Characteristics and time consumption of timber trucking in Finland

Nurminen, Tuomo; Heinonen, Jaakko · 2007 · DOAJ

DOI: 10.14214/sf.284

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

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Summary

This study addresses the increasing complexity and cost-efficiency demands of timber trucking in Finland, driven by the Nordic cut-to-length harvesting system. As harvesting sites have decreased in size and the variety of log products has increased, trucks must increasingly collect loads from multiple roadside log decks, complicating logistics and increasing time consumption. The research aimed to formulate time-consumption models for typical transportation activities and introduce a statistical procedure to examine variation in time consumption across different trucking phases. These models are intended to support route planning, optimization, and cost calculations for both trucking entrepreneurs and the forest industry. The methodology combined direct time studies and driver-reported follow-up studies conducted over one month in central Finland. Data were collected from 368 loads (approximately 18,000 m³) transported by 13 professional drivers using eight self-loading timber trucks. The study categorized loads as single-sourced (from one deck) or multi-sourced (from multiple decks) and analyzed four main product groups: sawlogs, short veneer logs, long pulpwood, and short pulpwood. Transportation time was divided into specific work phases, including driving without a load, log deck activities (loading and auxiliary tasks), driving between decks, driving with a full load, and unloading. Nonlinear regression models were fitted to driving phase data, while log-normal distributions were used to model the variation in time consumption for each phase and the total transportation time. The results indicated significant variation in total transportation time due to the multiple factors affecting work performance. Driving with a full load accounted for the largest proportion of total time (34% for single-sourced and 26% for multi-sourced loads), followed by log deck activities and driving without a load. Multi-sourced loads involved more complex logistics, with 50% originating from two decks and the remainder from three or more. The study found that average driving speeds increased with distance, but trucks spent a higher proportion of time on slower road classes (gravel and forest roads) when driving without a load or between decks compared to driving with a full load. Load volumes did not differ significantly between single- and multi-sourced loads, nor between most product groups, although sawlogs and short pulpwood showed distinct volume characteristics. The developed models successfully captured the mean time consumption and the statistical variation for each work phase. The significance of this work lies in providing the first comprehensive time-consumption models for modern timber trucking in the 2000s, addressing the inadequacy of older models given changes in truck fleets and operating conditions. By quantifying the time consumption and its variation, the study offers a tool for more accurate cost accounting and profitability calculations. The findings highlight the operational challenges posed by multi-sourced loads and the importance of accounting for variability in logistics planning. The models serve as a promising initial step toward optimizing route planning and improving the cost-efficiency of the forest industry’s supply chain, particularly as responsibility for roundwood delivery shifts increasingly to private transportation entrepreneurs.

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• truck driver fatigue