Logging Trucks
Logging trucks are used to transport logs out of wooded areas to their various destinations. Trees that are felled in forestry can have many different purposes, from being turned into lumber for construction to being used as bio fuel. Many of the recipients of this wood will often live long distances away from the site where the trees were felled and this means that reliable means of transport are essential in the logging industry.
Log Trucks
Log trucks usually take the form of flatbed lorries, which are composed of a driving compartment, or ‘head’, and a level body with no roof or sides. This open design allows logging trucks to transport more logs than a closed truck design would allow. However, the open design of a logging truck means that the cargo is more susceptible to precipitation and other elements. Care must be taken that the logs do not rot while they are being transported longer distances. One common solution to this potential problem though is that truckers will drape and tie down tarpaulin or another water resistant material over the logs during the journey. This also means the logs are fixed more securely to the log truck.
Log trucks come in several different models. While flatbed lorries may be the most commonly used designs, they are not exclusive modes of transport in logging.
Logging Trailers
Another form of transport commonly used in the logging industry is logging trailers. Log trailers are unpowered vehicles that are stacked with felled and de-limbed trees and towed behind tractors, trucks or other vehicles. A log trailer usually takes the form of a level platform with wheels allowing it to be towed. As with logging trucks, the flat surface of log trailers allow large amount of logs to be transported to their destinations.
A log trailer can prove to be a less expensive alternative for transporting logs than logging trucks, as there is no need to purchase a powered vehicle. Prices of log trailers vary from hundreds of pounds to tens of thousands but, depending on the size required, log trailers can be quite economically priced and are even possible to build in a DIY project. The latter would generally only be advisable if one’s logging needs were small-scale. Instructions for the amateur construction of a log trailer can be found on online forestry forums and in DIY databases.
Log Haulers
Log haulers are somewhat different to logging trucks. A log hauler essentially takes the form of a logging arch and is used for the transport of single, normally larger, hard-to-move logs in wooded areas. A log is hooked into the log hauler through a combination of tongs and steel chains and is hoisted by a lever until suspended in the air. The log hauler is then connected to a powered vehicle, such as a tractor or off-road truck, and is carried to its destination. Log haulers are usually used to transport logs through wooded areas and are not necessarily utilised for long-haul transport on motorways. As with logging arches, a log hauler supplies a way of transporting heavy logs through dense forest without incurring snags on shrubs or other trees.