Log trucks

[Bellboy]

Ohk, so In South Africa, we do things like they do in Europe, as far as trucks go. However, in the rest of Africa (Congo, Gabon, etc) they use EUROPEAN trucks with American log bodies. I'll try find pics of the African trucks, but could an American logger with experience with these rigs please explain how they work?

SA trucks are rigid units with draw-bar trailers, and the American setups are nothing like it from what I've seen.

Images: American log truck, African log truck, European log truck.

Thanks guys.

 

[tonka]

In that 1st pic that is a western american log truck. The trailer is loaded on the truck with a loader or whatever they have in the woods to load the trucks with logs. They unload the trailer and use a pintle hitch to hook it to the back of the trucks frame. The trailer and turck both have the "U" shaped log holders, the one on the truck is mounted on a turntable so you can go around corners.

 

[Bellboy]

Thanks Tonka. Do you have any close up pictures of the pintle hitch and turn table setup? I have not actually seen one of these setups in real life, only on the blue tube. That will be much appreciated. Are the American trucks tractors(semi's) or are they rigids?

Em, I think that that African truck uses the same setup, having seen a pic where the trailer bit was loaded on the back, just like my first pic.

What do you think of the cab cage in the second pic, mounted on a Renault Kerax?

 

[Stripeyjack]

Here in Oz theres a few variations in log trucks for rigid, single and b-double or roadtrain trucks for both softwood and hardwood logging. In times past most were a single pole jinker which was piggy-backed on the prime mover, this is still the case in a lot of situations but in terms of a truck-and dog or single trailer setup the trailer is piggy-backed and in a multi-trailer application it is either done on the prime-mover (with the 'b' trailer trailing directly behind the prime mover) or the 'b' trailer folded on the back of the 'a' trailer.
Some pics:
(1) Rigid Truck and Quad Dog
(2) Single Trailer Jinker
(3) B-Double-A trailer folds on prime mover
(4) B-Double-B trailer folds...pole jinker on back of A Trailer
The engineering in some of these trailers is quite impressive and have some good innovations and ingenious in their design, to the point where there have been innovative developments in b-triple and road-train double log trailers. Heres a couple of links to Australian log-trailer manufacturers- the videos on the Elphinstone website are pretty neat in showing the operation of the trailers:thumbsup
http://www.elph.com.au/logtrailers/easyloader-roadtrain.htm
http://www.kennedytrailers.com.au/

 

[JAK5]

Great pictures!! Most our wood gets hauled to the mills as 8 footers on what we call "Michigan Specials" (high load capacity with lots of axles). The random length logs get hauled lengthwise on the trucks... A typical load of pulpwood is around 22 cords.

 

[Bellboy]

Thanks guys. Great feedback

As is said, we use mostly rigids with 4 axle drawbar trailers, and our logs are cut to about 2.4m, so the truck can carry two stacks, and the trailer 3-5 depending on the length of the trailer.

Who are the bodybuilders for those trailers?

 

[Stripeyjack]

Just dug a few more pics out of the archive so thought I would post them.....
Pics 1, 2 and 3-Rigid and Quad Dog, 4 B-Double (b-trailer obscured) and 5 close up of A trailer on B-double. Kenworth, Mack and Western Star are pretty popular trucks in the logging industry in Oz with both owner-drivers and larger fleets. In pic 5 the 'a' trailer is elevated, it normally sits forward on the headache rack for transport, just in this position for static display (Melbourne truck show 2008)

 

[Bellboy]

Wow! Those trucks are awesome, sho! I never knew you could do that with them. How do you get the trailer on to the truck like that?

 

[Bellboy]

Does anyone have drawings of these trailers, and the like? I am really interested in these trailers.

 

[spitzair]

Here's a few I snapped years back on a West coast logging show... Sorry, don't have any of the hitching setup... Enjoy! Oh yeah, Bellboy (and others), for a great explanation of how these trailers and different configurations work go to www.vannattabros.com/truck.html and click on the "stinger steered pole trailer" link. Tons of great information AND pictures there for you to enjoy!

 

[Bellboy]

Thanks, that is a great link, and I love that Cat log loader pictured. I must say, those are some very large log trucks that you have there. What make are they?

 

[D5G]

spitzair, is that a Cat log loader? Great pics!

 

[spitzair]

Bellboy, I don't remember what make the trucks were... Either Hayes or Pacific... D5G, yes the hydraulic log loader is a Cat, an EL 300LL if I remember right. On edit I found a few more pictures of it and a not-so-good picture of a Madill loader that was working on the site also... The cable loader is a Washington TL6... I spent the day with the guy running it and it was just amazing! What a beast! I was offered to get trained on it and take over the company but the deal never really went anywhere...

 

[spitzair]

Another few trucks for you guys to enjoy, I took these last spring while I was on the island with the Astar...

 

[spitzair]

Just a few more...

 

[D5G]

spitzair, cool! Thanks, I've never seen an older Cat LL before, I am guessing it must be around a 30 ton sized machine. Great pics, thanks for sharing!

 

[mrmomo]

Micro sized!

Hey guys - I love this thread! Had to pop in a few pics of my "Logging trucks" Obviously no where near as big as you guys! (not really heavy equipment, but I don't have roads through the woods big enough to fit my backhoe!)


This IS heavy equipment for us - a big step up from doing it all by hand. The trailers are just stuff I welded up over the past few years to make things easier. The arch is the only thing allowing us to bring out our "big" logs (about 18"!) I know - Tiny for you guys! I would love to mount a knuckle boom grapple on my little trailer though! (some day!)

 

[OCR]

Micro sized!

That is absolutely... neater then heck, mrmomo... :thumbsup

Man, that's a pretty area... looks like you could get lost in the grass, in that first picture... lol

Thanks for the pictures... and good job, on the equipment.


OCR...

 

[mrmomo]

Thanks! - It's really the only way to do it where I am. It's Canadian Shield, very hilly terrain. It's pretty much zero impact logging - we only cut dead wood and nothing gets skidded. Mom is a bit of a greenie (as I understand the term) so we leave some dead standing for the woodpeckers. I cut about 3 cords a year for heating my house, plus a bit for the cottage (that's where we cut) That's my Dad standing by the logging arch. I have another rig mounted on my flat bed trailer, it holds a full cord - so 3 of the small trailers, transfer to the big (road) trailer is a days work, and 1/3 of my winter heat The big trailer also carries the ATV ahead of the wood. (can't find a pic of it)

 

[spitzair]

That's pretty neat what you have going there. Here's something you might be interested in, found it at an industrial supply place in Terrace BC last year... You might get a bit of a sticker shock though, they wanted something like 11 or 12 grand for it... It was, according to the dude inside, made to be pulled around by a quad for low impact, selective type logging... I'd like to build a scaled-up version of this to pull around with my cat...