Perceiving Major Problems in Forest Products Transportation by Trucks and Trailers: A Cross-sectional Survey

Abstract

Hauling forest products from harvesting sites to themills is a crucial component in forest operation which directly influence thecost of delivered products. Although past researchers have focused on variousaspects of transportation including logistics modeling, productivity oftrucking on various road conditions and terrain, the challenges in foresttrucking are by far unnoticed. This study attempted to address some of the prominentissues on forest products trucking by using cross-sectional questionnairesurvey technique. The survey was carried out in a regional council of forestengineers’ workshop. With a response rate of 31.22%, the majority ofrespondents had more than 25 years of experience working in the forestrysector.  Location and availability ofmarkets was ranked as the major challenge faced by the industry followed by thelack of skilled truck drivers. The effective ways to reduce truck waiting timesat harvesting and processing facilities along with opportunities forback-hauling of empty trucks were also analyzed. Average distance traveled by asingle truck in a typical harvesting operation was found to be 98 km one-way.The findings can be utilized by the policy makers to formulate laws to supportthe industry and to develop management guidelines for specific truckingsituations.