TRANSPORTATION OF FOREST PRODUCTS 



Transportation of forest products usually goes 

 through three stages: (1) the assembly of logs at a 

 concentration point, usually accomplished by skidding; 

 (2) the conveyance of these logs by larger loads, usually 

 a truck haul, to the processing plant; and (3) the 

 movement of the finished product, usually by truck or 

 railroad, from processing plant to consumer, 



Transportation of logs from the stump is essentially 

 a process of collecting them in progressively larger 

 quantities for movement to the point of processing. Log 

 transportation normally follows the natural drainage 

 system in the area, endeavoring to move always in a down- 

 hill direction. The movement of logs uphill is a rare 

 exception. 



Logging itself is essentially a transportation 

 process. The fact that logs are not only round, but 

 also tapered, accounts for a considerable amount of 

 wasted space in any vehicle on which they are trano 

 ported. As the size of logs decreases, the amount of 

 wasted space increases on any given load. Studies 

 indicate it is cheaper to ship a given footage of lumber 

 than to ship the logs from which it is cut. The reason 



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