Independent logging contractors in North Louisiana have expectations ranging from "Scares me to death," to "We might like it," on the new "dispatch trucking system" being put in place by Weyerhaeuser Company, according to a sampling contacted by The Piney Woods Journal.

One long-time contractor, who asked that his name not be published, said the dispatch trucking, "if it works right, won't be all bad." The trucking system will affect mostly clear-cut operations, he said.

As announced by Weyerhaeuser last month, a trucking contractor will begin during the August-September time frame, with an initial group of 20 trucks, to haul logs or other fiber material to various mills in North Louisiana. In the beginning, according to the company announcement, the added trucks will fill existing demand, apparently not completely met by the approximately 190 trucks currently serving Weyerhaeuser. Murphy Brothers Trucking of Arcadia is the designated dispatch hauler, and as understood from reports, will pick up loads at various harvest sites by radio dispatch, and haul to the designated mill, depending upon need and product.

The interviewed contractor said the change in payment for logging "scares me more than the trucking." Payment for logging currently is by the hauled ton. The payment formula was not ascertained by the Journal, but is understood to be based on a day rate for equipment, operators, and other factors.

Similar concern over payment for logging was expressed by another contractor, who also questioned the long-term sustainability of the Weyerhaeuser timber lands. "We are clear cutting some huge amounts of timber," he said.

According to company statements, all of Weyerhaeuser's forest lands have been certified sustainable through the SFI third-party audit system. The company manages over one million acres in Louisiana, and operates a tree nursery for plantation restocking.

Michael Franks, Winnfield-based logging contractor, has a more hopeful opinion of the new dispatch system.

One of the largest Weyerhaeuser contractors, Franks said recently, "I think I've got a pretty good handle on what's happening, and I don't see a problem. In the long run, when we get the bugs ironed out, it may be something we like."

He agreed this is not necessarily the consensus among the area's loggers, and agreed also that some operators may be adversely affected. "These are tough times, and a few rough spots can be expected," he said.

Franks has one of the largest company-owned trucking operations in the area, with 15 trucks in his logging fleet. He does not anticipate any conflict with the new dispatch system, and says that over time, if his truck fleet is down-sized, "It will be because Michael wanted it that way." Franks said he worries daily about the liability involved with that many vehicles on the road, and the cost of insuring against accidents.

He said the dispatch logging system was developed on the West Coast by Willamette Industries, and Weyerhaeuser Company decided to implement it in their operations in the South.

"I can see where the concerns come from," especially among independent contract haulers, Franks said, however, he does not view it as a threat to his operation.

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