Are double trailers cost effective for transporting forest biomass on steep terrain?

Abstract

Transportation of forest biomass on steep terrain involves logistical challenges. Trucks with large single trailers are often unable to travel on forest roads due to their narrowness, tight curves, adverse grades and limited areas to turn around. A shorter trailer must be used but then transportation capacity is limited by the trailer volume due to the low bulk density of the processed biomass, particularly when the biomass is dry. With double trailers, transportation capacity can be limited by allowable legal weight based on axle number and spacing. We developed a simulation model that explores the economic feasibility of using double-trailer configurations to transport forest biomass to a bioenergy facility from the grinder at a landing or from a centralized yard in Washington, Oregon and California. Results show that double trailers can be a cost effective alternative to single trailers under limited conditions in Oregon and Washington, but they are not a competitive option in California due to the state's transportation regulations.Material published in California Agriculture, excluding photographs, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/#). Material may be copied and redistributed freely under the following terms: • Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. • NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes. • NoDerivatives — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material. • No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits. When attributing, please credit California Agriculture, University of California, citing volume and number, or complete date of issue, followed by page numbers. Indicate ©2015 The Regents of the University of California.Keywords: Bioenergy, forest economics, Transportatio