forest trucking industry in maine: a review on challenges and resolutions · 2016-10-07 · forest...

Forest trucking industry in Maine: A review on challenges and resolutions

Anil Koirala1 and Anil Raj Kizha2

1Graduate Research Assistant, School of Forest Resources, University of Maine, Maine, USA

2Assistant Professor of Forest Operations, School of Forest Resources, University of Maine, Maine, USA

DEMO Interna,onal Conference, Vancouver, Canada, September 20, 2016

•  Forest products industries being scattered throughout the state of Maine leads to long distance travel

•  Average hauling distance for softwood sawlogs

and pulpwood was highest in the northern states

•  On any given business day of the year, about

2,300 truck loads of wood leave the Maine forest for the markets.

Forest trucking in Northern Woods

Source: Lilieholm et al. 2010

Koirala and Kizha 2016 2

Forest trucking sector

•  Transportation of forest products comprises around 20–50% of the

entire operational costs •  Majority of transportation in forestry by trucks. •  Trucking costs averages around $15 per cubic feet for sawlogs with an

average transportation distance of 90 miles (one-way)

hFps://www.army.mil/e2/c/images/2012/02/02/233923/size0.jpg hFps://www.truck-‐images.com/singleimages/maine-‐logging-‐trucks-‐c8acef107b80ead5.jpg hFp://sta,c.bangordailynews.com/wp-‐content/uploads/2014/08/10045281_H2818934-‐600x428.jpg?strip=all


Rationale of the study

•  Many specific studies in forest trucking has been done on: - Back-hauling - Truck turnaround time - Forest roads

- Truck scheduling, etc.

•  Even small improvement in trucking will improve entire operations. •  Forest products industries, trucking companies, landowners, truck drivers will be

benefited.


• Document challenges and problems to the forest trucking industry in the state of Maine.

• Deduce potential resolutions for the problems adopted in different regions.

Goals


- Scientific articles, technical reports, professional society’s publications, government records, and graduate theses.

-  Mainly focused on identifying challenges and their potential resolutions.

- 65 literatures related to trucking were selected (40 were used for the study).

- Publication date range: 2000 to 2016.

Literature review and synthesis

Literature Cited

40

Peer-‐reviewed journal ar,cles

27

Technical reports and publica,ons

6

Proceedings plus graduate theses

4

Government records and directories

3


•  Trade magazine: A powerful instrument for public views and real life scenarios and examples that the scientific literatures and reports might not accommodate. •  More than 60 issues of six different trade magazines published in 2015 and

2016 were reviewed.

Review of trade magazines

7

Challenges Suggested resolu0ons Literature cited Region or country

Design and fuel efficiency

•  Appropriate engine choice and axle ra,o

Lautala et al. 2015 US, Argen,na, Finland

•  Opera,ng in lower level of rpm Tu`s et al. 2005 Southern US

•  Trucking simulator BarreF 2001 Southeastern US

Routes and roads •  Mixed integer linear programming Bont et al. 2012 Central Europe

•  Combinatorial heuris,c approach Epstein et al. 2006 Chile

•  Vector based road network projec,on

Kizha et al. 2015 California, US

•  Automa,c road network planning Stückelberger et al. 2007 Switzerland

•  Trade off analysis Chung et al. 2008 Idaho

•  Enhancement of tractor roads to truck roads

Cavalli and Grigolato 2010 Italy

Summary of literature review

8

9

Challenges Suggested resolu0ons Literature cited Region or country

Geography and climate •  An,-‐slip measures Malinen et al. 2014 Finland

•  Winter harves,ng in heavy snowfall area

Abbas et al. 2011 and others Minnesota, Maine, New York, Vermont

•  Different axle combina,on for different terrain

Han et al. 2010 Zamora-‐Cristales and Sessions 2015

Northern California, US west coast

Back-‐hauling of the empty trucks

•  Efficient route to minimize empty phase

Carlsson and Rönnqvist 2007 General

•  Proper network planning between sawmills and harves,ng sites

Epstein et al. 2007 General

Lack of skilled manpower •  Increase in drivers’ benefits HireRight 2015 General

•  Ownership sharing mechanism

Palander et al. 2012 Finland

Summary of literature review

Summary of literature review Challenges Suggested resolu0ons Literature cited Region or country

Truck turnaround 0mes •  Self mounted trucks Dowling 2010 Southern US

•  Increasing landing area Kizha et al. 2016 Oregon

•  Search for possible backhaul to minimize wai,ng

Carlsson and Rönnqvist 2007 Scandinavia/ Europe

Loca0on and availability of market

•  Government interven,on and subsidies

Personal communica,on

Weight and load restric0ons •  Minimize tare weight removing unnecessary equipment

Shaffer and Stuart 2009 Virginia

•  Different truck-‐trailers combina,on

Schroeder et al. 2007 General

•  Acquiring proper knowledge Owusu-‐Ababio and SchmiF 2015

Wisconsin 10

Trade magazines review Topics Findings Comments

Easy loader concept in new trucks (folded trailers)

Lowers trucking costs by around 16 -‐ 17 %. Fuel savings es,mated to be five percent.

General public percep0on towards log trucks and drivers

During accidents, trucks drivers has been vilified from general public even if it was not the truck driver fault.

Use of older trucks in south.

Trucks and drivers safety Companies should: -‐  Be careful while hiring drivers. -‐  Check driver’s-‐ MVR (Moving Viola,ons Report) – to see if one can be insured. -‐  Train drivers well ini,ally. -‐  Conduct random drug tests. -‐  Abide by all rules and regula,ons. -‐  Insist on pre-‐ and post-‐trip inspec,ons. -‐  Pay by hour or day instead of by load.

Helpful in minimizing serious accidents and change in people’s percep,on as well.

11

12

Topics Findings Comments

Maintaining the fleets Installing Fleetma,cs GPS in all trucking and harves,ng units.

-‐ Track in-‐woods equipment and trucks without interrup,ng work flow. -‐ Rate drivers: who’s speeding, hard brakes, hard starts.

ScaJered Market Hard to maintain transporta,on by sub-‐contrac,ng to trucking companies.

Running own trucks by harves,ng and logging companies

Compe00on with other businesses More opportuni,es for drivers to drive dump trucks in construc,on business in southern Maine.

Hard to compete with construc,on sector with low pay and higher risks in forest trucking.

Lumber Market Tight quotas on both pine pulpwood and pine logs. Slow lumber market.

Trade magazines review

Trade magazines review Topics Findings Comments Weight For about $400 per year per truck, a logger can

legally haul 38 metric tons in Texas. In Louisiana, in $15 per year per truck, a logger can get permit to haul 39 metric tons.

Variable schemes in different states can create misunderstandings and difficul,es.

Truck Scheduling Lead driver program. One lead driver for each crew will communicate important informa,on between management and all drivers on that crew. Lead driver will also func,on as a safety advocate to create awareness.

Truck drivers concerns -‐  Rela,vely low pay that can be impacted by weather, markets and long lines at mill.

-‐  Low freight rates. -‐  Few if any benefits. -‐  Inherent health issues (limited physical

ac,vi,es). -‐  LiFle opportunity for advancement. -‐  High worker’s comp costs.

13

• The primary focus of this review lies in the management of trucking system within the forest products transportation. • Common and most prominent challenges faced by the industry has

been covered. • Major technical aspects like road designs, supply chain modelling, truck

mechanism and road accidents are not discussed in detail.

Boundary of the study


•  Lack of skilled manpower is regarded as the major challenge faced by forest trucking industry at present ,me. • Work and opera,on safety has been considered by most of the logging and trucking companies. •  ScaFered and shrinking market can be severe challenge to the industry.

Conclusions


This project was supported by funding from Coopera,ve Forestry Research Unit, University of Maine and Maine Agriculture and Forest Experiment Sta,on: Award Number DE-‐EE0006297

Funding

Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station


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Thank you Contact: Anil Koirala [email protected] Phone: +1 207-889-7154


forest trucking industry in maine: a review on challenges and resolutions · 2016-10-07 · forest...

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