This may work for you if you're close to a wood mill.....

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I have been giving log slabs to a hunting club this fall. One of the guys I know works for Bowater Wood Mill.
He ask me if I heard about their list. I said no.

Bowater will not take a log over a 22" dia. But who would have ever thought, some logging crews try to slip a log in over the specs everyday.

They have a list of sawmills that you have to be picked to be on. If an empty logging truck is coming your way going back to their tract, Bowater will load the trailer to the gills with these over sized logs and bring them to your yard.

These Pine logs are FREE.......all I am expected to do is give the driver a little fuel money. I will be getting my first load Friday, hopefully. It being Friday, the logger will just drop his trailer and I will unload it on Saturday and he will pick up his trailer on Monday.

I was told these logs are different lengths up 16 foot and some are 30" dia. I'll try to post some pics of my first load. I'm curious as to what BIG free logs look like. 

So, just a thought.....if you live close to a timber mill, it may be worth making a friendly call.

[Holmes]

Great score  Freddy.  ;)   The big logs can be scary also. 

[scsmith42]

Holy Cow - that's a heck of a deal!!!!

[drobertson]

And the Lord blesses again! Awsome news for you!  I hope this is not a trick or treat for you.  I am amazed that so many will load a load without knowing what they are loading.  and if it is weighed, who is paying for the extra?  They have to be butt cuts, which is primo.  What a deal. Happy for you!

[Dodgy Loner]

and if it is weighed, who is paying for the extra?

The logs that are out of spec don't get paid for. The logger (as well as the landowner, if they are cutting on shares) simply don't get paid for those logs. They are free to the mill, but the mill doesn't want them, which is why they are free to Poston.

I have had several opportunities to get out-of-spec logs for free - one opportunity was at a CNS mill that kicked out the logs that were flagged by the metal detector. Those logs I could live without :D. But the other opportunity was at a pole facility - these were absolutely beautiful logs that simply didn't meet the stringent requirements to be poles. Those I would have loved to have. But Red Clay Hound and his sawmill are 9 hours away, unfortunately :(

Not all mills will keep oversize or otherwise out-of-spec wood. Many will simply turn the truck around, which costs the driver a lot of money. But it certainly wouldn't hurt to check if you have a local mill!

[Tree Feller]

Poston (Freddy) that's a heck of a deal. It could turn into a big cash cow for you. Congratulations.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Poston (Freddy) that's a heck of a deal. It could turn into a big cash cow for you. Congratulations.

We will see on Friday the 13 3rd.

[redbeard]

  Big logs make bigger stacks of boards . Nice info thanks David.

[WDH]

You lucky rascal.

[Sixacresand]

Great Deal.  Does anyone in that hunting club know a plastic surgeon?  lol

[barbender]

Great Deal.  Does anyone in that hunting club know a plastic surgeon?  lol

:D :D

[WDH]

David,

"You in a heap of trouble, Boy."

[Magicman]

He doesn't need a plastic surgeon, he needs a transplant.....quickly. 

[WDH]

It is a good thing that you have the Law on your side  :D.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

It is a good thing that you have the Law on your side  :D.

Ain't that the truth!  ;D

[barbender]

I hear David changes his avatar photo more often than his undies :D

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I hear David changes his avatar photo more often than his undies :D

If I want clean undies, all I do is turn them inside out. I only have 1 color I wear and that is brown.  ;D

[clww]

Great score, Bufford T.! :D

[tjhammer]

I live just out of smelling range of bowarter wonder if its the same here I think a call would be in order
tj

[Raider Bill]

I live just out of smelling range of bowarter wonder if its the same here I think a call would be in order
tj

Are you near the Calhoun Mill?

[Jeff]

There are shades of this that use to happen around here, and I didn't think much of it.  I won't name the name of the very big company that makes OSB in a town just north of us,  but a practice I used to see when I was at the mill, was that when said company was low on wood, they would demand that the local loggers that had pulp contracts with them, working on said company's stumpage, bring EVERY thing to them. Logs, pulp oversize, everything. I was also told they would lean on loggers that were not cutting on said company's stumpage to bring everything they cut as well, or their pulp contracts might not be quite the same in the future. I know of a couple loggers that were cutting on some local lands, with contracts with the landowners where the landowners got paid pulp stumpage because that is where the logs went. The logs that were oversize and did not meet spec, were culled after they were hauled. The logger was not paid, and the landowner was not paid. The over-sized logs were shipped off to a sawmill in lewiston, that sawed only dense hardwoods. The Lewiston Mill then sold the cull logs to mills that sawed aspen. Our mill bought some of these logs on occasion. Guess who owned the Lewiston Mill?  It all seemed very wrong to me.  This was happening probably around 2004 or so. I have no idea if it still goes on.

[Beaudeane]

The guy may want them unloaded that nite if ur only giving a little fuel $$. He probably needs to get the trailer reloaded or staged at the tract to reload for his first load Monday ... Some the guys have multiple trailers & some don't but paid off weight, I'd wanna reload ASAP to start the week off. The paper mulls run 24/7 too. Good luck & good deal on the free logs. That's just input from me being a trucker myself.... But not a stick hauler... Lol

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

There are shades of this that use to happen around here, and I didn't think much of it.  I won't name the name of the very big company that makes OSB in a town just north of us,  but a practice I used to see when I was at the mill, was that when said company was low on wood, they would demand that the local loggers that had pulp contracts with them, working on said company's stumpage, bring EVERY thing to them. Logs, pulp oversize, everything. I was also told they would lean on loggers that were not cutting on said company's stumpage to bring everything they cut as well, or their pulp contracts might not be quite the same in the future. I know of a couple loggers that were cutting on some local lands, with contracts with the landowners where the landowners got paid pulp stumpage because that is where the logs went. The logs that were oversize and did not meet spec, were culled after they were hauled. The logger was not paid, and the landowner was not paid. The over-sized logs were shipped off to a sawmill in lewiston, that sawed only dense hardwoods. The Lewiston Mill then sold the cull logs to mills that sawed aspen. Our mill bought some of these logs on occasion. Guess who owned the Lewiston Mill?  It all seemed very wrong to me.  This was happening probably around 2004 or so. I have no idea if it still goes on.

Good history Jeff. I never knew something like this went on. 

As I type NOW......my first load is on its way. The trucker (Chad) just called. It'll take him about 40 minutes to get here with all the road construction going on between points A and B (me).  I was expecting him to drop tomorrow, but due to scheduling on the loggers trucks, they're coming now and I will have to unload when he gets here.

[Magicman]

I know a former logger/truck driver that his last load on a Friday went to his house.  He was also in the firewood business.  I imagine that the sawmill was cheated out of the logs.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Well here we go......not even close to what I expected.......not even close to what they told me.

First of all I asked for all Pine. I got a * UGLY * BIG OAK laying on top of the load of Pine.

Second, I unload my logs with a 555C BACKHOE with forks on the front. The log stops on the side of the logging truck were so high, my loader needed to go up another 12 inches to clear the log......which it wouldn't do.

Third, the driver says, " Look at the nails in the log on top". Who only knows what was in the rest of them.

Some of the logs were like snakes.....not even straight enough to get a 6 foot straight log out of.

I called Bowater.  >:( >:(.  The guy laughed and he said, "I'll bet one of them young boys loaded them logs".
The guy from the hunt club came up at the same time, (he works for Bowater on the scales). He said, "THEY SENT YOU THIS? :" He quickly said he was gonna leave to get out of the way. (Good Idea).

So the driver is a super guy....really nice, and I know he's thinking......who gonna pay me?

Then he gets an idea . He called a circular mill 32 miles on down the road who unloads with a knuckle boom.......SOLD.......The circular guy says, bring 'em on. He saws pallet wood.

Now the deal was I was gonna pay the driver $150.00 for a load go "pretty nice" logs.  say_what

The driver and I shook hands.....no hard feelings. He said he was just a driver and he was glad he found a buyer.

I could have sawn $150.00 worth of boards out of this load and then a little more for a little profit.....but having to deal with the rest of the junk.....sawing in half, putting them on a burn pile, etc......just not worth it to me.

I'll stick to my other guys who bring straight 10'-6" logs to me. It's sooooo much easier. Live and learn



  

  

  

  

  

  .

[Leigh Family Farm]

At least both you and the trucker were able to part ways on friendly terms so that maybe in the future he has a load that you might want and calls you like he called the circular mill. Another idea (don't know if this works in your area) but finding out who loads the out-of-spec logs at Botwater and buying them a case a beer a month might ensure you get the logs you asked for...always worked with our garbage guys, mailman, and UPS guy.

[Jeff]

Well, if nothing else, it makes for a pretty interesting picture. ;)

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Well, if nothing else, it makes for a pretty interesting picture. ;)

It was a pretty day....no doubt. 

[tjhammer]

I live just out of smelling range of bowarter wonder if its the same here I think a call would be in order
tj

Are you near the Calhoun Mill?
[/quote

                              etowah(goodsprings)

[Raider Bill]

My place is off 39 just South of Englewood. I've been by the Calhoun mill, never seen one before, big place.

[clww]

As the old saying goes, "If it sounds too good to be true,....."

[Magicman]

Well David, at least they were debarked.   ;D

[bill m]

I can't believe they really took the time to send them through the debarker :-\

[SPIKER]

Looks like the Oak might make some good firewood ;)

[WDH]

Holy Moly!  I saw a couple of really really ugly logs. 

(There is no instant pudding).

[Magicman]

I saw a couple of really really ugly logs

I have "sawed" some too.   :D :D

[thecfarm]

Imagine the fuel it took to get that stuff out of the woods and to your place. I can't believe the stubs that was left on the so called logs?,for no better word. Some of that stuff should of been left in the woods.

[Ianab]

Some of that stuff should of been left in the woods

That was my thought too...

What self respecting logger would haul in something that that anyway? A load like that should have just been hauled off for firewood.  :-\

That's not to say I haven't sawn logs equally ugly, but I sure haven't paid for them  :D

Ian

[barbender]

I'm sorry for the misfortune, David. But I looked at that first picture and I busted out laughing, not cause it wasn't what you expected, but them things was so ugly it just stripped my gears. And I can relate to the times I have waited excitedly for something and it wasn't that it wasn't quite what I was looking for, it wasn't even close. Kinda like the expression "madder than Janet Reno's blind date"  :D

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I'm just glad I didn't say...."Well, why you're at it.....just bring me 2 loads."   :D

[gunman63]

other than that real ugly one on top,  wouldnt most of them straight out  cutting 8's or 10's out of them,

[Magicman]

Sure, I have "straightened" some out and got 1 or 2 boards, and the grain ran out and then back in.  A very poor choice for framing lumber.   :-\

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Your right Magic.....you saw what I saw and this load was not even worth a flip of a coin.

However....on the bright side, the driver (Chad) called me this afternoon and gave me 3 contact numbers of loggers to call when I need logs. Specific dia. logs and bucked to my length. I happy again.

This just goes to show you when 1 door closes, it may open 2 or 3 more. 

[paul case]

I hear David changes his avatar photo more often than his undies :D

If I want clean undies, all I do is turn them inside out. I only have 1 color I wear and that is brown.  ;D

TMI

PC

[Jeff]

I hear David changes his avatar photo more often than his undies :D

I've been waiting for him to change it to something that he would probably truly regrets changing it to for very long, then remove his ability to change it back.

[Papa1stuff]

 ;D ;D

[Nomad]

I hear David changes his avatar photo more often than his undies :D

I've been waiting for him to change it to something that he would probably truly regrets changing it to for very long, then remove his ability to change it back.

     I like it!!!

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I'm just one of those guys that hates looking at the same 'Ol avatar all the DanG time, that's just me and I can't help it.........I do like changing it with the seasons or holidays or when special days come around.

Shoot, I rotate my tires every 10,000 miles.  :D

[Jeff]

So, you spend a lot of time reading your own posts do you?  ;)

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

So, you spend a lot of time reading your own posts do you?  ;)

I have to....I make so many mestakes tieping, I half to go back and pruff read and ficks my eras.  :D

[barbender]

That would be a neat trick, Jeff.  :D Why don't you just help him out and put something embarrassing up for him (maybe Gallagher in a bikini or Richard Simmons doing Jazzercise), then lock it ;D Actually, I should probably change my avatar, I think I have had the same one for about 8 years. (But then I rarely rotate my tires, either : :D).

[slider]

I wish I had been there to see your face when that gem pulled on the yard,I'm still laughing on this one.

[terrifictimbersllc]

I hear David changes his avatar photo more often than his undies :D

I've been waiting for him to change it to something that he would probably truly regrets changing it to for very long, then remove his ability to change it back.

Could the present one qualify? but then what about the rest of us who have to look at it? 

[Meadows Miller]

I wish I had been there to see your face when that gem pulled on the yard,I'm still laughing on this one.

What The  ??? ??? he surely must have the wrong bloody place  ;) :D :D :D

David these things happen to us all at some stage and it has you scrathcing your head Mate  At least you did not Unload them n try to make the best of a bad situation and listen to someones bs as I did afew years back cost me a good amount of money and lost time  but thats life   ;)

Like you said you have three loggers now who are willing to supply what you want when you want might be time to knock up a good ramp so you can unload those high pin trailers with the backhoe mate ;) ;D 8) 8)

Regards Chris 

[beenthere]

I wish I had been there to see your face when that gem pulled on the yard,I'm still laughing on this one.

Not that the trucker didn't get a real big kick out of pulling in with that load, likely knowing darn well that his load was a "shocker".  ;D   Betting he got a real chuckle out of Poston's expression and his first words.... 

[YellowHammer]

I've had burn piles that looked better than that load. :D. I was watching this thread with real interest because I've got two big mills near me and was hoping to work the same kind of deal.  After seeing the photos, I think I will adjust my strategy a little...Well you can't win them all, but it looks like it will work out for you in the end. 8)
YH

[Jeff]

I'll not be messin with his Avatar. I'm thrilled he knows how to do it himself without asking me for help.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I'll not be messin with his Avatar. I'm thrilled he knows how to do it himself without asking me for help.

smiley_blue_bounce smiley_bouncing_pinky

[customsawyer]

The easiest way to unload those trailers with a back-hoe is to put a thumb on the hoe and use it like a grapple. If you put the outriggers all the way down then the hoe clears the bolsters just fine. It will blow your mind how much the hoe will pick up. You have to park the back-hoe close to parallel with the truck so that you can swing the logs over to the other side of the back-hoe.

[Leigh Family Farm]

Your right Magic.....you saw what I saw and this load was not even worth a flip of a coin.

However....on the bright side, the driver (Chad) called me this afternoon and gave me 3 contact numbers of loggers to call when I need logs. Specific dia. logs and bucked to my length. I happy again.

This just goes to show you when 1 door closes, it may open 2 or 3 more. 

Thats awesome! Glad things turned in your favor. Pretty soon truckers will call you when they have a good load because you pay well and are not a hassle.