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Utilization of phone application technology to record log truck movements in the southeastern U.S

Informally Refereed

Abstract

Delays incurred by loggers hauling wood from the landing to the mill affect profitability and have the potential to make harvesting some areas unfeasible. Minimal research has been conducted to analyze driver’s delays for round trip turn times. In order to accurately gather information concerning delay times at the mill, the landing, and during travel to and from each location, a phone app was created that recorded driver location using GPS. This app also allowed the driver to input the reason for their delays, record their fuel stops, delivery scale tickets, load sheet numbers, starting mileage and ending mileage. The ability to choose from multiple delay reasons created a user-friendly program which required a minimal amount of time for the driver, enabling him to focus on his job. By directly asking the driver the reason for the delay at the exact moment it occurred, we were able to gather accurate information in real time regarding delays and therefore better able to understand driver dilemmas. Initial research was conducted in various states to ensure its ability to work in various environments. Results indicated that turnaround times for all drivers from all states averaged approximately 36 minutes both in the mill and on the landing. Maximum turn times ranged from 1:16 to 2:29 at landings and 1:18 to 3:39 at mills. Although average turn times were determined to be reasonable, the maximum turn times cause issues of concern with driver time, haul costs, and overall costs which need to be addressed.

Keywords

delays, android phone, google technology, GPS, turn times, transportation

Citation

Daniel, M.J., T. Gallagher, T. McDonald, D. Mitchell. 2017. Utilization of phone application technology to record log truck movements in the southeastern U.S. In: Proceedings of the 2017 Council on Forest Engineering meeting, “Forest engineering, from where we’ve been, to where we’re going”. Bangor, ME. 7/30 – 8/2/17. 7 p.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/57602