Trucks-to-trucks: a comparison of the raw forest products transportation industry and other forms of commercial trucking in the US South

Abstract

Forest products transportation in the US South is an essential component of the wood supply chain connecting raw materials with manufacturing facilities. Owners and operators of log trucks face many challenges to business success. This review analyzed variables associated with owning and operating commercial trucks in the United States to compare raw forest products transportation and general trucking applications. The variables for both log trucks and general trucking included fuel costs, fuel economy, insurance, driver characteristics and availability, driver wages, truck and trailer configurations, fleet characteristics, weight limits, and safety. Log trucks were approximately 5 years older than other commercial trucks and operated in smaller fleets of 5–10 trucks. The smaller size of log truck fleets often placed them at a disadvantage to larger carriers in insurance and fuel costs, with smaller fleets having less opportunity to buy fuel in bulk and paying 0.006–0.025 USD more per kilometer for insurance than larger fleets. Knowledge gaps include inadequate estimates of the number of log truck operators and limited information related to log truck transportation costs. Continued research into challenges faced by log truck owners is critical to better understand the industry and identify solutions to profitability challenges.

Citation

Derochers, J.; Conrad, J.L.; Bolding M.C.; Smidt, M.; Da Silva, B.. 2025. Trucks-to-trucks: a comparison of the raw forest products transportation industry and other forms of commercial trucking in the US South. International Journal of Forest Engineering 36 (2):167-177