Does this sound right?

[hemlock]

My usual supplier of 8 ft log lenght firewood retired, so I had to find someone else. I called another guy that advertised 8 ft, and spoke with him. The price sounded good, but he said he delivers 8 cord loads in a dump truck. After I hung up, I did a bit of math - assume a standard 16 yard dump truck, and you get 432 cubic feet (27 x 16), a little under 3 1/2 cords. I can't see 8 cords fitting in a dump truck no matter what you do to it. Is it somehow possible?

 

[NH_Wood]

I can't imagine an 8 cord log length load in a dump truck, that's for sure. Perhaps he makes two or more trips? Cheers!

P.S. did you ask your old supplier to recommend anyone? He likely knows the best folks around your area.

 

[ansehnlich1]

You sure you aren't talkin' to a guy that has 'face cord' in mind?

 

[Dune]

What is a "standard" 16 yard dump truck?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

No doubt this is one more case of someone saying a cord of wood is 4' x 8' but forgets that it needs to also be another 4' to make a cube. But it might also mean he will bring more than one truck load. Communications by both parties is necessary.

 

[hemlock]

What is a "standard" 16 yard dump truck?

Is not the average large tandem axle dump truck around 16 yards?
Anyways, he did not mean face cords - for $1000 I sure hope he did not mean 8 face cords.

 

[Dune]

What is a "standard" 16 yard dump truck?

Is not the average tandem axle dump truck 16 yards?

Is he using an average tandem axel dump truck to make deliveries?

 

[hemlock]

What is a "standard" 16 yard dump truck?

Is not the average tandem axle dump truck 16 yards?

Is he using an average tandem axel dump truck to make deliveries?

I would assume he is not making deliveries in a semi with a dump. He would have a hard time getting one of those into most homes for deliveries.

 

[LLigetfa]

...he delivers 8 cord loads in a dump truck.

I infer a single trip from that. I assume as well that he does not remove the tailgate as most 16 yard boxes need the tailgate to hold the sides from splaying out. With the tailgate he cannot possibly heap up the load and still dump it, so he has to be dealing in "FACE" cords.

Firewood mongers selling cut and split may sometimes deal in face cords, but anyone selling 8 foot cordwood should be talking 128 cu ft per cord. Firewood fits in the average stove so logs that are 8 foot or longer are not firewood until after you buck and split them.

 

[hemlock]

Spoke with him again. It is a 23 foot tandem dump truck, and he makes one trip. Hmmmm....

 

[JustWood]

My large delivery truck is 32 cu. yd. and thrown in split wood heaped up will hold 5-6 cord.

 

[Flatbedford]

if the logs are 8' long he can only use 16' of the 23' length of the dump body unless he removes the tailgate a lets the logs hang out a foot. If he uses 16' of the bed, the logs would have to be loaded about 8' high to get 8 cords or 1024 cubic feet. If he lets the last row hang a foot out the back, he can stack about 5 1/2' feet high. This assuming the inside of the dump body is 8 feet wide and it most likely is a few inches less than that. I say you will not get 8 cords from him.

 

[clemsonfor]

a regular log trailer holds around 10 cords, at least ours here in the south, not like those on American loggers in Maine that hold 100,000lbs of wood. So no way a dump will hold 8 cords unless its a semi dump, which he said no.

Call and confront him with the math, and say you will pay his price per cord but wont pay for cords that are not delivered.

 

[JP11]

Possible..

He could hang the tailgate. You leave the tailgate latched, but pound out the pins on top. You can leave it tipped up a bit...

That would add near 4 feet to the length of the box.

just thinking out loud. If you are really suspect... don't accuse him.. just tell him you'd like to come see the truck before he goes to the time and expense of driving it to you. Measure and figure. Nothing wrong with wanting to get what you pay for.

JP

 

[hemlock]

Called and politely cancelled the order. A few things weren't sitting right. They guy did not want to give his phone number, wanted to come right away, etc... Got a lead on some one else who seems a bit more up-front about things, and has an actual log truck.