volume: 35, issue: 2
volume: 40, issue: 1
The purpose of this paper is to assess the delivered cost of pulpwood from natural hardwood
stands in the State of Tennessee using forest operations supply chain analysis. The study is
based on primary production and equipment data collected from logging firms using a statewide
in-depth harvesting and transportation survey. Survey results were used to develop estimates
for the delivery cost of hardwood pulpwood removed per green tonne unit hour. Findings
revealed not only the variability of inputs attached to costing harvesting operations, but
also the difficulty in identifying one typical harvest system for the state. This may be explained
by the very diverse operating conditions and systems, as well as the low stumpage prices and
high cost of harvesting and delivery that are predominantly managed by small scale operations.
Results have shown that the cost of harvesting a tonne of wood for a distance of up to 50 km
ranges from an average minimum of $43 per tonne to an average maximum of $51 per tonne.
After this distance, the cost increases exponentially. The fact that this study is the first for the
state that looks at the operations logistics indicates the lack of available knowledge of the true
cost incurred by operators that may have a lasting impact not only on the continuity of logging
operations but also the sustainability and availability of forest products and workforce.
volume: 42, issue:
This paper offers a conceptual analysis of the unaccounted-for cost of owning and operating used machines from an operational, financial and market perspective. It is based on input from experts and a literature review. In the scientific literature, assessing the operating cost of used machines in forest operations is typically based on standard cost assessment methods using costing/pricing input from similar unused machines. This is the case since there are usually no historical data for observed used machines available to analyze. This substitute analysis is problematic to many used and depreciated machines owners. The changing trends in forest technology attest that old machinery do not hold to the same input cost data variables or values of new machines. In fact, they belong to two rather competing different markets: (used vs. new equipment markets). With the technological, market and machinery regulations and dynamic changes, the substitute cost analysis is not representative. Better data is required to understand the cost of owning and operating used machines and the justification is the focal point of this paper. The outcome of the expert and literature analysis in this paper demonstrates that a broader understanding of the cost of a used machine is required and doable. A proposed understanding integrates the machine availability (performance), cost factors (financial) and market evaluation (price), in isolation (single piece of machine) as well as in a fleet, to assess a used machine ownership cost. The study is intended to offer forest machine operators, owners, scientists, and practitioners a proposed new approach to value used machines and further investigations and data inputs required to make used machines costing methods more relevant.