In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, logging and truck driving combine two of the deadliest occupations in the nation. It's difficult to properly balance a load of logs. An unbalanced load can abruptly shift, causing a truck to jackknife or rollover.
Logging trucks are even more dangerous than regular trailer hauling semi-trucks because they are more likely to roll-over and have their cargo break free causing further damage. A study found that nearly 78% of all log truck fatal crashes occurred in the Southeast portion of the United States.
Typical Logging Worker SalaryThey earned a median $21.46 per hour or $44,650 per year as of May 2019, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median salary is the midpoint, so half of fallers earned more than this amount. Fallers are among the highest-paid logger jobs.
The two log truck types commonly used for transporting logs are long logger trucks (transporting logs 28-52ft in length) and mule train trucks (short logger) which are configured with a truck and trailer for shorter logs/pulp wood (transporting logs/pulp 14-24ft in length).
Fixed length log trailers are simply a semi-trailer with bunks instead of a box. They do not have a floor, but one or more beams to support the bunks along the length of the trailer. For transportation on public roads chains or straps will have to be used to secure the logs in the bunks from sliding or rolling off.
Kenworth T800Kenworth's T800 is the ultimate workhorse – as much at home running freight coast to coast as it is delivering fuel across town or hauling gravel out of a quarry. Imagine the bottom-line advantages of a single base chassis that can do almost anything you ask of it.
An average trailer load of softwood logs would be around $1,900. Hardwood pulp would be around a thousand. High grade hardwood logs would be much higher.
Depending on the type of trees and the market when the timber is sold, you could earn $500 to $2000 per acre (at $1500, you would be looking at $60 per year in income if you were to annualize it over 25 years).
The loads average between $50 and $150 depending on the product and the mill location. Basically you can make $1500 a week if you run hard, REALLY fast, and know your way around the roads. Average pay is closer to 11-1200 per week. As always in trucking, how hard, fast and skilled you are will determine your pay.
A fundamental feature of any contract is method of payment. In logging contracts, payment is most often based on either dollars per unit or a percentage of the value of the wood. Historically, loggers have worked on a percentage basis, and 50 percent of the value of the wood was standard operating proce- dure.
Peeling the bark off logs increases the longevity of the wood because bark provides both a home for damaging insects and a place for moisture to collect, which can ultimately lead to rot. This allows the bark to be peeled away easily.
The value of pine trees in the forest or in a plantation can be appraised by a Consulting Forester. Pine timber generally sells for less than ten cents per board foot. So, a big pine tree might be worth $30. However, on a big well-managed plantation, that could add up to significant value on a per-acre basis.
Forest2Market data from timberland type demonstrate that: Average volume of natural pine clearcut: 86 tons per acre.
Commercial retail prices range from two to five dollars per board foot. By the time high-quality sinker cypress wood reaches a California show room, it can range from eight to fourteen dollars per board foot.
shipping
| TREE CALIPER | ROOTBALL OR CONTAINER SIZE | TREES/LOAD |
|---|
| 2.5 - 3" | 30 GALLON | 100-120 |
| 2.5 - 3" | 28 - 32" B & B | 70 |
| 3 - 3.75" | 40 GALLON | 65-80 |
| 3 - 3.5" | 34 - 36" B & B | 40-45 |
The semi-trucks with cherry pickers can haul approximatley 12 loggers cords of wood.
You can get a 1/2 cord in a full size pickup, 8 foot bed, no step side, short box, ram box loads though. All of those others are 1/3 cord, or a face.
The legal weight limits will vary by jurisdiction but, for example, in the southern states of the USA, they range from 80,000 to 88,000 pounds (36,300 to 39,900 kg) — about 40 short tons (35.7 long tons; 36.3 t). To load the logs, the truck may be fitted with one or more winches or cranes.
A fourteen inch Red Oak with a grade 3 rating would be worth $12.00 for an average price per thousand board feet of $265.00. If the twenty inch tree in this example is Black Cherry the value would be $349.00, which is an average of $1,551.00 per thousand board feet.
A pickup truck with an 8 foot bed can hold right around 1/2 cords of neatly stacked, bed rail high firewood, while a 6 footer only 1/3 cords.
There are different estimates about the number of logs in one cord of wood. The estimates vary from 300-400 large logs to up to 1000 or 1400 small logs per full cord. If the measurement is a face cord then the number is much smaller about half as much.
The two most common ways to measure firewood is by the "Full Cord" or "Face Cord". The difference between the two is that a full cord of firewood is an amount of wood that fills a space equal to eight feet long by four feet high by four feet deep.
