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Alberta log hauling configurations cut trucking costs significantly

VANCOUVER -Collaboration between FPInnovations -Feric Division, the government of Alberta, Alberta Forest Products Association, and forest companies has led to new, increased axle weight allowances an…

VANCOUVER -Collaboration between FPInnovations -Feric Division, the government of Alberta, Alberta Forest Products Association, and forest companies has led to new, increased axle weight allowances and the use of new log hauling configurations for the Alberta forest industry.

“It’s safe to say that we played a key role in the process, and that our work helped the Alberta forest industry to obtain new, more productive log hauling configurations that will help to considerably reduce their trucking costs,” said Eric Amlin, head of the Transport Research Group at FPInnovations, Feric Division.

Alberta Transportation announced new increased axle weight allowances for six different existing log hauling configurations, and allowed the use of two new 9 and 10-axle B-train type configurations. The productivity improvements for the existing fleets range from 3 to 11 tonnes depending on the configurations. As for the new B-trains, the 9-axle and 10-axle units will have winter payloads of about 53 and 59 tonnes respectively.

The Alberta forest industry and Alberta Sustainable Resource Development conducted a competitiveness review to provide the industry with more efficient and competitive solutions; one of the outcomes of this review was a recommendation to explore improving log truck productivity. Configurations with greater payload capacities translate into fewer trips required to haul a given amount of volume from a particular location thereby reducing costs as well as GHG emissions. In response, Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation convened an industry/government task force with FPInnovations, Feric Division participating in a technical support role.