One important requirement for any logging company to quickly achieve established management goals is to have well-performing roads. This requirement is very dependent on several factors such as geographic location, management goals and other on-site considerations. The value and basis for the usage of these arteries is limited to only logging purposes; they are also used for different ranger services such as fire protection, recreation and other site activities that are very dependent on smooth passageways.
Efficient Systems
By providing a high standard road system, efficiency in accessing the location can be achieved. It also secures and increases the value of land by having well-designed and well-constructed routes, as movement over such routes is more cost-efficient and yet does not compromise the protection of other valuable natural resources. In addition, providing effective maintenance of these paths can retain driving longevity while preventing any adverse effects to natural resources.
Forestry Road System Categories
The forestry industry designates the way its vehicles travel into different categories:
- Skid Trails – This is the designated path used to move and transport logs to temporary roads or landing points. Usually, it requires a fairly flat area and needs little soil movement to set up. It does require the removal of some bushes and trees along the way.
- Temporary – Any such road designation has been constructed to connect skid trails to secondary or landing sites for tractor transit. In this case, soil movement is needed. During construction, some light machinery is often utilized for building purposes.
- Secondary – This connects from temporary to primary roads or landing sites with some traffic restrictions that are usually implemented during heavy rain. A trail such as this is mainly used during forestry operations. Soil movement will most likely be needed since there is no gravel or asphalt being put down.
- Primary – This is the forestry road system basis and is usually utilized the whole year including the rainy season. It is a very essential structure for providing continuous log transportation by large forestry trucks. Generally, since this structure requires a specific engineering design, its construction cost is greater than other such routes.
Planning
For companies desiring investment growth, careful planning is very essential to eliminate cost and other operational expenses along the way. By wise planning, the total distance of the route can be minimized to help reduce the overall construction cost. It also means the less pavement construction will translate to decreased detrimental effects on our natural resources.
Maintenance
Proper maintenance applied to every route plays an important role in providing reliable transportation as well as overall construction and operational costs for a logging company. In fact, there is a direct link between the trail condition and forestry truck operating costs. With poor or improper maintenance of such pathways, there are greatly increased safety hazards to users that could lead to more accidents with associated property and human losses. Up-keep efforts such as verge cutting, patching of cracks and pot holes, culvert cleaning, resurfacing, overlay, and pavement reconstruction are some examples of commonly performed maintenance.
There are still instances when special work needs to be done and every logging company should be prepared for such unforeseen circumstances that usually cannot be planned for in advance. An example of this is repair activity necessitated by landslides or washouts that have made these pathways impassable.
In conclusion, forestry management of a road system should not be coincidental but rather be carefully considered in order to provide a better road system. Such an undertaking will have a direct effect on the functionality of forestry trucks and other log transit equipment. Having functional and high-standard roads can result in a greater log yield, increased harvesting output, and decreased overall cost. So it is indeed very truck that every forestry job needs a great forestry road!