Motor trucks in the logging industry are a comparatively recent
development. As nearly as can be determined, the first use of a truck in
a logging operation was made in this region by Palms and Shields near
Covington, Washington, in the spring of 1913. Since that time various
types of road construction suitable for heavy trucks have been devised
and the use of the motor truck for logging has steadily increased until
at the present time there are about six hundred trucks operating in the
woods in the Northwest.
The first real progress in the use of the motor truck for logging
purposes came with the development of the trailer. Although the motor
truck has been brought to its present high state of perfection in
eastern factories the problem of adapting it to the hauling of massive
logs was solved in Seattle, Washington, with the perfecting of a trailer
which could carry unprecedented loads and stand up under the speed
attained by a motor truck. In the early attempts to design a trailer,
it was found that too great tractive effort on the part of the truck
was required if the trailer was patterned after older types with
simply increased dimensions in all of its parts. Through successive
improvements the modern form of heavy duty trailer was finally evolved.
It has solved a serious problem by permitting the hauling of heavier
weights with the aid of the trailer than is possible with the use of the
truck alone. With the help of the trailer and an adjustable reach, the
motor truck has successfully entered the logging field.
In the Pacific Northwest tracts of timber of sufficient area well
situated for economical logging by old established methods are no longer
plentiful. Almost every logging chance which exists today presents its
own peculiar conditions and individual problems. An operator must
therefore analyze the situation thoroughly before arriving at a decision
as to the most economical logging methods that will apply in any
particular case. Even in different sections of the same operation it is
often necessary to use different methods. Since proper cost accounting
systems are not usually kept by logging companies, particularly the
smaller concerns, these companies often do not know that they are losing
money upon one part of an operation because the success of the whole
absorbs this loss.
[Illustration: Pioneer logging with a motor truck in 1913.]
The use of a motor truck has proved to be practicable in many instances,
and bids fair to become of increasing importance. It will therefore
be advantageous for every operator to inquire into its possible
applications. It should be emphasized, however, that the motor truck is
not economically adapted to all conditions. There have been many
failures. Each projected application of the motor truck in the logging
field must be thoroughly analyzed and if a doubt as to its successful
performance exists, expert advice should be sought.