How much does a cord of oak weigh?

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Around here, the pit would never let you drive off their property being that over loaded...... for fear of the liability should you kill someone. I'm pretty confident they'd have loaned you a shovel for 30 minutes.

Lesson learned though....... i guess your trailer was built before all the axles started being made in China. :confused:
 
I wanted 2 yards of gravel / driveway filler from a landscaping company. They use a huge front end loader that weighs what is in the bucket, and they have a list of what everything should weigh so they know how much to load to get your right amount. I paid inside, went out and told the guy I was buying two yards. When he put the second scoop on I knew something was not right, my trailer was all the way down on all wheels and the axles were bottomed. I went and got the owner inside and said I must have bought too much or something, she came out and knew somebody had messed up. The driver read 4400lbs instead of 2200 lbs per yard. Almost 9000 lbs of gravel on my 7000lb trailer. He had to go get a bobcat and shovel and unload it. I sat and watched for awhile until I figured he had learned enough and then pitched in and helped. I'm not sure how long he kept the job.
 
A couple years ago i was out grabbing a craigslist score of green Oak. Rounds cut, but not split. Stacked in my 7000lb 6X10 Bri-Mar dump trailer..... to the top of the steel sides on the edges, but humped up a little in the center. I'd estimate +/- a cord. Guys house was right near a truckstop, so i stopped and weighed my truck and trailer. I honestly thought i'd be a little over....... but to my surprise i was right on the money loading the trailer. 6,880 on a 7000lb trailer. What i was most surprised by, was that my pickup with just saws and other firewood gathering hand tools in it weighed (+ tongue weight) over 7,700 lbs. !! :jawdrop:


I recommend everyone who hauls a little firewood get weighed once or twice........ if for nothing else, a reference on how your full truck / trailer weighs, at 'however' full you are.


Chainsaws016.jpg


Bri-MarDump004.jpg
 
thats a good idea ductape,im gonna try that out.I often pass a truck stop that has scales on my way home from the mill where I get cut offs and slab wood.What does it cost to have your rig weighed?
 
Sorry about the post above, after careful looking at your weigh ticket it appears it cost you 8.50.Pretty good for the assurance it gives you!
 
Yeah...... it was definitely worth the $8.50. Some town dumps (transfer stations) will probably weigh you for free if they see you often enough. I wanted a reference so i'd have a clue the next time i loaded up the trailer. I think some folks would be surprised at what their little single axle trailer with wood sides would weigh when loaded with green firewood.
 
P.S. It would have been nice if it'd axle out......... but unfortunately my truck / trailer was too short to reach the first section of the scales (like a tractor/trailer would). If one were just weighing their pickup, seperate axle weights could be done.
 
P.S. It would have been nice if it'd axle out......... but unfortunately my truck / trailer was too short to reach the first section of the scales (like a tractor/trailer would). If one were just weighing their pickup, seperate axle weights could be done.

That scale is not top of the line or you would have fit. Next time pull around for a re-weigh and leave your front axle off of the scale. It should only cost a buck to re-weigh. Subtract the re-weigh from the original and that is your front axle. Subtact your front axle from the 7700 and that is your rear axle.

I saw a good one today and I forgot to take pics. If it is still there when I go past tomorrow, I'll get pics. A pick up was pulling a POS tandem axle with sheets of steel on it. They went over some RR tracks and the passenger side wheels folded. They were still with the trailer, but the axles were broke.The steel slid forward and the bumper was practically on the ground. I went by later and the truck was gone but the trailer was still there and the hitch looked broken.
 
I want to add something to this post that has little to nothing to do with the weight of the wood other than it has everything to do with the weight of the wood and your legal status. I have a whole lot of experience trailering heavy boats and long distances. To the best of my knowledge every state in the nation requires brakes on any trailer with a gross vehicle weight over 3,000 pounds. That's law but common sense tells you that if the load you are carrying weights as much as the vehicle that is towing it brakes should be on the trailer.

On my trailers I have hydraulic surge brakes and I have electric brakes. For a wood hauling trailer you want electric brakes - no ifs, ands, or buts.

Brakes are not overly expensive and anyone with modest mechanical skills and everyday tools can do the job of installing a set in a good morning. Add friends and a couple of beers and you can stretch that out to a full day.
 
I've been looking for trailers on CL, and I get interesting responses when I ask for axle ratings and what type brakes do they have.

One guy told me he didn't know the axle rating, but he put 3 cords in this 6x10 with 6ft sides and it pulled just fine. No mention of brakes. Depending on how he threw it in there, and if it were green, that could be 15000lbs! And I'm pretty sure that trailer didn't have dual 8000lb axles. Probably 3500, if I had to put money on it.

Had another guy get snippy with me over a single axle military trailer (was CHEAP, like $250 cheap). I wanted to know if it had air brakes, surge, or electric, as all three were possible with this trailer, since he didn't give me a specific model number. He said he put a cord of firewood in it the other day and pulled it just fine with no brakes...said he was in an H2. He never answered the axle or brake question.

I just stopped talking to both of them.
 
Here is a cellphone pic of the trailer. I believe it is a hay trailer with a sliding tandem and it is the slider that is holding the wheels together.

brokentrlr.jpg


When I went by in the morning, they had unloaded the steel and dragged the trailer out into a bean field. I went by a couple of hours later and they were there and had it jacked up and were attempting to repair it.
 
I'm sure the axles looked fine when they were loading it. I mean, it *looks* sturdy. I bet it could handle 3 cords with a good weld.

:crazy1:
 
The height of the sides is relative.

woodload1.jpg


This was 3/4 of a cord when stacked dry ash. I have a slightly smaller load on this trailer right now (fairly green ash) and the axle weight is 4500. Pushing the limits, but the tires are rated for it. Having brakes would definetly be a major plus so I don't go too far with big loads.

o boy the dot would have a Field day with you oak is 66 lbs a cube foot tom trees
 
o boy the dot would have a Field day with you oak is 66 lbs a cube foot tom trees

It's not oak, it's dry ash.

DOT isn't a problem for me.:hmm3grin2orange:

This load only went a couple of miles on a gravel road in a nice and easy fashion. I have hauled loads that would make your head spin, from generators,to trains, to houses and barns.
 
It's not oak, it's dry ash.

DOT isn't a problem for me.:hmm3grin2orange:

This load only went a couple of miles on a gravel road in a nice and easy fashion. I have hauled loads that would make your head spin, from generators,to trains, to houses and barns.

i no its ash:deadhorse:but go on a highway and they got you :hmm3grin2orange: tom trees
 
Brickhouse.jpg


Two story brick home. Not one crack from moving it. This was rolling at over 430,000 lbs with 3 axles with brakes. All axles legal with a moving average of 1200 feet per hour, but was sitting more than moving. I did a little driving on this, but mostly lead truck. That is the boss in pic. He has been on Mega Movers twice.

dieseltrain.jpg


That's my buddy behind the wheel. DOT held us up for over an hour then wrote a ticket for $25 for improper permit because it was a lot lighter than we thought so we left a set of axles out and permit said x # of axles. Boss told them "Hurry and write the efin ticket, these guys are all on overtime!" lol

steamtrain.jpg


Rolling over 670,000 lbs. on 138 tires! Brakes on 5 axles. DOT was called and told to weigh us before we started so they weren't jerkin us around while working. They came out, looked it over and said not to worry, but they sat and watched the whole time.
 
I don't do this work anymore. I have a safer job now, hauling gas!:angry2::monkey:

but go on a highway and they got you :hmm3grin2orange: tom trees

Got me for what exactly? This is Nebraska, not New York. I'm not over axle or registered weight. No brake/weight requirement. They might bust my balls for load securement, but that is a grey area. Look at the tires, not even squatting. Springs, not bottomed out. I am endorsed for doubles/triples.:D

Would I haul this all the time? NO Would I go down the highway like this? NO Would I do it again? Hell yeah!
 
Brickhouse.jpg


Two story brick home. Not one crack from moving it. This was rolling at over 430,000 lbs with 3 axles with brakes. All axles legal with a moving average of 1200 feet per hour, but was sitting more than moving. I did a little driving on this, but mostly lead truck. That is the boss in pic. He has been on Mega Movers twice.

dieseltrain.jpg


That's my buddy behind the wheel. DOT held us up for over an hour then wrote a ticket for $25 for improper permit because it was a lot lighter than we thought so we left a set of axles out and permit said x # of axles. Boss told them "Hurry and write the efin ticket, these guys are all on overtime!" lol

steamtrain.jpg


Rolling over 670,000 lbs. on 138 tires! Brakes on 5 axles. DOT was called and told to weigh us before we started so they weren't jerkin us around while working. They came out, looked it over and said not to worry, but they sat and watched the whole time.

Wait, don't they make tracks for trains? Holy crapoly, that's is a lot of tires.:cheers:
 
Back
Top