With the changing times, I am going to be more flexible with my log truck. Got a few days of junk hauling for a guy this week or next. Guess I will take on most any hauling job as long as it pays!
If it pays and does not wreck your gear why not!
Used to do a lot of brush hauling in the building boom, paid good! Money is money! Guess I will do whatever.
I was always told "if you don't work you don't eat". I will do whatever it takes to ensure I don't go hungry. I also like to keep my bills paid on time.
I envy you having a CDL let alone a truck. I am trying to come up with the money for CDL school. They want $4500 for the course and even though I can pass the written and have been driving a 10 wheeler under a farm exemption all of the trucking outfits I talk to want the certificate if you are a new CDL holder.
What a rip off $4500.00 for a C.D.L. thats totaly nuts ! I was told a while back that it was exspensive, seems compleatly out of line.
When my father and law was living he would hall junk , stumps for closing old gravel pits .
Brush after storms and load c and d at demo jobs .
He had a Sterling with a cummins , pup and serco loader .
Bruno
Well I'm not just a logger anymore either been wrenching more hours per week than logging. But whatever pays the bills. Of course never had a snap on bill when I was just logging either lol!
In Michigan probably 99.9% of log trucks have log/farm plates on them. Which means you can only haul a raw product (ie logs, hay, cattle, etc), you can't haul lumber/scrap metal/etc without buying apportioned plates which are prohibitively more expensive.
There are a few "junk" haulers around that have the proper plates though.
I wanted as light as possible but i wish i built my last log trailer as a bulk hauler. Id use it to haul brush AND logs on my small jobs.
Our poor R-model mack / hood 7000 hauled probably 20-25K ton of rip-rap rock while we had it. Seriously. Did alot of work with it. Still use the liner we have for the bunks from time to time. Use the loader setting alot of trusses also. Straight log truck and milk truck have kind of funky rules in NY for highway use tax, lower rates than tractors and no restrictions on what I can haul. Still alot of guys moving equipment behind a logtruck, be kind of long but it can be done.
Quote from: grassfed on June 28, 2016, 06:31:45 PM
I envy you having a CDL let alone a truck. I am trying to come up with the money for CDL school. They want $4500 for the course and even though I can pass the written and have been driving a 10 wheeler under a farm exemption all of the trucking outfits I talk to want the certificate if you are a new CDL holder.
I don't know how we could make it work but I've got a fleet of trucks sitting here and could figure something out to help you get your road test done ??? Helped about 5 other guys do a road test. I have my A and the VT border isn't that far.
BargeMonkey, wow very kind of you to offer I appreciate that! My current plan is to take the written and get my learners then try to work with the town driving one of the dump trucks and use that for a test. I have talked to the selectboard and they are open to that idea. Apparently towns have some leeway with CDLs similar to farmers. Down the line I will still have to figure out how to do combination and even manual trans because the towns new trucks are auto. Hopefully the softwood sawlog market will hold out while I get my backup/to old to chainsaw harvest, plan in place. I have land but no cash so just trying to keep up with the bills during this slow market and my ever slowing old body. There is an Amish farmer from Ohio that wants to buy some land from me; if that happens things will get much easier.
If we could find a way to make it work I would gladly do it. I've got trucks for both a A or B, and most of my trucks are fairly simple to drive. I don't mean to blow your post up but I've had nothing but 100% positive dealings with everyone I've dealt with on the FF, helped a few guys out with parts and saws already and would gladly help someone out if I could, especially trying to get a CDL because the driving schools are such a waste of money.
I know in NY if you get your A-B CDL on an auto truck it's a restriction on your license and your stuck to auto only. Just something to watch for if you plan on driving for someone. We have done alot of road tests for people and had an older guy who would literally take a green driver and in 3 days had them confident enough to take a road test.
The problem is not getting the license, if you are wanting a driving job with a trucking company.
Most require 2 years recent verifiable experience, or a school certificate. Most of the larger companies have their own schools, but that is also a scam, as you agree to work for an agreed on time for very low pay, or have to pay them an agreed on price if you quit before your schooling is paid off.
You can buy, borrow or rent a truck to get your license, but unless you know someone whose insurance company will allow them to hire a new driver, it throws a monkey wrench in it.
Woodhauler, do you have your loader truck setup with a flatbed or quick change conversion from log bunks to something else. I'm curious how you can haul scrap
Quote from: grassfed on June 28, 2016, 06:31:45 PM
I envy you having a CDL let alone a truck. I am trying to come up with the money for CDL school. They want $4500 for the course and even though I can pass the written and have been driving a 10 wheeler under a farm exemption all of the trucking outfits I talk to want the certificate if you are a new CDL holder.
Grassfed,
I am confused about why you need to go to the CDL School if you already know how to drive a truck. Can't you just schedule and take the exam? I had a CDL and as I remember I took the written exam and got my CDL learner's permit then once trained (I drove for Schneider for a while and they trained me) I just scheduled and took the driver's course and took the test and got my CDL. Foolishly I let it lapse for lack of an updated CDL physical and did not renew it even though I will likely never need it again.
If you get the CDL learner's permit can't you link up with a friend with a truck or get a friend with a CDL to help you rent a truck to take the test and once you pass it get your CDL? As I remember you just had to provide the truck to take the test.
Please forgive me if I am over-simplifying this process. Good luck.
Quote from: starmac on July 01, 2016, 02:06:55 PM
Woodhauler, do you have your loader truck setup with a flatbed or quick change conversion from log bunks to something else. I'm curious how you can haul scrap
I have a old in ground fuel drum that I just slide in between the stakes. Its 35 ft long and around 7 ft high. Of course its rounded but I can still get to much on it!
Quote from: Woodhauler on July 01, 2016, 09:28:16 PM
Quote from: starmac on July 01, 2016, 02:06:55 PM
Woodhauler, do you have your loader truck setup with a flatbed or quick change conversion from log bunks to something else. I'm curious how you can haul scrap
I have a old in ground fuel drum that I just slide in between the stakes. Its 35 ft long and around 7 ft high. Of course its rounded but I can still get to much on it!
Works good doesn't it. ;) ours is literally worn out / beat up from shot rock and stumps. About 22x5, chains crossed in the middle for picking up.
I was thinking some sort of tub, I reckon a tank half would be just the ticket.
I have a quick change on my log truck, and pulled the bunks off for the first time this year and pulled a belly dump a little. Not any logging to speak of here after breakup, so the guy I bought it from changed it over for dirtwork every year.
One of my main loggers that I haul for, of which there isn't many at all around here, retired. Last winter was his last season, yesterday the other, and the biggest around told me the good news that he was done and all equipment headed for the auction next month, so may not even be any need to put the bunks back on.
Well my junk job lasted 2 loads! Guy is a hoarder and can't part with his stuff!! He has around 15,000 dollars worth of junk! Nothing, and I mean nothing I seen was of value!! He ran a garage and most is stuff that was no good when he put it on the scrap pile. Heck I dug a late 70s chevy car out of the ground! all that was sticking out was bumper.