Anyone haul logs with a rollback truck?

[oakiemac]

Been trying to come up with an easy way to go pick up logs from customers or pick up storm blown down logs and such. Right now I have to load bobcat onto trailer go to site, off load bobcat, load logs, head home and off load, then return for the bobcat. Needless to say I don't do this very often.
Lots of times I can have free logs if I just had a good way of getting them. I have thought of a crane truck but they seem expensive. Might still go this route if I can find a decent crane truck combo. Years ago there was an old guy by me who hualed logs with an old rollback wrecker truck. Worked great although you couldn't get more then 4-5 logs on at a time.

[YellowHammer]

I've never done it, but recently a customer delivered his logs that way, a steel bed, smooth floor rollback.

 

The driver said it was no problem loading, and it certainly was easy unloading.

My personal means of fetching logs is by mating a hydraulically extendable 15 foot, 3,200 lb capacity service crane to my 14,000 lb dump bed trailer.  You can dead lift logs in over the side, or just drag the monster ones up the back.  It is fairly fast, and doesn't mess up people's yards or lawns. Also the crane lets you put the logs exactly where you want on the trailer to get it packed and balanced.


  

 
Of course the best part is unloading... Hit the dump bed switch and the logs come out.
YH

[hackberry jake]

I could sure use a set-up like that!!

[stumpjumper83]

I don't thing a roll back will tip enough to unload by itself unless the logs hang over the tail and a lot of roll backs are plenty long as it is.  If you get too much weight behind your rear axle you stand the chance of the ride of a lifetime when you hit an incline.

Personally I use a dump truck for hauling logs.  I have a med duty izusu as well with a 12' dump and 7k pound knuckleboom that I haven't put on the road yet.  That might be the best yet for hauling logs.

[oakiemac]

Yes a crane with a dump truck or dump trailer would be the best. I'm jus trying to find a cheaper way and with a rollback I could also use it as a flatbed to haul lumber.
Might still go with the crane idea especially like what yellowhammer has. Very nice setup. Do you have outriggers that you lower to keep the trailer stable?

[easymoney]

a rollback might work fine. it would work like a dump for unloading. just don't do like a friend of mine did unloading some junk logs at the landfill. he raised the dump bed without starting to move forward. the logs hit the ground and shifted to one side flipping the truck on it's side he had to kick out the rear window to get out. he does not like to be kidded about that.

[YellowHammer]

I welded a heavy duty jack stand to the corner of the dump frame to act as an outrigger and a 6 inch channel tripod to reinforce the trailer tongue and to mount the crane.  You can see it in the picture.  The crane cost me $2K right off the back of a guys welding truck. Nice thing about a pivoting crane is that you can drag and lift logs from any direction so you don't always have to reposition the truck in  front of the logs to drag them up the back of a ramp.  If I have to do that with the big ones, I use the drop down tailgate as a ready made ramp.
YH

[Seaman]

I encourage my customers ( who do not have equipment) to use a rollback for bringing logs to us. We are a little different in that most of our logs are over 36 inches, and come one or two per customer.
It is an affordable way to move a big log.
Frank

[warren46]

Less expensive than a roll back truck is a trailer with a winch.  Today I dragged a 21 foot hickory 16" diameter at the small end) log out of the woods and onto my 16 foot trailer.  (I know there was over 5 " out the back of the trailer) The log was in a back yard about 40 feet into the woods so there was some work involved maneuvering around trees and other things but we got her home with us.  I am planning to add an arch to the back of the trailer so I can get some lift to the logs and even stack some on the bed.

Warren