Determination of the Safest Route for Logging Trucks Based on Road Types and Conditions

Abstract

Hauling of wood-based forest products is a complex problem that requires evaluation of many alternative routes. Forest transportation has been generally done by using logging trucks with high carrying capacity. Logging truck driving is one of the dangerous occupations in forestry, particularly in Turkey, where forest lands are mostly located in mountainous regions with steep slopes. The safety risk of truck driving mainly depends on the road standards and conditions. The majority of the forest roads in Turkey have low standards that limit the maneuverability of logging trucks. In such conditions, forest transportation should be planned by considering not only transportation costs but also the safety of logging truck driving. In this study, the GIS-based network analysis method was used to develop the optimum transportation plans for two scenarios. In the first scenario, an optimum plan that minimized the total transportation cost was developed, while a transportation plan that ensured the safest logging truck driving was optimized in the second scenario. A safety score was assigned to each road section based on the road type (asphalt, gravel, forest road) and road conditions (good, medium, poor). In the study area, located in the city of Bursa in Turkey, there were three forest depots and five landings. The results indicated that the transportation cost increased by 15.76% when the safety of logging truck driving was prioritized. In this scenario, forest products from three landings were transported to different depots, compared to the first scenario.