Judging cord amount by log truck load

[Wood Doctor]

Up here the mills will buy bolts down to 6"

Yeah, that's what I noticed last year when I visited Hinckley and northwestern Wisconsin. The guys up there don't even run saws with over 20" bars. We can't even give a log under 11" dia. away to a sawmill in Nebraska, unless it's for mulching. Then you might get 15 cents a bd ft for it of you are lucky.

 

[cantoo]

Wood Doctor, those are likely pulp wood logs, for paper or OSB chips or maybe even bio fuel. Seller makes a few more dollars selling to home owners, resellers for cash or less mileage than to the mill? Some of that around here too but not much. Most logging places around here that sell firewood sell cull logs from milling. Stuff that is hollow, crooked, split or other defects. Sometimes log loads can look pretty light with crooked logs.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Wood Doctor, those are likely pulp wood logs, for paper or OSB chips or maybe even bio fuel. Seller makes a few more dollars selling to home owners, resellers for cash or less mileage than to the mill? Some of that around here too but not much. Most logging places around here that sell firewood sell cull logs from milling. Stuff that is hollow, crooked, split or other defects. Sometimes log loads can look pretty light with crooked logs.

I noticed that the further north I drove toward Duluth, the smaller the logs got that were being carried on the bunk trailers. Trees harvested there are much smaller in dia. that any we work on here. I showed the loggers my MS660 with a 36" bar on board and they flipped out.

It's amazing the difference in logging that 400 miles makes.

 

[svk]

I noticed that the further north I drove toward Duluth, the smaller the logs got that were being carried on the bunk trailers. Trees harvested there are much smaller in dia. that any we work on here. I showed the loggers my MS660 with a 36" bar on board and they flipped out.

It's amazing the difference in logging that 400 miles makes.

Up here a 70 cc saw is big. Sometimes the dealers stock a 576 or 461 but I've never seen a new saw larger than those north of Duluth.

 

[svk]

Every so often the loggers will get into a mature white pine or Norway forest where the trees will consistently run 24-30". Otherwise aspen, red maple, and birch are the main species and normally are under 20" although aspen near standing water can sometimes run over 25" but that's rare and it takes both good soil and lots of water.

 

[litefoot]

There was a guy selling loads of dead lodge pole here last couple years, 32' logs stacked fairly high and most people were ending up with about 10 cords, he was getting $1200 a load I believe.

That's sounds a lot like what I see in Utah. But we got about 13 cords, though. I'm pretty sure about the amount because I hauled every split load from the staging area to someone's home and my trailer holds exactly 2 cords. I don't mind doing one such load a year, but to do it for a living?? Whew! No thanks!

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Timber for mills and pallet companies is larger diameter, cut much longer, and hauled lengthwise. These loads I've shown are Oak culls, and sold for firewood.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

That's sounds a lot like what I see in Utah. But we got about 13 cords, though. I'm pretty sure about the amount because I hauled every split load from the staging area to someone's home and my trailer holds exactly 2 cords. I don't mind doing one such load a year, but to do it for a living?? Whew! No thanks!

It's not bad with equipment. I average about 10 cords a week.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Timber for mills and pallet companies is larger diameter, cut much longer, and hauled lengthwise. These loads I've shown are Oak culls, and sold for firewood.

Interesting. The logs sold to the sawmills here for pallets are generally 8' to 9' and seldom longer than that. Occasionally you will see a log 15' long, but that's it. The mill dictates the recommended length to the logger and the price paid. The logger cuts what the mill wants.

 

[Logger nate]

Guy brought me a dump truck load of logs today, he thinks it's about 5 cords, not sure it's that much, either way it was a good deal and now I can run my saws

 

[Tiggerstrees]

Be careful about what all of us call "log trucks" or loads of logs. People out of the PNW don't get the 34' or whatever length logs that we get and they also don't get the 12-24" stems that we get. Their log truck is our dump truck is another guy's triaxle.

That’s hilarious ! Apparently you’ve not seen many logging operations out here. This IS the PNW. 12” and 24” are the norm and a log truck hauling 40 footers w/the bunk is also normal, ever seen a 2 log load? I live in NorCal and our little burg is a logging town and I see them all day long. But sadly seeing loads like you described are becoming more common, second growth. Join Men of the Woods: A Loggers Life and see for yourself, mostly all PNW.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

The last 20 cord load yielded 14 3/4 cord sellable splits, and 1 cord plus of crap that I will burn. That is judged by the pallet load at 1/4 cord per pallet, 59 pallets good, 4 pallets plus of junk.
The junk is burnable shorts and punky stuff. Butt end of the larger logs are usually hollow or punky.
This last load was small to medium size logs. Nice stuff to work with and stacked nice on the truck, but more of the smaller logs may mean more air space.
I've increased prices by a third this year.
The 20% to 25% volume loss, or 20 cord of logs to 15 to 16 cord of splits, is typical for me.

 

[Highbeam]

That’s hilarious ! Apparently you’ve not seen many logging operations out here. This IS the PNW. 12” and 24” are the norm and a log truck hauling 40 footers w/the bunk is also normal, ever seen a 2 log load? I live in NorCal and our little burg is a logging town and I see them all day long. But sadly seeing loads like you described are becoming more common, second growth. Join Men of the Woods: A Loggers Life and see for yourself, mostly all PNW.

I think you misunderstood what I said. It wasn't really written well, my fault. When I said people out of the PNW, I meant people that are not in the PNW don't get these large log trucks with thick stems and long lengths. We agree!