100 cords a year?

[Sandhill Crane]

How do you guys do it? I am finding cutting and splitting is the easy part. It is the stacking, moving, loading, delivery, knee deep snow part that each have their own trouble shooting. How do you move 50 or 100 cords of wood? I'm finding I need to do 15 cord just to keep a truck on the road, if not 20 cord. I buy logs to process so overhead is high from the get go. The work and the weather I truly enjoy, but I also want it to pay for itself and a little for my time. The people part I was not sure of but so far it has been great. On the phone they are hedging, asking this and that, because they have been taken for a ride before. When they see my firewood, and often surprised by the amount, as I only deal in cords, or fractions, not truckloads, or ricks, or face cords, they are very happy. But I need to be more efficient somehow... with the delivery process especially, and then charging accordingly. Have to make money and when the time comes perhaps a processor. Right now, buried in snow, a pole barn sounds wonderful... Any tips from the guys that have been doing this awhile?

 

[PLAYINWOOD]

call a guy with a processor, they charge $45 a cubic cord, you write a check for the logs, write a check for the processor, let sit in field for 1 year, customers write check to you as you deliver or they pick up.
Repeat.
20% is good margin for PU
20% plus $20 to load 1 cubic, plus real gas money, plus $40 or 50 for delivery.
1 hour return trip = net $60 to $70ish.
Inclement weather add $20 more.
reduce costs if you can, increase price if you can

 

[TFPace]

I like the hiring the processor too. Finding one in North-Carolina is the challenge.

 

[jrider]

When doing that volume of wood, why bother stacking? I windrow mine and in 18 years have had no issues with it not seasoning. I don't know what you have for a truck but I have an f350 dump that holds 2 cords thrown in loose. Before that, I used my pickup and had to stack it in. Now that I can throw it in loose, I save a huge chunk of time.

 

[PLAYINWOOD]

windrow, then load with a loader...never touch it..
TFP, I watch swamp loggers and see all the flared butt ends they throw away and NC tree companies report they pay to dump wood or just throw it in a swamp.
I've always wondered if trucking "free" wood to DC or NYC or Boston or another cold megaopolis would eat all the profit.
We have 3 processor manufacturers up here but 50 to 60G's to get a good start and that my friend is a 1000 cord payoff... the next 6 to 7 years for me. Not interested.

 

[zogger]

You say you buy logs..can you get your offcuts from the logs to fall right into a bucket, then move bucket loads directly to your station at the splitter?

My most productive day ever was cutting from a log pile, big loader handy (big Michigan loader, not a small tractor bucket), rounds rolled and thrown into the loader, right to a dump truck (F450), hauled a mile, dumped next to the splitter and ready set go! Two cord in one day and that was stacked. I did the cutting loading and hauling back, dumping and splitting, my GF helped me stack but I did a lot of that myself.

If it was just a conveyor off the back of the splitter I could have gone faster.

I know I could have done more with a larger saw and a four way wedge. Plus if I was windrowing near the log pile, could have skipped the dump truck step.

 

[jcl]

i sell 100 cords from sept-oct using dump truck and 45 hp new holland tractor, wood is in rows 10 feet high i load my truck with rock bucket. it takes 20 mins to load a cord not the fastest way but works for me

 

[mr.finn]

While I don't do near that amount of wood I have the same problem. Cutting is the easy part, it is the splitting and stacking that eats up time. I only sell between 15-20 cord a year but I get the piece of mind once stacked it will dry out nice. Never had a complaint about wood that wouldn't burn. I think in your shoes split into piles somewhere in the open and let them season that way. I can't imagine stacking anywhere near that amount of wood!!

 

[downhanddave]

I cut and split into the trailer no stacking. Have tall side boards so I can haul just alittle over two cords full. I never stack the wood. I know what it looks like in the trailer. Add more than I know I need to make sure I have enough wood on hand at customers house. I never dump the loads in someone's driveway always stack for them. Y I get the price I ask. Anyway I stack till I get what the customer asked for then quit. ALWAYS have wood left in trailer. Sometimes they ask y and I tell them. Have sold the rest of the trailer load a few times. Mainly I like having more wood than ordered with me so if it stacks to tight I still give them what they want! Customers are happy and call back. No stacking till delievered!!


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[jcl]

I cut and split into the trailer no stacking. Have tall side boards so I can haul just alittle over two cords full. I never stack the wood. I know what it looks like in the trailer. Add more than I know I need to make sure I have enough wood on hand at customers house. I never dump the loads in someone's driveway always stack for them. Y I get the price I ask. Anyway I stack till I get what the customer asked for then quit. ALWAYS have wood left in trailer. Sometimes they ask y and I tell them. Have sold the rest of the trailer load a few times. Mainly I like having more wood than ordered with me so if it stacks to tight I still give them what they want! Customers are happy and call back. No stacking till delievered!!


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Ok, but that's green wood. Season wood has to dry before delivery. I'll give you credit for stacking it. I don't have time to stack my wood for my house

 

[jrider]

I cut and split into the trailer no stacking. Have tall side boards so I can haul just alittle over two cords full. I never stack the wood. I know what it looks like in the trailer. Add more than I know I need to make sure I have enough wood on hand at customers house. I never dump the loads in someone's driveway always stack for them. Y I get the price I ask. Anyway I stack till I get what the customer asked for then quit. ALWAYS have wood left in trailer. Sometimes they ask y and I tell them. Have sold the rest of the trailer load a few times. Mainly I like having more wood than ordered with me so if it stacks to tight I still give them what they want! Customers are happy and call back. No stacking till delievered!!


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You do 100+ cords and stack it all the customers house?

 

[downhanddave]

I actually sell all seasoned wood. I just dump split wood on pallets that I gather all year. Then as I load wood just pull pallets out as the pile gets smaller. And yes I deliver and stack 100+ cords a year. I am very lucky and do not have to advertise or work at selling wood. I have standing orders for 102 cords a year. So I deliver wood all year long. Mostly dearing the late summer when it is to hot to cut/split.


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[Greg Perryman]

I remember back working with my dad. He would bring the cut up logs home then split and pile it in the backyard. We sold close to 80 cord of wood that yr and that's including a full time job dad was working. What really helps is having a helper or letting the kids make some money by getting out of the house.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Thanks for the replies.
I actually need a couple acres of open space for piles to season. I do not have that, and that is partially why I have been stacking. I have tries thirty cord in several piles and it started to get mold and fungus rather quickly. I still have some of it stacked and it is rather ugly, although actually very seasoned good wood. Even dumping a conveyor and piling in an open sided pole barn would help. Here is what I have going so far. Flamedancefirewood.com and my gmail ad with a couple photos has the phone ringing, or text, a couple times a day since placing it three weeks ago. Made three runs using my neighbors old Ford landscape dump (with no heat!) which was great. It is now on the list, or at least a dump body for my GMC 5500. Next winter I could hand load using the conveyor. It is buried in snow at the moment some distance from the drive.
Interesting. I read a book while on vacation twenty years ago. It was on a shelf in a cottage we stayed at and about a manager of a factory. He was given six month to go in and turn things around or that plant would be shut down. So he began trouble shooting the production process. Finding a bottleneck, then a solution (usually from the guys on the line) he discovered the bottleneck just shifted to another spot. Eventually the bottleneck was the was management, in the form of the way things had always been done. Anyway, my bottlenecks have been shifting, so it is interesting to hear how others approach the underlying problems even though our location/situations are a little different. I thought I would eventually use my piggyback lift for deliveries, but not any more. Love the ArboristSite forums.

 

[jrider]

I actually sell all seasoned wood. I just dump split wood on pallets that I gather all year. Then as I load wood just pull pallets out as the pile gets smaller. And yes I deliver and stack 100+ cords a year. I am very lucky and do not have to advertise or work at selling wood. I have standing orders for 102 cords a year. So I deliver wood all year long. Mostly dearing the late summer when it is to hot to cut/split.


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That's a lot of stacking...and I'm sure you have to carry/wheel some as well. Good job on your part. I sold 101 cords this year, mostly on weekends and all between mid September and late December. There wouldn't be enough time for me to stack even half of what I sell. I'm curious, what does wood normally go for in your area and what you are getting. I would be willing to cut/split less if I could make more in the long run by offering stacking at a premium price. Right now, I get $180 for mixed and $210 for oak within 10 miles and after that I start charging delivery.

 

[downhanddave]

I am charging 300 a cord delievered and stacked within 25 miles of the house. Then $1 a loaded mile after that. All of my wood is oak or mesquite depending on what they want. Both the same price.


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[downhanddave]

Also I forgot to add I too have a full time job more like 50 hrs a week actually I just have problem sleeping and leave in the middle of nowhere. So I split alot of wood late into the night. Or load trailers really late. I usually only sleep about 4 hrs a night.


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[old_soul]

I am charging 300 a cord delievered and stacked within 25 miles of the house. Then $1 a loaded mile after that. All of my wood is oak or mesquite depending on what they want. Both the same price.


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300 a cord? I would stack it too for that lol

Don't know where you are but we only get 150 to 175 a cord around here.....

 

[Sandhill Crane]

$225. a cord plus a fee for delivery. Pretty much 100% oak. There are a few sticks of Maple and Cherry, like and arm load plus or minus.
I have been charging $10.00 for delivery, changing to $2.00 per mile googled one way, $15. minimum. Deliveries have been costing me money and a lot of time. My pricing is on the high end already, which is because I buy logs. I have been getting repeat customers. We'll see how the increased delivery effects that.
I have been paying $1,800./20 cord load of really nice 100" long oak. A lot of that is fuel/mileage charge I'm sure. 20 cords processed yields 16 plus cords stacked. He is not shorting me, that's just how it stacks. So, using $1,800/16 cord is $112.5 payed per cord. Subtract overhead (fuel, equipment, truck & related expenses, sales tax @6%), and what is left is divided by the hours you have in it... Actually it is not divided... it payed truck repairs, plates, and insurance, almost. More sales will go into buying more logs. Stacking is a pain. The flip side is the customer gets what he pays for at $225./cord, it dries well, and I'm not losing customers by shorting them, and, I'm not giving away wood that I payed $112.50 a cord for. But, it takes two hours to stack a cord, on a good day. As much as I would like a pole barn free of snow, a 4x4 dump truck, a processor, or even an SS, I'll be lucky to buy logs without having to pony up additional funds. Not complaining, just being realistic, and trying to grow.

 

[downhanddave]

I am in southwest Oklahoma. There aren't alot of trees except in creek bottoms. I am fortunate and my family has a ranch with lots of creek bottoms. We also farm some wheat so I clear more of the rich farm land by the creeks. Dual purpose. Helps my dad. I am not a farmer and never have been dont wanna b lol. So I cut wood.


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