evil is the best way to put it, yeah insurance is high same with tags but I'm coming out ahead in the end money wise in the end with our rate it's not too far from the logging.

dirthawger

Yea im thinking it may be a necessary evil for me also. With my small operation i was. considering getting a self loading log truck. If i wasnt using it on my jobsite could i have it contracted to another operation?  I was thinking that or that harvester you showed me might be a good first piece of equipment, that harvester i could cut and load with it

Ianab

Locally a couple of the larger outfits run their own trucks, but they also have several logging crews, and will haul for others to keep the trucks busy. One is a trucking company that got into logging, the other is a tree service/logging company that got into trucking. But they are big enough to run several logging crews, and trucks, so they are able to keep the crews and drivers busy, even if it's hauling logs for someone else.

The smaller operators will just run a skidder / excavator / dozer and hire in the trucking. They figure that having a large expensive truck sitting around doing nothing much of the time is a poor investment. And if you driving, you aren't logging. Local trucking companies are always looking for work, and a couple have spare log trailers. So they can hitch one up to a truck that was hailing gravel or fertilizer yesterday, and spend a day hauling logs. Keeps the expensive (and more reliable) late model trucks on the road and paying the bills.

All the crews have a some way of loading logs at the landing, large wheel loader or excavator with a grapple, and same at the mills and port. So self loaders are rare. The self loader adds to the cost, and reduces the payload of the truck.

All the trucks also load their trailers onto the truck when running empty. They are taxed on "axles per mile". If 1/2 the axles are on the road for the empty trip, that's 25% less road tax to pay, and the trucks travel better with a load on the deck, rather than an empty trailer bouncing along behind.

So a decent load is something like this.


And another coming back empty
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

dirthawger

I got ya. Well it won't be me hauling anyway,  my employee will be the one hauling. I was just seeing if i did have a truck if he could haul for someone else if we didn't have work.

starmac

If you get a truck and hire a driver, good luck. A one truck show driven by a hired hand generally does not work out. I have seen it work, but have seen it fail much more often.
The driver for a self load truck, has to be a good driver and there is a world of difference between a pavement pounder and a truck that gets off the road, plus he also has to be an equipment operator. Finding a good one that hasn't got a good job, may not be easy.

I have 5 good running semis, I only keep currant license and insurance on 2 of them, cuz the guy typing this is the only one that drives them. I quit using hired drivers several years ago. It does look like I will be putting a driver in one next summer, but I have known him forever and know how he treats a rig, but he also draws top dollar.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

Skeans1

Quote from: dirthawger on December 26, 2017, 11:31:51 PM
Yea im thinking it may be a necessary evil for me also. With my small operation i was. considering getting a self loading log truck. If i wasnt using it on my jobsite could i have it contracted to another operation?  I was thinking that or that harvester you showed me might be a good first piece of equipment, that harvester i could cut and load with it
Which one the Combi machine like a Timbco or Timberpro? Or something like my 653 with the Fabtek?
We stay busy enough I can't hire my truck out but once in a blue we'll help a company out and grab a load for them. A guy I know has two trucks hires them both out then has a mule train come in for his thinning wood. Normally when we get mule trains in they're hopped up with the trailers front axle on the back of the truck frame or the trailer is a rock back set up like this one is so all you lift on either is just the tongue.
https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/fr/cp0/e15/q65/16711660_1168968219868748_8937907686073203722_n.jpg?oh=8170bf21183be8e272d6a44a94ea61ef&oe=5AC461E9

dirthawger

i Was looking for advice on selling my equipment.  i got a guy on his way right now 14 hours away to buy my grinder. We agreed that he will get a cashiers check and he will meet me at my bank and after my bank clears it ill transfer it to him.  Are cashiers checks pretty safe? i just figured if hes driving 14 hours and has agreed to my terms, surely i can't be scammed. Just nervous as this is my first time selling a big ticket item.

thecfarm

If your bank will give you the funds immediately then yes. If they put a 10 business day hold on it,well..................................
So much can be scammed and faked now.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

2308500

in canada i like to close a deal with a bank draft.   its as good as cash.  needs to be bought from bank by your "buyer" and is the only way we can surely, not be scammed.  just dont lose the draft because its your only ticket to the money

mike_belben

You can wire the funds from account to account.  Just make sure they have cleared into your account and are not reversible before he hitches up.  I exported equipment to third world countries for a scrap yard.  Wire was how we did everything, and lots of it was just pictures, phone calls, and a rigger showing up. 
Praise The Lord

lopet

Wires can take up to two or tree business days which I think is a joke.
A draft or certified check you can buy at your bank for a fee. The amount comes out of your account immediately and the bank will guarantee the funds and not the account holder. I've done a lot of business like that, if you go look at something and you don't like what you see, you can always put the check back in your account.
I know you're the seller, just sayn.
Make sure you know how to fall properly when you fall and as to not hurt anyone around you.
Also remember, it's not the fall what hurts, its the sudden stop. !!

dirthawger

Its sold and everything was good. He let me come into the bank while he got the check.  I felt like an idiot though,  night before i cleaned it up did a test grind no leaks.  He got here after a 14 hour drive,  bam, dang fuel leak from the filter, no big deal, tightened it up, bam, dang fuel solenoid sprung a leak spraying fuel everywhere.  Luckily he had a sense of humor and laughed and said its only hapenning cause im selling it. I felf like chevy chase in vegas vacation when he was trying to plug holes in the hoover dam with gum. VERY embarrassing. But he bought it anyway

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