Problems of sustainable transport of large-sized roundwood

Abstract

When considering the economic and environmental aspects of forestry, especially the issues related to timber harvesting, emphasis should be placed on the importance of the availability of raw material resources for the sustainable flow of goods. It would also be difficult to disregard certain issues related to transport, which play a key role in the efficient flow of wooden raw materials. It has to be noticed that timber transport options are limited by a number of factors, including the considerable fragmentation of wood resources and the lack of adequately developed railway transport facilities. This paper focuses on issues related to the road transport of timber carried out by transport companies. Observations to date of large-sized roundwood (thicker than 14 cm and longer than 3 m) transport in Poland indicate a relatively frequent occurrence of overloaded vehicles, exceeding the permissible total weight limit. Empirical evidence also suggests that in many cases, it is an effect of improperly endorsed standards with regard to the density of the transported material. Moreover, there is a clear correlation between the loading volume and economic as well as environmental factors. Therefore, the aim of this article was to show both the current situation in the transport of bulky timber and to present the possibilities for its optimization, from the point of view of locational, economic and environmental factors.