HarvestTECH News | Issue 36

Welcome to the latest issues of HarvestTECH.News.

In log transport, we continue to cover an array of new innovations in electric, hydrogen and diesel-hybrid powered vehicles, truck automation and platooning. Right now, there’s a huge amount of interest by larger fleet operators and already, a number of firsts for fueling log trucks in this part of the world are underway and being planned for early 2023.

It’s for this reason that the first Wood Transport & Logistics event for over five years is being planned with industry and key tech providers for 24-25 May 2023. Mark the date into your diaries. Early details can be found on the event website, www.woodtransport.events and if you’re keen on information as this major event is being planned, you can sign yourself up for updates.

This week we’ve got an intriguing story from a couple of enterprising Canadian inventors who’re building a hybrid electric logging truck, backed up by diesel generators. It’s a great concept and you’ve got to love the company’s slogan, Edison Motors: Stealing Tesla’s Idea.

Very simply, trucks head up the mountain electrically with empty trailers and then come back down loaded with logs, with the brakes regenerating the batteries on the way down. You use the stored potential energy to get to the top of the mountain and then you turn it into kinetic energy on the way down. It’s an interesting video worth watching.

We also cover improvements to Hiab’s HiVision virtual reality system for loading logs from the truck cabin and Napier Port’s new prototype log grabs for more efficient cargo loading. For Napier Port, this will be a welcome improvement as the new log grab infrastructure reduces the reliance on ship cranes.

Check out these stories and much more below. Enjoy this month’s issue.

Remember, please send through any stories or video you want us to pass onto the wider wood harvesting and log transport community.