A Truckload Of Logs For Firewood

Ordering a truckload of logs for firewood is one of the fastest ways to accumulate a lot of wood while still saving a few dollars by cutting it yourself.

Although it costs more money than felling a tree on your own, sometimes the advantages of having the wood delivered to your house is worth the extra money.

If you burn a lot of firewood each year or heat with an outdoor wood furnace, a truckload of 8 foot logs can be a great investment.

I'm always looking for the cheapest and easiest way to accumulate firewood. 

Of course, felling a tree yourself and processing the wood is cheeper than buying the logs.  

However, felling a tree involves the dangers of actually cutting down a tree, limbing the branches, hauling brush, dealing with a brush pile at some point later on and then finally processing the firewood......it's a lot of extra time. 

Having the wood delivered cuts out a lot of these time consuming steps allowing you to focus on accumulating large amounts of firewood.  

Plus, it's safer than felling a tree.

Ordering Logs For Firewood

Logging companies are usually the best places to order a truckload of wood.  

Since logging companies usually don't advertise firewood by the truckload, you'll have better results if you just call them and ask.

Word of mouth is probably the best way to find a reputable company.  

Ask around and find a company that your neighbors would recommend or search online for reviews about companies in your area.

If you live in northern Michigan, Lutke Forest Products from Manton Michigan is a great choice.  

We've used them several times and have always been very impressed.  

Their prices are fair and they deliver on time, in a professional manner.

When you call around and ask for prices you'll want to consider a few different things.  

First, logs that have not been skidded through the mud and dirt will be much easier to cut.  

Muddy logs will destroy your chainsaw chain requiring you to constantly re-sharpen it.

Second, you want manageable sized logs.  

Smaller logs are easier to handle and less dangerous if they happen to roll off the pile.  

Plus, if you heat with an outdoor wood furnace, smaller logs won't need to be split and you can just cut the wood to length, stack it and you're done.

Although it's a lot of work to cut 10 full cords of firewood in a single season, I recommend cutting the entire load of wood in the spring after you have it delivered instead of leaving some uncut for the following year.

I've found that cutting the wood when it's green is much easier because the chain bites into the wet wood a lot better.  

If you allow the wood to dry out and cut it the following year, it's a lot harder on your chain.  

Also, cutting the wood up as soon as possible prevents mice and other animals from building nests inside the large stack of 8 foot logs.

Using A Sawbuck To Process The Wood

When cutting up some of the smaller logs for firewood, I've found using a sawbuck works great especially if you have another person around to help you lift the logs.

Instead of bending over and trying to cut up the logs as they lay and roll around on the ground, a sawbuck stabilizes the logs and makes cutting them safer and easier.

Plus building your own folding sawbuck is really easy.  

If you would like to build one yourself, check out these easy step-by-step instructions for building your own.

I don't recommend using a sawbuck on really big logs because they're just too heavy to lift.  

However, the smaller logs and limbs are perfect for a sawbuck and it keeps your chain out of the dirt allowing it to stay sharper for longer periods of time.

Logs For Firewood - Things To Consider

When buying logs for firewood the price will vary from year to year depending on fuel costs and other environmental factors.  

Using a company that's close to your house will cut down on delivery charges.

Although the price seems to go up every year you should expect to pay around $750 - $950 for a "pulp cord" or a "loggers cord" of firewood.  

The wood will be delivered on a semi and each log will be approximately 8 feet long.  

One truck will generally deliver 10 pulp cords.

Ordering 20 cords, which will come on a semi hauling 2 trailers (the second being called a pup trailer) will usually cost slightly less since you're buying in bulk.

You can have the logs delivered to any location you choose as long as the truck can access it.  

Remember, cutting up 10 pulp cords of firewood will leave behind a lot of bark, sawdust and debris.  

If you decide to have it delivered in your front yard, expect a lot of cleanup.

Overall

Buying a truckload of logs for firewood is a great way to quickly fill your woodshed with a lot of firewood.

With a sharp chainsaw chain and a little hard work you can cut your winter's supply of firewood in a fraction of the time compared to felling the tress yourself.

About the Author

Nick Greenway

Obsessed with firewood, Nick is behind over 350+ of Firewood For Life's articles, as well as countless reviews, guides and YouTube videos to help readers like you reduce heating costs and create the perfect fire.