Six cords to pick up without a truck...

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Sep 14, 2008
126
northshore ma
I scored some wood but i'm trying to find a way to pick it up. I would like to do this at a low cost and thought renting a rack body truck may do the trick. I'm not sure if i can fit this much in...i don't have a problem with multiple trips...but wasn't sure if this would be too heavy for this type of truck. A ford dealer has these for rental for 100 bucks a day and believe I can do this within this timeframe. The wood is cut to length and split and has been seasoned.

Any input would be helpful..Thanks a bunch all!
 
My first thought was a moving truck, like UHaul or something.
 
6 cords of wood is a substantial load. Depending upon species and moisture content, the total weight of what you're wanting to transport could be around 15 tons, give or take a ton or two. Rick
 
fossil said:
6 cords of wood is a substantial load. Depending upon species and moisture content, the total weight of what you're wanting to transport could be around 15 tons, give or take a ton or two. Rick

A rack body rental from ford has a payload of 12000 lbs...a few trips and I should have the whole six cords...the wood has been sitting for a few years so the weight of the wood shouldn't be of green wood...but i will not underestamate this amount.

A uhaul truck (moving truck) doesn't have this size payload unfortunatly
 
Around here, Uhaul used to have a deal for a regular 1/2 ton truck of $19.99/day unlimited mileage. 6 cords would probably be at least 12 truck loads, so depending on your stamina / help available and the amount of time you spend on the road, that could be a couple of fun filled days. Pound for pound, a trailer is probably your best bet as they rent pretty cheap and haul quite a bit of wood. Back when I had my Bronco, I'd rent one of the 4x8' trailers and load that thing to the gills then just drive slow and watch the braking distances.
 
Presuming that a "rack-body" truck is what we call a stake-side or flat-bed truck, I'd see about renting the truck AND a flatbed trailer. Also, if you've got big rounds, eiher get a truck w/ a lift gate or get a "smaller" truck w/ good towing ability (such as a F350) and a large flatbed trailer. Lifting large rounds onto a high bed can be real fun for your back (ask me how I know?).

A buddy or two to help load and unload would be most helpful.

Peace,
- Sequoia
 
I did 6 trips one day in a regular pickup hauling a total of 3.5 cords over about 15 miles each way. The loads were carefully stacked up to and over the siderails but I got it done. The best part about the many trips was the rest between loads while driving. I had to rush since it was a killer craigslist deal and there were aother men doing the same thing.

If you can shuttle 6 cords in a day then you are working pretty hard. Loading the wood and unloading the wood means at least two times picking up every one of those 15 tons (Fossils weight quote)

On second thought 6 cords at 3000 lbs per cord for dry wood is only 18000 lbs which is only 9 tons but whatever. It's a lot of lifting to do in a day.
 
Highbeam said:
...If you can shuttle 6 cords in a day then you are working pretty hard. Loading the wood and unloading the wood means at least two times picking up every one of those 15 tons (Fossils weight quote)

On second thought 6 cords at 3000 lbs per cord for dry wood is only 18000 lbs which is only 9 tons but whatever. It's a lot of lifting to do in a day.

Yeah, I was erring to the heavy side, since I didn't know much about the wood. Heck, it could be anywhere between ~25 and ~40 pounds/ft³, which is quite a range, weight-wise. In any case, it's a boatload of wood to move. No way I could do it in a day without a lot of help, but then I'm old. Rick
 
keep searching ford dealers the ones over here rent a 350 dump with 3 ft sides or call united rentals they have what your looking for for about 100-150 also
 
My brother recently rented a u-haul 26 footer, I think it will hold 4 tons or so.. local rents are usually cheap(er) his was about $75 a day, you could get a trailer, 1 ton, with it for a few bucks more and get it done in a couple trips.
 
I like matt's idea using the U-Haul. the bigger one would hold 6 cords and has a ramp you could wheelbarrow the load up into. Of course it goes without saying that you're gonna require help for this move.
 
savageactor7 said:
I like matt's idea using the U-Haul. the bigger one would hold 6 cords and has a ramp you could wheelbarrow the load up into. Of course it goes without saying that you're gonna require help for this move.

be carful i dont thin those trucks are rated for that much weight
you might have to rent the truck that comes with the hydraulic tailgate to get the right weight rating
 
iceman said:
savageactor7 said:
I like matt's idea using the U-Haul. the bigger one would hold 6 cords and has a ramp you could wheelbarrow the load up into. Of course it goes without saying that you're gonna require help for this move.

be carful i dont thin those trucks are rated for that much weight
you might have to rent the truck that comes with the hydraulic tailgate to get the right weight rating

Yeah, did some research and found that the stake body ford truck that I can rent at stoneham ford has a payload of 12000lbs. Much more than any uhaul truck can produce so I think this will do the trick. Thanks all for your input. Looks like it's just me for the day and I have aquired 2 cords alone last year with a 50 mile each way travel. This one is only 6 miles from my house so wish me luck...on the recruiting...

btw...that 2 cords was done with a full sized pickup truck
 
We rent these to guys who need their wood hauled from woods to home. $225 for drop/pick/and deliver locally. Holds 7 cord stacked.Trash companies are hard up for work right now, give one in your area a call.
 

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6 cords of dry split wood and only going 6 miles and using a 12000 lb rated truck. No sweat. With that short drive you can just throw the splits into the truck in a big pile, run home and throw them out. Repeat several times.

The beauty of the short trip is that you don't need to screw around with tight stacking and packing right to the top of the bedrails, just makes lots of smaller loads.

No reason you can't do this job alone in one normal day. You will be sore next day, mostly around your abdomen from the whole body throwing motion, but you will be done with the collection part of the process.
 
wellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll????????????????
any more news......pics.....pics show us pics!
 
Bigg_Redd said:
iceman said:
wellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll????????????????

x2

Sorry guys...i guess i should have told you that i have to scope out the site first which will happen this week sometime. I had to postpone the visit to the site because I just had my second child this past week and time has been limited. i will keep you all updated and i'm glad you guys are still interested...this will remind me to bring my camera. So the plann is to scope out first to be sure the accessablitly for the stake body is suffienct and then roughly two weeks from today i will have the rental...my mother inlaw fliies into town from denver to help out around the house whichh will relieve me some time to pick up the payload. Wish me luck

Dave
 
Blah Ho Vick said:
We rent these to guys who need their wood hauled from woods to home. $225 for drop/pick/and deliver locally. Holds 7 cord stacked.Trash companies are hard up for work right now, give one in your area a call.

I'm with vic on this one Its easy to roll into the dumpster with a wheel barrow and stack the wood . You could have the dumpster dropped on Friday and picked up Monday . no unloading no lifting into the truck no time renting a truck or driving back and forth. I have my own dump truck and trailers but still use a 30yard dumpster for large loads or big rounds . I don't like to drop 40" rounds or broken concrete in my dump trailers .
 
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