Solving the Log-Truck Routing Problem Accounting for Forest Road Maintenance Policies: A Case Study of Oregon

Reducing timber product costs has long been timber industry focus for centuries. Transportation cost accounts for more than 30 percent of the total log product costs and the most influential factor for transportation costs is log-truck travel distance, which is a function of various road characteristics and administration policies. Previous research shed a light on understanding those factors, however understanding the impact of forest road maintenance policies on log-truck routing selection and on service coverage is still unclear. Forest roads with different maintenance levels will have different speed limitations and different operative status. Some roads with certain maintenance level will have to be decommissioned. In turn, it will affect log-truck route selection and service coverage. In this study, the researchers assess the travel-time between wood mills and timber production areas while considering the impact of forest road maintenance policies. Moreover, the effect on forest area coverage is also analyzed. The study tested on the effects of forest road maintenance policies and proposed improved log-truck route selection considerations. The study indicates that there is statistical significant different in route selection under different maintenance policies, however, the current objective maintenance policy makes no significant difference on route selection than under operational maintenance policy, moreover, results indicated that 49% to 67% of the timber area can be under service if different forest maintenance policy is selected.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AT030 Standing Committee on Agricultural Transportation.
• Authors:
  • Keramati, Amin
  • Sobhani, Ahmad
  • Esmaeili, Seyed Ali Haji
  • Lu, Pan
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 97th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2018-1-7 to 2018-1-11
• Date: 2018

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 6p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Case studies; Forest roads; Highway maintenance; Logging trucks; Routes and routing; Statistical analysis; Travel time
• Geographic Terms: Oregon
• Subject Areas: Freight Transportation; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01661239
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 18-03672
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 26 2018 1:43PM