Looking for advice been on distance work now for a few years but getting fed up with motorway driveing.Liveing in wales been thinking of trying my hand at round timber haulage,thinking of all that fresh air and i think more challenging driveing .Does anyone have an idea what this work is actually like or am i looking through rose tinted glasses.Any comments welcomed
There are several timber haulage drivers on here.I can only comment as an observer.The timber haulage is the hardest job for a vehicle.Tippers get a lot of stress off road,but hauling a load of timber through a forest is about as hard as any vehicle has to take.Its a tough job for the kit and the driver.If you want a challenge,go for it.
Always fancied a go myself. I go to SW Scotland a lot and you see them flying about on the limiter and they are generally regarded like the stereotypical tipper drivers. Not by me i hasten to add but I hear tales of chasing just one more load for not that much cash.
All hearsay and I have no absolute facts but i fancy a go too.
Hi all.If it’s like anything up here you’ll get plenty of fresh air putting chains on to get the truck moving again.Remember trees don’t grow by the side of roads.You will spend a lot of time driving on gravel tracks and forest tracks.I do a bit of timber driving with a 25mtr roadtrain running at 60ton,its some of the hardest work i’ve ever done especially in the winter.You really want to be experienced or masochistic.Mike
Golden rule: When driving off the tarmac, dont grip the steering wheel with your thumbs - keep them up. That way when you hit a rut and it jerks the steering wheel out your hands it won’t break your thumbs.
as long as you don’t mind getting soaked/frozen/eaten alive by midges,getting covered in mud/grease/oil,as long as you can do your own running repairs,as long as you are prepared to have your heart in your mouth and your ar$e chewing the stitching off the seat more times in one day than a whole months worth of motorway driving then its a great job,oh did i mention 6months minimum to get even part way decent at working the crane 
Davyboy:
as long as you don’t mind getting soaked/frozen/eaten alive by midges,getting covered in mud/grease/oil,as long as you can do your own running repairs,as long as you are prepared to have your heart in your mouth and your ar$e chewing the stitching off the seat more times in one day than a whole months worth of motorway driving then its a great job,oh did i mention 6months minimum to get even part way decent at working the crane
Nah not for me then…sounds too much like a piece of pish! 
Davyboy:
as long as you don’t mind getting soaked/frozen/eaten alive by midges,getting covered in mud/grease/oil,as long as you can do your own running repairs,as long as you are prepared to have your heart in your mouth and your ar$e chewing the stitching off the seat more times in one day than a whole months worth of motorway driving then its a great job,oh did i mention 6months minimum to get even part way decent at working the crane
If you got a cabin on side of your crane that a bonus heated cabin cd player you be dry and warm
OP you may find the following diary of interest:
i have never seen a square tree, would be easier to load em tho
The forest roads can be interesting, ie. increases the heart rate, not a lot of room to ‘lane wander’ and go for one with a cabbed self loader. We do the majority of our work carrying round timber and it can be a cold wet and thankless job for the truckers. Not one for the steering wheel attendant who prefers the RDC waiting room and afraid to get his hands dirty.
It’s not often like this