Time is a very important item in loading and unloading. Usually the most time is consumed in loading, for which reason any improvement that will reduce the time taken to load will greatly increase the efficiency of the operation. With the proper unloading devices, the truck may be unloaded in the time required to knock down the chock blocks.
The following table is a record kept for one day of the actual time taken by a truck at each step in the hauling of logs at one operation. However, it is possible to give only arbitrary figures to fit the particular operation of which they are taken. No average figures can be given that fit all conditions.
| DONKEY ENGINE | DUMP AT MILL | |||||||||||||||||||
| Arrive | Time Loading | Leave | Time Down | Arrive | Un- loading | Leave | Time Up | Scale | ||||||||||||
| A.M. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | : | 15 | 10 | Min. | 7 | : | 25 | 20 | Min. | 7 | : | 45 | 25 | Min. | 8 | : | 10 | 20 | Min. | 2592 |
| 8 | : | 30 | 5 | Min. | 8 | : | 35 | 27 | Min. | 8 | : | 57 | 13 | Min. | 9 | : | 10 | 20 | Min. | 2092 |
| 9 | : | 30 | 12 | Min. | 9 | : | 42 | 21 | Min. | 10 | : | 03 | 7 | Min. | 10 | : | 10 | 20 | Min. | 1908 |
| 10 | : | 30 | 12 | Min. | 10 | : | 42 | 33 | Min. | 11 | : | 15 | 30 | Min. | 11 | : | 45 | 20 | Min. | 3074 |
| P.M. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | : | 05 | 10 | Min. | 12 | : | 15 | 35 | Min. | 12 | : | 50 | 17 | Min. | 1 | : | 07 | 20 | Min. | 2542 |
| 1 | : | 27 | 15 | Min. | 1 | : | 42 | 18 | Min. | 2 | : | 00 | 27 | Min. | 2 | : | 27 | 20 | Min. | 1828 |
| 2 | : | 47 | 8 | Min. | 2 | : | 55 | 21 | Min. | 3 | : | 16 | 8 | Min. | 3 | : | 24 | 20 | Min. | 1689 |
| 3 | : | 44 | 11 | Min. | 3 | : | 55 | 23 | Min. | 4 | : | 18 | 9 | Min. | 4 | : | 27 | 20 | Min. | 2407 |
| 4 | : | 47 | 14 | Min. | 5 | : | 01 | 26 | Min. | 5 | : | 27 | 12 | Min. | 5 | : | 39 | 20 | Min. | 2558 |
| Total | 20690 | |||||||||||||||||||
Length of haul 5.9 miles round trip.
Amount of gasoline, 15 gallons.
The above figures were taken several years ago when the facilities for unloading were slower than the present day methods, which accounts for the excessive length of time taken to unload.[8]
[8] The writer is indebted to Mr. George Gunn, Jr., for these figures.
The unloading of a truck is a time when a little care taken will save considerable expense for repairs. Such a method as the parbuckling system should be used by companies with sufficient stumpage to warrant the expense of the extra donkey, to prevent the top logs from dropping to the log bunks, thereby saving the cost of repairing broken springs and bearings.