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Advantages and disadvantages of untrimmed wood in the supply chain

Informally Refereed

Abstract

Very few companies that purchase forest products accept untrimmed trees (whole-trees including limbs and tops). Those that do accept untrimmed trees have been doing so for decades. A potential benefit of hauling untrimmed trees is higher in-woods productivity due to less processing of the trees. Disadvantages for the logging contractor can include specialized trailers and more time spent trimming and binding loads. The mill benefits by receiving two products (pulpwood and fuel wood/hog fuel) on the same load. Disadvantages can include a more complicated process for setting the purchase price and increased capital cost for additional processing and handling equipment required at the mill to delimb and top the trees and convey the material. The landowner may benefit from lower site prep costs as a result of the removal of limbs and tops from the stand. This paper reports on a pilot study that examined the hauling of untrimmed wood to a pulp mill and examines some of the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing untrimmed wood across the supply chain (landowner, logging contractor and the receiving mill).

Keywords

Whole tree, harvesting, loading, transportation, trucking, untrimmed

Citation

Thompson, Jason; Mitchell, Dana; Klepac, John. 2014. Advantages and disadvantages of untrimmed wood in the supply chain. 2014. In: Proceedings of the Global Harvesting Technology, 2014 Council on Forest Engineering Annual Meeting. June 22 – 25, 2014. Moline, IL. 8 p.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/48176