Log Trailer Types

[Gary_C]

I know that different areas have their own methods of hauling logs. Where I work in both Southern and Northern Minnesota, you could divide the large log trailers into three groups.

First would be the standard flatbed with log bunks added. This picture is my trailer with a load of dried out Basswood that was loaded right to the top of the eight foot stakes and I still did not have a full load. Normally with Aspen or Maple pulpwood, each bunk is loaded to about six feet high.







I load this trailer with my forwarder either directly from the woods or with the forwarder setting between the stacks on the landing and the trailer. This trailer is 45 ft long and set up for four bunks of 100 inch long logs (pulpwood) and I also use it for longer lengths and random lengths of hardwood logs.  My empty weight is just over 30,000 lbs and most of the year I can haul a maximum of 84,000 lbs so my payload is right at 26 tons. With air ride suspension in both tractor and trailer, I can usually load to within a couple hundred pounds of the limit.

This is how it is unloaded at the pulp mill.





The second type would be a tractor and long flatbed type trailer with a midmount log loader. I don't have any pictures but I do know those set ups usually have empty weights about 10,000 lbs more or 40,000 lbs so the payload is normally about 21 tons. In the last few years many of these types of trailers with mid mount loaders have added a third axle on the trailer and then in Minnesota they are allowed to haul 94,500 of logs with a $200 annual permit and they are not allowed on the interstate highways. I could also add a third axle on my flatbed trailer but that interstate restriction makes it not worthwhile for me. The Feds are just completely intolerant to higher weight limits.

The third type would be a straight truck with a rear mount log loader and sometimes pulling a pup trailer. These types have an advantage of being able to get into tighter places than long trailers, but they are single purpose trucks when they have those log loaders rear mounted.

In Minnesota they do allow 10 percent weight increases under frozen road conditions so a 5 axle combination (two axles on the trailer) can weigh the 80,000 plus 10 percent winter weight increase plus a 5 percent tolerance or 92,400 max. A six axle combination can weight up to 103,950 lbs. The only problem with that 5 percent tolerance is if you exceed it by even 50 lbs, the fine goes back to the weight without the tolerance.

Of course there are many smaller trailers and I have hauled many logs on a fifth wheel trailer behind a pickup. With three axles or dual tandems on the trailer I could get over 40,000 lbs total load with about 12.5 tons payload.

So what type of log hauling methods are used in your area? And don't forget to tell us how much weight you can haul. We promise not to tell the DOT.   ;D ;D

[Norm]

The most common one we use is the second one you mentioned.



I hire out my buddy that runs it for a logging company when we need more than the gooseneck trailer can handle. Having the grapple on it is sure handy.

[Ironwood]

Mostly triaxles here w/ loader behind the cab, I don't know the weights.

        Ironwood

[Gary_C]

I found a picture of a semi log trailer with a mid mount loader.





This type of trailer is declining in use because you lose the roughly 10,000 lbs of payload on every load you haul. But there are some obvious situations where the loader is essential. They do have a bad rep with insurance companies as there have been some very expensive losses due to the loader contacting powerlines.

The most popular trailer with the pulp wood haulers is what's called a crib trailer. I found a picture of one of those.





With this type of trailer the driver can just load the bunks and go. No tiedowns are required. I also see the tires have been switched from the tandems to what is called super singles. With only one fat tire on each side and aluminum rims, there is a big weight savings and more payload per trip.

[barbender]

Gary, what mills do you haul to? I ran a center mount all winter for a buddy, still jump in and haul a load now and then during the summer when I get a break from shoveling asphalt. I hauled mostly to Sappi in Cloquet and Blandin in Grand Rapids. A lot of pine bolts to Potlatch in Bemidji too. I did get to Sartell once as well, and I just brought a couple of loads to Ainsworth in Bemidji the other day. Minnesota seems to get smaller when you start hauling wood! From one end of the state to the other on a daily basis, it seems.

[thecfarm]

This is what was used on my lot,

                                      



I have no idea about weight.These are very common around here.But I also see some with no loaders.The ones with no loaders mostly come from up north on paper company land.

[Gary_C]

Gary, what mills do you haul to?

I haul mostly to Sappi in Cloquet too, but also haul to LP in Hayward, WI, and also to Wausau Paper in Mosinee, WI. I have a job coming up that I will haul Balsam to Sartell, MN.

I know that a lot of truckers are still using those mid mount loader trailers, but most of the larger operations are switching to the crib type flats with bunks because of the higher payloads. Yes, you do have to have a separate means of loading at each landing, but hauling 10,000 lbs of loader plus wet kit on the tractor has gotten very expensive with the high fuel costs.

Yes, there are a lot of small operators and custom haulers that have to have a means of self loading, but it costs more in hauling rates for that independence. Plus there have been a number of accidents where the operator forgot to put the loader down and drove out of those plants and took down the power lines feeding the plant and shut down other business too. Happened to a friend of mine and the total cost was close to three quarters of a million dollars. Needless to say insurance companies do not like those self loading trailers.  :

With the fuel costs today, you just cannot afford to hire someone to haul your wood to the pulp mill. For example today the cost for most stumpage is between $30 and $40 per cord. If you have to pay $40 per cord for a custom hauler and you only get between $80 and $90 per cord at the mill, you might just as well stay home. There just isn't room for two operators to make a profit in these markets.

[Ron Scott]

We had one of those type accidents at a mill here this past April. The self loader took out the power lines to the mill and shut them down for a couple days.

[barbender]

 I agree Gary- there's barely even a profit margin for one operator....When I go to Sappi, I'd say that about half the trailers are bunk trailers without the loader, the other half are center mount (with a few rear mount / pup combos thrown in.) The truck I run is around #37,500 empty, the loader is #7500 of that. Up around Grand Rapids and Bemidji, I'd say it's still 80/20 in favor of center mounts. Kind of a northern MN thing I guess. Rieger's whole fleet is still center mounts, the way they operate the woods crew is usually pulling out of a job about 2 weeks before the trucks roll in. But I think you're right, we'll be seeing fewer self loading rigs all the time. And fewer custom haulers, not to mention the small logging operations that used the custom haulers. It's sad, I think. It's getting to be that only very large companies that can produce huge volumes of wood can make it, making pennies per stick.

[timberfaller390]

Around here about all you see is bunk trailers, no self loaders at all. We mostly run single axle or tandum straight trucks.

[barbender]

Timberfaller3- I was down in Georgia last spring and that's all I saw down there- bunk trailers. The area I was, it was all the trailers they called "plantation" trailers, with 4 bunks. They hauled 2 stacks of random length wood, sometimes tree length. Your wood is so heavy down there, an 80000 pound load didn't look like much.

[timberfaller390]

Timberfaller3- I was down in Georgia last spring and that's all I saw down there- bunk trailers. The area I was, it was all the trailers they called "plantation" trailers, with 4 bunks. They hauled 2 stacks of random length wood, sometimes tree length. Your wood is so heavy down there, an 80000 pound load didn't look like much.

Yeah thats about all they run in the pine plantations down here. In south Georgia all they cut are pine plantations, you don't find any of the hardwoods and straight trucks till you get up here in the north Georgia hill country

[barbender]

My buddy is trying to get someone to get a center mount down there, it would simplify the operation a lot. As it is, the forwarder is always waiting for a truck to bring him a trailer, or he ends up double handling the wood. It is a lot easier to coordinate things when running center mounts.

[timberfaller390]

Self loaders of any configuration would be a great thing to get started down here, as would forwarders as far as I know your friend is the only guy running one in the state.

[barbender]

there are I think 2 other outfits that are running John Deere cut to length outfits in Georgia

[solodan]

There is  only two ways you see it out here. Dual tandems behind a ten wheel tractor. Usually , 33' logs, sometimes 42' logs, and sometimes shorter logs on top. If they have self loaders, they  are always directly behind the cab. Or it is  a short logger, Which is a long wheel base ten wheeler with bunks and almost always a self  loader. Used for hauling 16' logs.  80,000 or 40,000 respectively.