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RESEARCH
FINDINGS
Wood Truck Turn-time Cost Penalties
to the Wood Supply System (Dr. Don Deckard, Louisiana Tech)
The estimated, region-wide (Texas to Maine) annual cost associated with
“excess” truck idle-time at mills is between $39 and $109 million. Main
factors affecting turn-time are wood/load form, truck/trailer type,
unloading equipment, month of delivery, and human resources utilization at
mills.
Causes and Costs of Unused Wood Production Capacity (Dr. Dale
Greene, University of Georgia, in collaboration with Louisiana State
University and University of Maine)
Main causes of unused wood production identified as market driven (quotas,
closures, “turn-time” issues), regulations (mandatory and voluntary),
mechanical problems, labor-related (amount and quality), uncontrollable
weather impacts, planning shortfalls, and individual stand/tract issues.
Order the Report (02-A-5) from FRA for $25 (FRA members) or $50
(others) by printing out and mailing or faxing
this form.
Planning and Communication: Opportunities for Improvement in the
Wood Supply Chain (Dr. Rien Visser, Virginia Tech University)
Current planning is primarily reactive rather than proactive due to
extremely short planning horizons for many segments of the wood supply
chain. Frequent short-term changes in mill wood requirements drive many of
the downstream constraints to planning. Over 75% of loggers are informed
about the next tract they will harvest less than one week in advance.
Order the Report (03-A-3) from FRA for $25 (FRA members) or $50 (others)
by printing out and mailing or faxing
this form.
Logging Information Sources Web Site (Michael Duncan and Jane
Kobe, Caterpillar)
This federal and state database offers links to internet-based sources of
regulatory information important to wood supply and forest management:
www.loggingsearch.com.
Improving the Transportation System (Dr. Tom Gallagher, Auburn
University)
Research ways to optimize the wood transportation system by improving turn
times, increasing loaded miles, reducing idle time and to reduce costs by
adopting new technologies, like trailer designs that increase payloads.
Find ways to improve safety and public perception while lowering insurance
costs.
Status and Future Sustainability of
the U.S. Wood Supply (Dr. Dale Greene et al., University of Georgia)
Compare the cost of doing business in the U. S. wood supply chain with
costs of selected foreign industries and determine how the U. S. wood
supply system might be modified or redesigned to improve its
competitiveness in world markets. (Key findings published in FRA Technical
Release 06-R-18 entitled “Potential Impacts of 97,000 pound GVW on Logging
Costs.”)
Logging Capacity Survey Summary Report (Don Taylor,
PricewaterhouseCoopers)
Compare the match between logging capacity and manufacturing capacity on a
state-by-state basis in selected states for all six forested regions in
the U. S. Where shortfalls exist, make recommendations to address the
decline in logging capacity. (Key findings published in FRA Technical
Release 07-R-2 entitled “Logging Capacity Survey Summary Report.”)
What Projects are underway now? Please here.
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