Loading & transporting 32ft-40ft Logs

back in the mid 90's I was hauling log homes out of BC to the USA in between heavy -haul loads and we had to instruct drivers to loop bottom chains to prevent aluminium pocket breakout. our steel trailers didn't have a problem.we used 7.5 ft high minimum, 2.5 inch diameter flattened on one end to fit the stake pockets

 

We haul them all the time outta Alabama to Laredo.

I like to do a belly/choke/whatever the cool ones are calling it these days, towards the middle. Throw 8-10 straps elsewhere and you’re normally good. We use pipe stakes as Ashtre said... they normally load us directly on the deck.

 

Driver's Handbook on Cargo Securement - Chapter 3: Logs

 

The only time I got involved in hauling logs that big (Long) was with Containers. I would go up into eastern PA and a particular forestery shipper who cut long logs like you describe. That wood would be shoved into the shipping container fresh cut three or so in total making for a pretty heavy load going to Europe.

I had no trouble getting those logs back to Baltimore in the box at all. Once in a while you hear this creak as it settles really well in the trailer on the way down. Maybe even a pretty stiff THUMP or two. Once you get past all that without wrecking or leaning excessively it's pretty much safe to crane onto the ship and go bye bye.

 

Rent one of these?

 

From what I recall of the regulations, the logs cannot exceed the height of the pipe stakes and the bottom row must touch all the stakes on both sides of the trailer.

If you do use stakes that plug into the stake pockets on regular flat deck, you will want to chain them across the deck to avoid having the logs rip the pockets off the side of the trailer.

 

Getting the weight is also going to be something to consider. Raw timber is going to vary alot.

 

Load the pumpkins/lg logs on the deck then "fit"/cradle the smaller ones in between the big ones. Gut wrap is definitely advised. Chains bite into the logs better than straps. Pondos are light wood (pine).