Shifting log transport to rail has reduced costs

Shifting log transport to rail has reduced costs

Friday 9 May 2025

In late January, a Whanganui forest management company switched to transporting its logs by rail, taking eight truck and trailer loads off the road to New Plymouth each day. Forest360 director Marcus Musson said the decision was purely financial as fuel, tyres, and repairs and maintenance were all contributing to spiralling cartage costs.

“With rail, a train will use 10% of the fuel per tonne, compared to a truck,” he said. “The switch to rail means there is less exposure to increasing fuel costs.”

Forest360 provides harvesting and full forest management services to large and small forest owners throughout New Zealand. The cost of transporting logs to port falls on the forest owner, and Musson said it represented a significant portion of the harvesting cost structure.

He said rail was a more efficient method of moving logs.

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Source: NZ Herald
Image credit: Forest360

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