How Much Weight in a Truckload of Lumber?
Information on wood weight and truck carrying capacity. July 20, 2011
Question
I have a potential customer that wants me to create some flooring for him. He wants two truck loads. I've never done that quantity before, but am confident I can. I have not shipped flooring before either. I'm planning on getting trucking quotes online, but can somebody help me with determining how much weight I'll have on a truckload of 3/4" unfinished red oak flooring?
Forum Responses
(Sawing and Drying Forum)
From contributor Y:
I believe its 12,000 board feet if it’s dried. Or you could call a trucking company and ask them how much weight you can put on a flat bed. Then from there you could figure out how much the red oak weighs per board foot.
From contributor U:
If he is asking for a tractor-trailer load then 45-48,000 pounds. Be sure what size truckload he means.
From the original questioner:
I was just told that they are expecting a truck load to be about 16,000 sq. ft. of 3/4" thick red oak.
From Gene Wengert, forum technical advisor:
We have a weight calculator here at WOODWEB. You will reach the weight limit before you reach the size limits.
From the original questioner:
Is that assuming stacking of these pallets, or will I hit the truck weight limit even without stacking the pallets?
From contributor I:
As Gene mentioned, you will hit the weight limit on the truck before you fill it. I was told by an old timer many years ago that the backouts in flooring were primarily to reduce weight to get more square footage in rail cars before hitting the weight limit.
From contributor A:
Oak flooring is about 2,700 lbs per 1000sqft of flooring, so your 16,000 sqft will weigh about 43,200 lbs or 21.6 tons which most trucks can haul (at least in Arkansas). It will have to be on pallets for most trucking companies to haul it since they have to get in and out of the trucks.
