Chip and log haulers

I mentioned something before about chip and log haulers but the response was that there are not enough of them to warrant a portion of the forum. However, around here most jobs are log and chip haulers.

It seems a bit of a shame because logging, chain saw, and equipment forums seem to be missing any info or interest on logging wood product haulers.

Your right about prices around here. I don't know where your at, but in WA here, log prices are low and chips are in the dump.

With few exceptions, most log haulers are making a low rate on the load value (like 25-30%) and chip haulers are mostly making CPM.

 

My family here in Maine has been involved with the logging business my whole life. Here the prices are awful and getting worse. Most loads pay the driver anywhere from 20%-30%. Not to mention the paper mills are shutting down at an alarming rate, in fact most wood that is harvested here now gets shipped to Canada.

 

Yup, a local hardwood mill just shut down here a couple of weeks ago.

While their are paper mills in my area, there are half as many as there was 10 years ago. And 20-30 years ago their was 2x more than that. And of the one that is going, it is only running a 1/3 capacity. Same with lumber mills.

Still most the driving jobs here are with wood products. Everybody has old trucks and the lack of maintenance shows.

It is nothing like when I was a kid; new logging trucks on every other block. Everybody was an o/o with a newer truck and all the brands were represented. If you weren't up to owning your own, you had no problem finding a hourly job driving that could support a family. Now a 10 year old pete is a new truck and most everybody runs percentage of load that is in the toilet.

 

I've been hauling chips from NH to Canada for the past two years. Just in that short amount of time I've seen the loads dry up and now we're on quota for the indefinite future. The Canada mill we haul too has shut down third shift and isn't receiving any roundwood....and no date on when they will start back up with the roundwood.

I've hauled chips to Jay ME and the $/ton was really low. I'm a company driver so I go where they send me but some of these rates have gotten so low it's hard to see how anyone makes $ doing this.

Oh and for the record, I agree that it would be nice to see a section for logging/chip haulers...

 

Here in Northern California you can do ok depending on who you workfor.

 

Plenty of jobs available hauling chips in my area. Seems to be 50/50 b-trains or 4 axle trailer. I hauled chips for 3 weeks while looking for a job years ago.

 

Seems like the Eugene and Portland area is pretty easy to find work. Pays more than NorCal does

 

Why people are saying is a risky job to become a log hauler. ????

 

Are you planning on hauling logs?