Anyone want to chime in on this. Wood+Uhaul

[gtu160]

Well it's time to get going for next year and after last year my truck and trailer ain't cutting it. So I got a very good wood guy, but I have to get the wood. It's five miles one way. So I got the bright idea of renting a 17 foot truck and there 6x12ft trailer. The way I see it is: the truck will hold 6000lbs and the trailer will hold 2000lbs. Loaded right (I know this part well, I'm a truck driver) I should get a nice haul of wood and if I can get 4 loads I'll be good. Anybody want to gusse how many cords per load in say 20in log form? Anybody see why I shouldn't do this?? I wish I could get my work truck, but can't. opcorn: Thanks

 

[Ductape]

I'm afraid I might discourage you, but I put a good 5000lbs. of green oak in my dump trailer and it was only around a cord-ish. So...... the truck will only have about a cord and a quarter in it. Will it still be worth it to pay to rent the truck and trailer at that point?

 

[sawinredneck]

AHHH, good times!!! I loaded, unloaded, then loaded another 24' UHaul van with Hedge.
Let me know how it works out for you. I have a feeling you won't do it again.

 

[aandabooks]

Maybe with a couple guys so you don't have to walk every piece all the way to the back of the truck to stack it. And those boxes are aluminum and if you bring it back all beat up from throwing wood, you might have a problem.

Hopefully, you're picking this wood up from somewhere stable and not thinking of taking the U-Haul out in the woods.

 

[thejdman04]

Make sure you sweep it out when you are done. A guy I sell wood rents a 26 ft penske and fills it with firewood, takes it in by chicago and sells it. As said I wouldnt throw the wood either.

 

[STLfirewood]

Put an ad on craigslist. You'll find someone to do the hauling and help you for $100-$150 a day.

Scott

 

[Griffbm3]

Are they in log form now? Are you cutting them up to 20" lengths? I was able to hire a logging truck to move my free wood in one trip. There are a lot of parked logging trucks around here, and they moved a triaxle of logs for me and delivered them to my house, about 12 miles one way in one trip. I gave the guy 2 bills and it took about 90 minutes total. My back never thanked me so much...

 

[Dalmatian90]

8,000# total, eh?

Green, not more then 2, maybe as little as 1-1/2 cords.

Seasoned well, 2 to 3.

That's using the figures here: http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/agguides/forestry/g05450.htm

 

[gtu160]

I have a labor that I pay 10 an hour. So it would be two of us. Since I go through 6 cords plus junk wood that gets dropped I figure 4 loads would do. I'm kind of stuck cause I can't drop in the yard. Last year I had a dump truck dropped in the street, what a nightmare. This is tree service wood so most is precut and I can be picky what I load and figure to get prime picking, no junk. I gave two pickup truck loads away, because I could not do anything with them. I figure around 2 bills and alot of easy work thats going to suck, but to be done and ready in one weekend will be nice. I won't even go into the #### I went through last year. I may even hire a 3rd guy.

 

[avalancher]

I wouldnt dream of using a U-haul, for all the reasons stated above!
The deck on the truck is high, so you are going to have to walk all those rounds up the ramp and into the front of the truck. Just looking at the inner wall of my wood truck's bed, I shudder to think what a thrown piece of wood would do too the aluminum skin of a U-haul.

Like someone suggested, put an add on Craigslist and get some help with someone with a pickup, maybe someone with a flatbed trailer will answer the add. You may get someone that would be willing to trade wood for labor.
if I lived in your area, I know I would show up with my truck and trailer and trade one load to you and one to my place if it was good wood.
With so many guys out of work, you may have your pick of who you want to give you a hand!

 

[LANNY]

Look at the sticky on this forum(good information), an easy calculator for wood weight. I was shocked at the weight of a cord of oak. If I remember right, 5000-7500 lbs per cord. That will help you calculate your load weight on truck and trailer. Guess i've overloaded every time....Lanny

 

[BlackCatBone]

If you're going to rent something, why not just rent a suitable pickup truck?

 

[strongback]

I don't know if you've got one nearby, but Sunbelt rentals, rents a 5 ton stakebed with a lift gate that might be better suited to your purpose.

 

[bore_pig]

What kind of truck and trailer do you have? 10mi round trips? I've done 80mi round trips for wood.

 

[timbrjackrussel]

Demolition Dumpster

Check out the price of a large demolition dumpster, set down, load in a day or two, haul it, set down then unload, you won't hurt it.

 

[sawinredneck]

Check out the price of a large demolition dumpster, set down, load in a day or two, haul it, set down then unload, you won't hurt it.

Doable, but you wont be able to fill it all the way!! Tried it once with a bunch of Elm that had been sitting and needed it gone.
Driver showed up and the front wheels came off the ground! Had to unload about half of it and make two trips.

 

[willsaw4beer]

Doable, but you wont be able to fill it all the way!! Tried it once with a bunch of Elm that had been sitting and needed it gone.
Driver showed up and the front wheels came off the ground! Had to unload about half of it and make two trips.

Sounds like a good time.

 

[epicklein22]

Just pay the tree company the 200 hundred bones to move the wood for you. You load, they drive, you unload. Sounds like easy money for the tree company and less hassle for you.