Transporting engineered wood products

Gr ELLING engineered wood products at your yard Cl requires special knowledge for carrying them on the road.

Some engineered systems literally weigh a ton and can measure 60-ft. long. For efficiency, safety and legality, extra effort must be taken to get them to the jobsite.

For items under 40-ft. in length, most companies use a standard truck and trailer. Western Wood Structures, Inc., Tualatin, Or., hauls engineered wood products on 40-ft. flatbed trucks, having discovered that box trailers were too difficult to load and unload.

Central Valley Building Supply Co., St. Helena, Ca., transports glulams, TJI's, beams and poles in the 30-ft. range by truck and trailer, though occasionally a little imagination is needed to get the job done. "Sometimes we put them over the front bumper and balance them out with a couple units of plywood laid over the back," says dispatcher Bob Bissett. "Occasionally we'll run an empty trailer behind the truck for support."

But are there difficulties in loading and unloading the materials even on flatbeds? "Each and every time," answers Marshall Turner, president of Western Wood Structures. "There are always a large number of these products, weighing up to 40,000 lbs. a load. They're overlength, some overwidth. We put them on by forklift and make sure the contractor has the necessary equipment at the site to unload it."

Adds Bissett: "Most of the larger jobs have a forklift already there. But we recently got a rough terrain, piggyback forklift that attaches to the back of our truck."

Products over 40.ft. long may need a crane for unloading. Eliot Whittington Builders Supply Co., Memphis, Tn., owns a stretch trailer for shipping really large products. "Some manufactured floor systems will come as long as 60 feet," general manager Ron Bugay says. "lf you want to sell thent, you've got to have the equipment."

Trucking companies may also provide the answer. "We don't own any steering trailers, but in our area there are a number of highly specialized trucking firms," Turner says.

Story at a Glance

Some ways to ship engineered wood sys' tems. truck and trailer suitable for products under tl&ft. long... oversized items may re quire special trailers, equipment, permits, scheduling.

To ship joists and laminated veneer lumber over 40-ft. in length, Cherokee Lumber & Millwork, Maryville, Tn., had a special trailer built for them. The rig can be pulled by a small delivery truck. "That uses less fuel and allows one man to deliver the load," said president Joe Swann. "And you're not tying up one of your flatbed trucks. " a UBSTANCE abuse in the workD place hasn't gone away. lt is still very much a management problem, and until addressed by all, it will never be behind us.

Each type of truck and each trailer has its own limits as far as turning radius and length, height and weight of loads. And each state has its own regulations on hauling the long length objects. Some require special permits, licenses, one or two flag cars or shipment between certain hours of the day to avoid plugging up highways.

Knowledge of the intricacies of transporting engineered wood products is necessary to help dealers capitalize on this expanding market.

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Story at a Glance

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