Analyzing Log and Chip Truck Performances in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with GPS Tracking Devices

Minimizing transportation costs is essential in the forest products industry, as the relatively low value and high weight of the products causes transportation to account for exceptionally high portion of the overall cost. The Midwest forest products industry competes in a global market, and the region’s value proposition is highly dependent on affordable and efficient transportation system. Understanding of system efficiencies requires sufficient data, but while most individual forest products companies collect data on origins and destinations of truck trips, little is known about the actual aggregate movements alone the route. One alternative to collect data on truck movements is with Global Positioning Systems (GPS) data receivers. Since the cell phone coverage in the region is very sparse and unreliable, using satellite based GPS is a logical alternative, but the use of such devices has been limited in the forest products industry, partially due to high cost of devices and the carrier’s reluctance for centralized dispatching. The research, sponsored by National Center for Freight & Infrastructure Research & Education (CFIRE), focused on using GPS data recorders on both log and chip trucks operating in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (UP) and analyzed the data to validate trends and to identify potential improvements and savings. A Trine XL data collector was selected for this research effort because it is inexpensive, easy to use and provides the necessary geospatial information to perform truck movement analysis. Since this GPS system doesn’t have real-time tracking capabilities, log sheets were developed for truck drivers to compliment the geospatial data. With combination of GPS data and filled out log sheets, the research team was able to make interpretations of truck movements and activities during stops or idling periods. This paper presents a brief literature review of past truck tracking studies and alternative GPS devices available for tracking purposes. It introduces the three project steps and reviews the outcomes of the project. The research concluded that there are significant similarities between log and chip truck movements. It also validated the fact that the main hindrance for truck productivity involves numerous truck stops required either for loading or unloading, totaling almost fifty percent of the overall operational time. On the other hand, chip trucks had significantly shorter unloading times when compared to the log trucks and they recorded higher average daily mileage. The research did not identify specific inefficiencies in the actions of truck drivers, but it was recognized that trucks experience extensive idle periods during operations. The sensitivity analysis conducted to identify potential savings from reduced idling suggested that several thousand dollars in fuel savings could be realized by each individual truck annually, if idling could be reduced.