Timber iQ August - September 2017 // Issue: 33 | Page 48

FEATURES
Whether by road or rail, shifting and lateral movements are not good. Image: Pixabay
Wood laminates are transported in crates, because it offers
a firm, solid transport solution. These pallets are off-
loaded with forklifts and special reach stackers.
“It’s important that drivers look after their loads and
inspect them frequently on longer journeys. They should
ensure the weight of the load is evenly spread and ensure
that overloading doesn’t happen,” Ferreira says.
He adds that timber customers must know their own
product and understand its weight distribution. To simplify
things, wood products are often packed in 1t cubes, with
34 cubes legally allowed to be placed on a single extra-
heavy truck.
Goldfield Logistics operates PBS vehicles between
Tugela and Durban. These special vehicles carry 49t
of product, roughly three times the amount of
non-PBS vehicles.
PBS vehicles are lighter and the trailers are shorter, yet
still offer the same payload. The reason for the reduction
in length stems from the difficulty in manoeuvring 27- to
28-m long truck and trailer combinations.
Operating PBS vehicles require permission from the
CSIR. These trucks can only drive on pre-determined
routes; they cannot travel under bridges or deviate from
their planned journeys. Service delivery protests, riots and
other unforeseen road closures present a major problem.
Ferreira says the industry generally prefers clear
weather, failing which, high quality tarps and tautliners
are vital.
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Timber customers do not want to receive wet products;
loads should not be packed while they are wet, which
requires storage facilities be water-tight.
TRUNK ROUTES
According to Bryan Hunt, managing director of Timber
Logistics Services, many drivers in possession of a Code
14 Licence, have little or no experience of driving on
forestry roads as they prefer the open road.
“Drivers do not know how to adjust their driving styles to
reduce fuel consumption, which as a result can rise by 15%.
“Timber transporters often carry a product of unknown
weight and must make use of on-board weighing scales.
But not all operators and drivers know how to use
these properly.”
Hunt adds that many wood mills do not want to receive
timber that is covered in mud. This means that special,
durable and retractable mud flaps must be fitted to
truck trailers.
Wood species also has a huge impact. For example,
eucalyptus wood has a very different Specific Gravity (SG)
to pine. The variance of SG in wood can be between 15 and
20%. Therefore, you simply cannot fill a truck trailer with
the same amount of pine as you can eucalyptus.
The length of the wood transported also affects vehicle
fuel consumption; the shorter the wood, the more billets
are required. And the more billets needed, the more the
vehicle’s aerodynamics will be compromised.