Forest transport payload management in the delivery of efficient forest supply chains

Abstract

This thesis aims to provide a greater understanding of the role and balance of strategic, tactical and operational decisions in the execution of effective payload management in an efficient forestry supply chain. Studies were conducted to explore the role of increased gross vehicle weight (GVW) at the strategic management level, reducing tare weight at the tactical level and managing the actual payload of each trip at the operational level. The thesis investigated the impact of two weighing technologies (truck and loader-installed scales) operated by hired drivers and owner-operators on two route types: gazetted (classified for increased GVW limits) and non-gazetted (standard GVW limits for public roads). On non-gazetted roads, the two approaches proved equally effective but appeared to be less effective when used together, while the owner-operators appeared to have better management of the payload compared to hired drivers. On the gazetted roads, all vehicles were under-loaded by roughly the extra payload amount offered by the gazetted routes, highlighting the importance of com-munication and overall management to realise payload potential.