A secure timber sales dispatch system for growers

By Donal Whelan

Many forest owners and ITGA members are now looking to initiate thinning in their plantations and to sell their roundwood on the open market. The method of timber sale and the accountability and security of timber movement at both the time of removal and after timber leaves the forest is an emerging issue for both buyers and sellers. Sale by weight is becoming the norm for timber growers and where thinnings are sold on a weight or volume/weight basis the forest owner will only get paid for that timber weighed over the weighbridge. A workable and secure timber sales dispatch system or protocol is therefore vital for both buyers and sellers and this is why the Irish Timber Growers Association have developed a model for a secure timber sales dispatch system that helps address the accountability and security of this timber movement.
It is anticipated that this system will encourage the thinning of plantations by providing a method of accountability for timber removal in which both private forest owners and timber buyers can have confidence. The system is outlined in summary below and full operational details will be posted on www.itga.ie by early 2010.

Summary of Model Timber Sales Protocol
Individual timber growers will supply standardised docket books to the purchaser for all individual sales. Templates for these dockets will be available to ITGA members to download from www.itga.ie

• The initial procedure would work by the haulier notifying the vendor (or his/her agent or short message service (SMS) provider before each and every entry onto the forest site. This should be done by text and at least 1 hour prior to arrival at the forest a text should be sent to the vendor or his/her agent with information such as: Forest Code; driver's name; lorry registration; estimated date and time of arrival; and destination of timber.
• The vendor or his/her agent would then text a unique permit number to the driver for each entry request subject to checking that the haulier is registered for that sale. This permit number is then used by the haulier when completing the particular forest docket before entry onto the site. The purchaser would also receive a text with notification that a permit was issued to the haulier in question.
• On arrival at the forest, the top copy of the pre supplied forest docket would be filled in with the permit number and the various sections completed and the docket then posted in the on-site secure docket box by the haulier prior to the beginning of loading. The vendor or his/her agent will subsequently collect this docket.
• The buyer would then forward to the vendor or his/her agent the weight dockets for these corresponding forest dockets within a pre agreed number of days. The number of weight dockets received must correspond with the number of forest dockets retrieved which must also correspond with the number of permits given by text.
• Where there are breaches in the above system or there are discrepancies in the number of weight dockets received, there will be standard procedures for dealing with these, which will be outlined on www.itga.ie