Title: A CASE STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE OF LOG DECK CONFIGURATION ON LOADING WITH A SELF-LOADING LOG TRUCK

Intensive forest management requires efficient logging tech-niques to remain economical. Commercial thinnings and shorter rotations increase piece count inversely to piece size. Continued research aimed toward effective log handling processes is essential. The purpose of this study was to evaluate one case of a self-loading log truck (integral loader and truck) working in various decking configurations and piece sizes. Data obtained by the multimoment time study method where analyzed by multiple regression techniques. Loading production rates were determined from regression equations with the remainder of the total loading time computed by averages from 90 observations. Decking configurations were compared on a productivity basis. This study found excessive varation in loading times for large diameter logs. In small diameters, specific decking configurations reduced total loading times up to 20 percent. The results supporte