How many logs fit in a dump truck?

Rugged made
Wesspur
Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
My experience:
1. Standard log truck- pole length- 6 cords $650-$750 Landclearer- stacked tightly- bucked clean- arrow straight- 50/50 green/dead
2. 40 yard dumpster of pole length(Rolloff) - 4.5 cords $500 Landcleaer- stacked semi-tightly- on the smaller end, no bigger than 20"- usually dead
3. 45 yard dumpster- grapple loaded-pole length- 5 cords $500 Tree service wood-stacked tightly- no bigger than 20" dia.- always green
4. Tri-Axle- Full sized- pole length- 4 cords $400 Site Developer- loose fit- crooked and sometimes huge (48" plus)
5. Tri-Axle- Full sized- processed- 5.5 cords $875 Logging Co.- ballbusters to a pile of kindling - dead/semi-seasoned (if there is such a thing)

PA-max weight is 72k on all 5 of these trucks. They are all pretty close weight, if not slightly over. Tri-axles vary in length and more commonly in height. The neighbors have a fleet of monster tri-axles. Some older models are 16'L x 6'H as opposed to 22'L and 9'H. It is absurd to think a truck can haul 8 cords plus!!!

It's always a crap shoot. You sometimes have to gamble. What is the most you will lose by? perhaps $80 or $100. And who says you lost? Your last deal or the "deal you heard about from a buddy's buddy"??

I'd agree with Valley Firewood- 190 cu. ft.=loose cord and a cord is 6000#. However, he and I are probably figuring on what we can sell, too. I burn most of the "undesirable"/ not-top-dollar-firewood myself or sell it cheaper and don't figure it in on these figures.....
 
FLRA_Dave said:
My trailer is 16 ft long, 80" wide, with 3 ft side walls (including the board). What you see here is nearly exactly 2 cord (using 90 cu ft of solid wood in a cord). Each log was measured / recorded as I pay the land owner per cord.

20150313_101307.jpg
Click to expand...


FLRA_Dave --- How much are you paying private landowners per cord?? (If you don't mind sharing) I assume you are retrieving it yourself. It is already down from a logging operation or are you cutting it down? What factors do you take into consideration??

I have done the same thing in a handful of instances. I have paid between $30-75 a cord. I have had even better luck buying leases from a logging company after they have taken mill grade and I will come remove tops/poles.....
 
one of the guys that comes in the shop that sells wood buys from landowners after the logging crew has left. he pulls the wood out and processes it on location. pays $10 per cord as he hauls it away.
my area will either make you jealous or sick to your stomach depending on which end of things you fall on. buyers get a deal...sellers not so much. that is why i went to a processor. too much manual labor in a cord for $150. processor takes it down to 2 gallon of gas and 1-1.5 hr of standing running joysticks to go from logs in a pile to a cord of wood split in the bed of a dump truck.
 
shamusturbo said:
FLRA_Dave --- How much are you paying private landowners per cord?? (If you don't mind sharing) I assume you are retrieving it yourself. It is already down from a logging operation or are you cutting it down? What factors do you take into consideration??

I have done the same thing in a handful of instances. I have paid between $30-75 a cord. I have had even better luck buying leases from a logging company after they have taken mill grade and I will come remove tops/poles.....
Click to expand...
I normally go in for tops after the logging crew. Standard price I pay is $15/cord. I was paying $30/cord at that site because the landowner was pulling some out as well for me to take. He is retired and is happy to help using his Deere 750.
 
ValleyFirewood said:
16-17 tons of wood is about 5.5 cords if that was hardwood. (6000 lbs a cord for logs is the normally accepted number).

My brother bought wood like that from a local mill. he ended being short on wood a bit at that weight even.
It was no fun processing it compared to normal logs because it was all odd lengths. It made for a lot of chunks/cookies.
Click to expand...


I stand corrected.:angry:

I did the calculation from memory and us old guy have CRS.:oops:

I was figuring 4200 #s/ cord rather than 4900-5500. A good chunk of it is white oak.

None the less, the price was right. The wood was free and the trucking cost me a few hours of my time running a Cat 277 skid steer for the owner of the truck moving snow at a local school. The skid steer is a blast to run.

11kw0nn.jpg


After:

a2rs4z.jpg
 
Cut split delivered firewood sells for $150-190 per cord for mixed seasoned hard wood but I would never purchase it for more than $165/cord because its always available at that price somewhere. Mixed means the softest wood you can expect is red/soft maple. I expect to be able to get the same kind of wood for about $90-105 per cord in log length delivered. Last year was the first year I bought logs here and paid a few $ under $90 per cord but seemed to have equal parts of pople, black cherry, hard and soft maple. The guy claimed 6 cord per log picker truck load and I took 2 loads. I'd be happy to pay a little more per cord over $105/cord as long as I'm getting quality wood. By that I mean I want some oak mixed in with maples and cherry etc no soft wood.

I stopped in to a local lumber mill that buys and sells high dollar veneer logs and asked if they sell log firewood. He said he sells log tuck loads for $700 but will do log truck and pup for $1K. He claimed minimum load is 6 cord but as much as 10 (I thought it was weird because he told me in terms of face cord and said 20-30). That works out to be 110/cord if I get his advertised minimum. He said truck and pup yields 10-13.3 cords (again, 30-40 face cord) which would be $100/cord if minimum delivered. I didnt want to have to spend $1k this year but I might take him up on it because 1) he seems like a legit businessmen and 2) seems to have the best deal going $/cord. I just wanted to only spend $500 this year and put the other $500 towards a new stove...

Heres a pic of the size dump truck I was describing in the first post. Buying by weight is not an option from the first two guys. Thanks for the input guys.
image.jpg
 
6k per cord on logs I think factors in waste. I'm not sure, just know that is what all the mills in Maine to (grew up there, and lots of friends are in the logging industry, including my Dad)
 
Marshy said:
Thanks for your info. Just to confirm, you are talking about a tri axle dump truck not a log truck right? Your numbers sound right for a dump truck. I was told tri axle log trucks fit 6 cord of wood (18 face cord).

I think the guy advertising 5 cord in his dump is exagerating by a cord honestly. $500 is a little steap for 4 cord of wood IMO and I dont feel like paying for a "learning experience".
Click to expand...

I was and still pay $80.00 per cord for mostly oak and hard maple. My loads cost me $320.00 delivered. My logs are about 8 ft long and anything from 8 to 18 inches in dia. every now and then I might get a few oak that 20 inches but not many. Like I said, they call it 4 cords and it's in a dump so many times the load might have a crown of logs on top so I might get 4 or just over 4 cords but never 5 or 6 sords in those loads. My supplier treats me good because I've been buying from him for several years now. A few guys had ways of stacking all the logs in one direction so the load fills fast. Picture a load of cones or logs all stacked the same way with the larger dim all on one end and the smaller diam of the same log on the other end... or you might get a few shorter logs mixed in with the others and have nothing but air space. Like I said, I know how much wood I end up with when it's cut and stacked.. Right around 4 cords but never 5 or 6 full cords. Just can't do it because of space and weight.. All of my logs were cut at least a year before I receive them. Like many, this supplier also sells logs to those on fule asst. Hope this helps. John
 
I just saw the picture of the truck in question.... My loads would be at least even with the rack over the cab or almost 2 ft over the steel box with a good crown of logs. Our trucks box is 18 ft long and even then, some of the logs might hang out of the box because there isn't any back or door on his box. Everything is straped down.. Try stacking two rows of logs 8 ft long in a 16 ft box and go 5 ft high with the logs. ??????..
 
Iska3 said:
I just saw the picture of the truck in question.... My loads would be at least even with the rack over the cab or almost 2 ft over the steel box with a good crown of logs. Our trucks box is 18 ft long and even then, some of the logs might hang out of the box because there isn't any back or door on his box. Everything is straped down.. Try stacking two rows of logs 8 ft long in a 16 ft box and go 5 ft high with the logs. ??????..
Click to expand...
Thanks again. I think I'll see if the guy will take $400 for the load. His bed is only 16' long so he loads logs that are 15.5' so he can swing the tailgate closed. He said he goes about 2' above the wooden planks on the top of the box. Even so, I think hes still shy of 5 full cord. Everything is negotiable so we'll see.
 
Marshy said:
Hah, nice load of firewood. Just need that in log length for $500 and delivered within 50 miles of me, then we can start in on the shenanigans. :) I'm not picky at all, all oak and hickory would be fine with me.:DView attachment 415518
Click to expand...
that is a great looking load of c/s firewood what ever kind it may be!
 
Took a delivery this morning. Care to guess the cost? Mainly maple in there. Doesn't look like there will be much splitting to do... I have mixed feelings about it... Thoughts?

image.jpg
image.jpg

image.jpg
 

Similar threads

J
Felt like i was cheating yesterday
Replies
3
Views
447
woodfarmer
W
J
Behind on firewood, think this is a good deal?
Replies
11
Views
2K
fields_mj
F
T
logging questions
2 3
Replies
50
Views
2K
trialanderror
T
SemperFiSawguy
Advanced log splitter plumbing question
3 4 5
Replies
93
Views
6K
SemperFiSawguy
SemperFiSawguy
T
Generational Logging?
Replies
19
Views
2K
davidwyby
davidwyby

Latest posts

Back
Top