The cost per M board feet for flatcar loading of unitized Itmiber is 



Labor 



Materials (banding) 

 Materials (dunnage) 

 Forklift 



$0.40 



.27 

 .44 



.05 



$1.16 



Labor cost is $0.40 per M board feet . --At $4.00 per man-hour, the total labor cost 

 is $16.00 per 40 M board feet, or $0.40 per M board feet. 



Banding materials cost $0.269 per M board feet . --Strapping material amounts to 430 

 lineal feet per car. Layer unitizing straps are 250 lineal feet per car.^ Load 

 unitizing straps are estimated at 180 lineal feet, per car. A study of 50 cars from a 

 West Coast mill showed an average of 428 lineal feet was loaded on each car. Using 430 

 lineal feet per car, the banding cost is $10.16 per car. Seals for the banding cost 

 $0.60 per car. Total banding materials for the 40-M-board-f eet car cost $10.76 or 

 $0,269 per M board feet. 



Dunnage costs $0.44 per M board feet . --To properly brace the load requires about 

 500 board feet of dunnage. The AAR specifications demand the absence of strength 

 impairing knots and decay, and recommend using rough lumber. The market value of this 

 material is about $27.50 if a price of $55.00 per M board feet is assumed. Generally, 

 2,000 pounds weight is charged for this dunnage. This is about 800 pounds more than 

 the actual weight so the net cost will amount to $17.50 if a $1.25 cwt . freight rate 

 is used. This will then be a cost of $0,438 per M board feet. 



Machine cost is $0.05 per M board feet .- -A forklift is used for 2 hours to load a 

 flatcar at $0,834 per hour; it costs $1.90 per 40 M board feet, or $0.04 per M board 

 feet. 



Because of the variation in organizing loading personnel, it is difficult to 

 determine productivity for hand loading loose lumber. Personnel used for boxcar 

 loading can include some or all of the following: two car loaders, checker, yard 

 pickup or tallyman, part-time forklift and carrier operators, and part-time shipping 

 clerk. Cars loaded per two-man loading team will range from 'one car per day using 

 hourly wage help up to three cars per day using contract loaders. For instance, the 

 loading costs ranged from $1.70 to $3.03 per M board feet in this study. A large part 

 of the difference results from contract loading vs. hourly rate loading. The incentive 

 method is by far the cheaper. The average cost, weighted by volume shipped from each 

 mill, is $2.30 per M board feet. 



To unload a flatcar containing packaged lumber is a relatively simple operation. 

 Assuming the car can be unloaded from both sides and adequate preparation has been made 

 for storing the packages, the job can be done in 45 minutes time. This requires the 

 use of a forklift operator and a helper to remove strapping. 



^Layer unitizing straps are used to encircle adjacent units and bind them tightly 

 against the load stabilizing framework. Load stabilizing straps are used to bind 

 different layers together to tie the units into one solid load. Bearing pieces are 2 

 inches, or thicker, lumber nailed to the floor of the flatcar approximately crosswise 



LOADING BOXCARS 



UNLOADING FLATCARS 



8 



