Notes

Outline

Productivity Improvements Through Professional Training in Appalachian Cable Logging Operations Hylton Haynes & Rien Visser Graduate Student and Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech

Appalachian Area

Forest Stands Non-uniform stands: many low value ‘pulp’ trees few large high value trees

‘Crescent Wrench’ Mountain Logging Mountain logging crews: 1 bulldozer, 1 cable skidder, 1 loader and 1 truck ‘Family’ logging crews, little formal training Changes being forced by environmental regulations and improving efficiency

Worker Issues Poorer area of the eastern USA Different work ethic, ‘work to live’ attitude Hard work in Hardwoods Aging workforce   – few young people interested, very little training Example: contractor with 8 workers employed 30 people in one year to keep his operation going

Timber Resource by Slope Class 455 million tons of saw timber on land (> than 5 MBF/ac). slope >40% @ 50% availability, 100 year rotation, 15 000 tons/year

Two Cable Yarder Research Projects Goal: promote cable logging as a viable harvesting system: FS ‘Stewardship’ project third party harvesting system evaluation ‘transparency’ of timber sales, environmental improvements Operator Training ‘learn-curve’ professional training from PNW establish productivity improvement

Forest Service Stewardship Project New project: skidder extraction, swing landing, cable yarder, excavator with grapple saw

Forest Service Stewardship Project (cont) New project: maximize value recovery, ‘roadside’ auction of sawlog, stream habitat improvement

Learn-Curve Effect ‘Self taught’ learn-curve effect

Study Methodology Pre- and post training: Productivity Study elemental time study (cycle times, turn vol.) On-site System Evaluation observations – operations, safety, environmental Data Analyses

Wes Hood Logging Thunderbird TY 45 yarder - July 2001 Skidder and trailer mounted loader

‘Professional’ Training Crew had operated yarder ~ 1 month Two experienced PNW cable yarder operators / riggers Each ~ 5 days on-site crew training

Data Analyses Complicated for pre-training data set! Low correlation between productivity and production variables: i.e. ‘carriage out’  vs  distance  (r2=0.19 up to 0.69) Carriage out (min) = 0.96 + 0.0023 x Distance – 0.52 x Train

Predicted vs Actual Production

Productivity Increase

System Evaluation Results Improve safety working under skyline, poor felling Landing layout - loader location Trailer mounted loader: system halts when loading out truck

Cost - Benefit Analyses Professional training ~ $500 to 700 / trainer / day 1 week, two PNW trainers ~ $8000 Resulted in ‘1 extra truckload’ / day Payback in just 4 weeks !

Conclusions Professional training pays Quick return on ‘investment’ increase productivity increase safety and environmental performance Still need to work on management system many ‘social / cultural’ issues to overcome! Acknowledgements Wes Hood Logging Mullican Lumber Hank Sloan, Forest Service Karl Stampfer,  Vienna