100 cord by Christmas (?)

[Sandhill Crane]

Been looking at Truck Paper in the evenings. There are over four hundred tandem axle flatbeds listed, many 21' in the lower pricing, below $20.000, but many 24' with piggyback set-ups in the $20,000. - $26,000. range. It's a jump, but I do not have a pick up for starters. So price comparison would mean pickup/dump trailer.
For both loading and delivering the piggyback would seem to be very efficient. When I bought the lift this is what I imagined, only lifting the bigger 4,000 lb. 3/4 cord racks. Just to much stacking... So then I was thinking smaller, trailer, skid steer with forks, but visibility is very poor with a 5' high load. I'm coming back to a version of the original plan. The smaller mid size truck I bought was an affordable stepping stone at the time at $4,700.
I did decide on one thing yesterday. I am not going to make the 650 mile trip to the Paul Bunyan Show next weekend to see the processor shoot-out. If you have to re-split what they split then what is the point. For now my focus is on better loading/delivery, and maybe a used live log deck on the back burner. Which means this week check out canvas shops to make 'socks' to fit over the pallet netting, and stop by the DMV about CDL requirements. And split way, way more wood...



EDIT: Mis-spoke: 6 1/2 hour drive to Paul Bunyon Show, not 650 miles.

 

[muddstopper]

Forgot about the Paul Bunyon show. I was considering going, now it looks like i will have to make that decision really quick.

 

[CaseyForrest]

and stop by the DMV about CDL requirements. .

If you aren't going to pull a trailer, you only need a B. Thats assuming your straight truck has a GVW of 26,001 or greater. If you are going to pull a trailer rated over 10,001 pounds and the gross combined rating of truck and trailer is over 26,001 you need an A. If either rig has air brakes, you need to get an air endorsement. I covered all my bases at once and got an A with air and tanker endorsements and I also added a chauffeurs endorsement. I'm not entirely certain if an owner/operator needs a DOT card, but an employee that drives does. You will be required to take your original birth certificate in as well as make a declaration of intrastate or interstate. If you don't plan on leaving MI, you want intrastate. If you get the enhanced CDL, you wont have to take your BC in when its time to renew. This is all after you obtain a learners permit, get some hours behind the wheel and then take a knowledge and skills test.

You may be able to get farm plates and then simply get a farm endorsement on your regular operators license. But you would then be limited to a set distance from your "farm" which is 150 miles. And the need for an F endorsement only applies to pulling a trailer when GVW of the truck is over 26,001

http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,8611,7-127-1627_8669_53324---,00.html

 

[Sandhill Crane]

http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,8611,7-127-1627_8669_53324---,00.html

I can do this! Thanks...

 

[muddstopper]

I grand fathered from a regular class a to a cdl class a, so its been a while. With that said, I believe log trucks are covered under a special agr permit. I would think firewood would be the same as logs. You would have to check with your local dmv to be certain. A trailer weighing more than 10,000 lbs doesnt necessary mean you have to have a class a license. The trailer can weigh 15,000lbs and the truck 10,000, 25000 total combined, and you wouldnt need a cdl license. Now just because your truck and loaded trailer doesnt weigh 26,001 lbs or more, doesnt mean you dont need a cdl license. if your combined weight rating of your truck and trailer is greater than 26,001 lbs, even tho your total weight is less than the 26,001 lbs, you would need a cdl licence, a class b if the trailer is 10,000lbs or less and a class a if the trailer is 10,001 lbs or more.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Curious how much the weight of the a straight truck might be to figure a ball park idea of what the tare load or load capacity would be on 52,000 gvwr tandem axle straight truck, like in post #41. I really have no idea. My piggy back lift is 6,500 lbs. lift capacity, and also 6,500 lbs. weight wise.

The 2000 GMC 5500 pictured has a gvwr of 20,500 lbs and weighs 11,500 lbs. Tare capacity is 9,000 lbs., although it is licensed for 26,000 lb. gvw.

 

[muddstopper]

Not sure how the laws are now, and they vary from state to state. Used to be, and may still be,, NC did not recognize gvwr. You could tag a pickup truck for 40,000 lbs and as long as the truck had the correct wheel base, and you could distribute the weight so you where not overweight on one axle, then you could haul the 40,000 bs on the pickup truck. That was a long time ago and probably not that way now. Hauling that piggy back forklift, one thing you will certainly have to watch for is overloading the rear axles. That thing hangs a pretty good bit behind the rear wheels so it doesnt load the truck evenly. adding weight to the rear and taking weight off the front. you could be legal on total weight, but heavy on the rear axle and still get a ticket.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

That's why if I transport the piggyback I would need a tandem axle truck with possibly a double frame, not sure about the frame. I can not hang the lift off the truck I have now. Rain day, again. Lots to read on CDL and a garage to straighten up.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Empty weight for a decent 3 axle ~18-20ft bed.... in the 15-20k lb area.

That's something well built. Double frame, 10+ speed trans, lockers, 8+liter engine...

You don't process wood in the rain? We work rain or shine aside from hurricane type weather or very cold days (like -30* or colder)

 

[Sandhill Crane]

You don't process wood in the rain?

I'll have to if I want to make my 100 cord goal. Or buy a truck come Spring. Just picked up a 12' x 12' canopy on year end sale today. Snow, cold, I don't mind...wet, I need a push.

 

[muddstopper]

I'll have to if I want to make my 100 cord goal. Or buy a truck come Spring. Just picked up a 12' x 12' canopy on year end sale today. Snow, cold, I don't mind...wet, I need a push.

Pretty day here, 43* this morning, about 75* now. Decided to go fishing instead of work. we dont keep anything we catch, but we probably caught 50 or 60 bream. Not the right time to be worrying about firewood, worry about wood when the fish aint biteing. I think I might be getting the hang of this retirement thing.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

26* this morning, about 50* now. Sunny and t shirt weather. Can't ask for better!

 

[Sandhill Crane]

 

[Sandhill Crane]

This setting goals is fine. So far 100 cord is still possible. It changes things though. I feel like I'm getting behind after this week, and need to play catch up. The week before last I pushed one day, and it hurt production for the next two days. This week started with a stretched out delivery, and ended with four days of wet. It is all part of it. When this row of rounds pictured above is split, I'll need to set up the cutting table again. I'm well into the rounds already. Cutting logs will add two steps. Loading the table with logs, and of course cutting rounds to length.
The empty racks have piled up. Wish I could sell them. People have called and want me to deliver them. Of course they do. Not going there. I've sold a few when delivering wood and they are a pain to get off the truck by myself, especially the bigger ones. The price is right. I'll load them with the lift and they can take it from there.
I did start studying for the CDL, and ordered wheels and tires from SuperSplit for a four wheel running gear mod. Been thinking about that since I got the splitter.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Log deck repaired and dead. It is not a live deck. Beautiful weather for cutting/splitting. Our son is going to help today. He has not run the Posch yet, but will not be able to say that by the end of the day.
Load log deck/cutting/splitting/Posch/unload... I'm looking forward to see how this goes with two people. Previously, when I used the scaffolding as a bin under the conveyor, a second person could not stack if someone was splitting because it was too dangerous with splits falling in the same spot the stacker was grabbing splits. It was pretty much a one man system. With the Posch two drum set up and turn table that is no longer an issue it was. Today should be fun... Maybe post some photos tonight.
Met the brother of a long time customer that does canvas work. Together we came up with a design for a sock to slide over a single pallet of wood to contain the load for deliveries on the flatbed. He is going to do a proto type, a top with two wear strips for truck load securing straps, and open slit overlap on the vertical side with four bands of webbing, D-buckle and velcro to cinch it up. If it works we will do six total for deliveries.
Friday his brother picked up 3/4 cord that was in one of my larger covered racks. It is really nice firewood, which makes me think I really, really need to cover the Posch pallets I'm now doing as well. The 4' x 4' x 6' high racks were covered with a piece of 6' x 6' tarp and nailed with lath strips on two sides. The loaded Posch pallets have nothing to nail to. I laid the coverings out to dry and thought if I fold each corner in 1' the diagonal remains 6', same as the sides. If I sew the corners, making a tube at each corner I could use baling twine as a pull cord to hold them in place. Seems simple enough. Do they make iron seamers for that, like they do for rubber roofing? Probably just have to sew them, about 8" per corner is all.
Must be duck season. I hear a lot of shooting this morning.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Went well for being my sons first time on the Posch. He is good on the forklift and with a saw. Did not set any records, but we had fun. There is a learning curve to using the Posch, to wrapping the netting and raising the drum at the same time. Perhaps a flow control valve would be helpful on the wrapping mode so that full lever could be used. As it is, it will just take time for him to get a feel for it. After one hundred pallets I've gotten it down to nine wraps per pallet with good coverage. On one pallet he raised the drum too fast, about half way up, leaving a single ply of netting. We pulled the drum and cut the bottom half of the netting off, throwing the splits in the second drum to redo. I was telling him to go slower. At the end of the day he said he found going faster was easier for him with the Posch. What ever works.
Most of this firewood is red oak with the bark falling off. You would think it had been pulled from a river bottom as wet and heavy as it is.
76 days till Christmas. 71 cords to go.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

This customer bought six cords of firewood and put to use eight of my old firewood racks. Nice sunny spot for them, and easily covered. Sold two more firewood racks today. Thirty of these to go yet. I've had a lot of calls to deliver the racks but I'm not going there. They are too big, too heavy, and too awkward for me to handle alone without the forklift. Glad I'm not stacking firewood any longer for my firewood sales. Simply too much time and work to be able to do enough volume that way. The loose splits are the last cord and a half delivery doing it the old way.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Monday's goal: 10/10/16 two cords: cut/split/Posch'd
Weather forecast: high 66*, full sun.

 

[jrider]

View attachment 530514 This customer bought six cords of firewood and put to use eight of my old firewood racks. Nice sunny spot for them, and easily covered. Sold two more firewood racks today. Thirty of these to go yet. I've had a lot of calls to deliver the racks but I'm not going there. They are too big, too heavy, and too awkward for me to handle alone without the forklift. Glad I'm not stacking firewood any longer for my firewood sales. Simply too much time and work to be able to do enough volume that way. The loose splits are the last cord and a half delivery doing it the old way.

I agree about splitting. When moving 100+ cords there just isn't time to stack even if it pays well.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Monday's goal: 10/10/16 two cords: cut/split/Posch'd
Weather forecast: high 66*, full sun.

Monday's goal: 10/10/16 two cords: cut/split/Posch'd

Reality check.
1 1/4 cord...