Question about Log Truck Drivers.

Stompin Tom

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S.W.A.T.

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All pictures worked for me.

I haul off highway so 7 axle at 80,500kg gross. Get hairy at time but I don't drive like a idiot as I have too much invested in the truck. Was a life decision after didn't look like I would have much patch work this year. 17 years rigging.

Have to give our mill some credit for the road maintaining and loops whenever possible. We do have a 22% for 1km but 3rd over and she walks down nice. Definitely some road worriers out there high balling all the time.
 

brutematt750

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I built a house for a guy that had 6 logging trucks , said they all had been on their side. None by him though.
 

52weekbreak

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It is really difficult to make better time when your rig is on its side. Any pics of that 22% grade SWAT?
 

Stompin Tom

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I built a house for a guy that had 6 logging trucks , said they all had been on their side. None by him though.

a big problem in the industry is quality of driver, you get into the winter season, busy as hell and a shortage of drivers, you get all the idiots coming out of the woodwork. There not smart enough to know when to say whoa, and you have carnage. The younger guys see this, they say what the hell am I doing out here and we lose the quality up and coming guys.

Like most industries, 25% of the guys are really good, 50% are solid, 15% are so so and 10% are simply idiots.
 

S.W.A.T.

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It is really difficult to make better time when your rig is on its side. Any pics of that 22% grade SWAT?

I don't have any. Little hard to get stopped and grab a picture. It's actually not that bad especially when cold as there is no corner in it so you can run it out if things start to go side ways. Plus we have it sanded every morning and graded every evening.
 

metrod

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a big problem in the industry is quality of driver, you get into the winter season, busy as hell and a shortage of drivers, you get all the idiots coming out of the woodwork. There not smart enough to know when to say whoa, and you have carnage. The younger guys see this, they say what the hell am I doing out here and we lose the quality up and coming guys.

Like most industries, 25% of the guys are really good, 50% are solid, 15% are so so and 10% are simply idiots.


The big problem is Industry (gota save a few bucks). We use to design roads at 10% favorable and 8 % adverse . Now we get roads laid out at 20% or more favorable to design - for winter logging!!! Going into tougher ground with steeper narrower roads, its only gonna get crazier.
 

Bnorth

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By slowing down it reduces your total cost in a big way and reduces your overall accident risk.

As long as you can make your cycle. Houston has pretty favourable scale hours though from what I remember.

The big problem is Industry (gota save a few bucks). We use to design roads at 10% favorable and 8 % adverse . Now we get roads laid out at 20% or more favorable to design - for winter logging!!! Going into tougher ground with steeper narrower roads, its only gonna get crazier.

Good ground has been creamed now it's only getting tougher and further away. When road costs climb they take a big hit out of out what is already a razor thin margin.
 

kenvb

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In 1968 I was 15 and I learned to drive hauling logs with my Uncle in his New 67 Chev 427 with a 5 and 4 trans, it was a self loader. truck had about 50,000 lbs on it, trailer another 100,000 we drove on the Whitecourt snowmobile trails. then they went to the private saw mills and log camps. now they have triple axles on the trucks and 5 and 6 axles on trailer? i was going to rebuild Uncles old truck till has a good look at it this summmer. its now scrap metal.I removed the dash for a 69 1/2 ton my son is building.
 

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S.W.A.T.

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As long as you can make your cycle. Houston has pretty favourable scale hours though from what I remember.

Agree but what is better, 15 minutes or even a hour late or on your side in the ditch? Cycle time is extremely important and yes it's usually pretty good around Houston but so far in my very limited experience, by no means a logging vet, slow and steady has been paying off.

That being said I'm sending this message from the comfort of a truck shop due to DEF problems. FML LOL
 

skegpro

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Agree but what is better, 15 minutes or even a hour late or on your side in the ditch? Cycle time is extremely important and yes it's usually pretty good around Houston but so far in my very limited experience, by no means a logging vet, slow and steady has been paying off.

That being said I'm sending this message from the comfort of a truck shop due to DEF problems. FML LOL
Getting it deleted?
 

Hoehand79

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I did some hoe chucking on the island and had to share the road with all those off hyw hd x Hayes trucks now that was an experience lol
 

freeflorider

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875 Tigercat, operator loves it, they just got a prototype machine, operator helped design it, no numbers yet, but really nice, shorter body, heavier counterweight and longer boom so he can reach in the tight spots.

mmmmmh 890? Seen one (maybe) somewhere on an assembly line,so we were told...on the down low lol. New tigercat is in the works there saying.
 

deaner

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My hat is off to anyone driving a logging truck. Not enough money in the world to get me behind the wheel of one. Seriously.....even if the going rate for a log truck driver was 200 bucks an hour I wouldnt even be tempted.
 

Stompin Tom

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My hat is off to anyone driving a logging truck. Not enough money in the world to get me behind the wheel of one. Seriously.....even if the going rate for a log truck driver was 200 bucks an hour I wouldnt even be tempted.

just for comparison sake my driver averages around 600.00 a day for a 12-13 hour day.
 
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