Michael Mallock Logs on to Smarter Trucking

In the oversized world of heavy-haul trucking, Michael Mallock is proving that lighter is better. The Athabasca-based truck owner-operator has significantly reduced the weight of both his rig and fuel bill, while increasing the size of the loads of logs he hauls out of the northern Alberta bush.

Five years ago, Mallock switched from the standard 15-litre engine to a 12-litre model, which has less displacement and horsepower without adversely affecting pulling power. He further lightened his eight-axle truck and trailer by converting to smaller tires, aluminum wheels, a shorter wheelbase, a single exhaust stack and a lighter rear trailer, which he designed himself. As a result of the above changes, his diesel fuel bill is about $10,000 a year less than the average truck that hauls logs for Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc. (AL-PAC).

"Being competitive and energy efficient go hand in hand," says Mallock, who with partner Richard Paddock is adding two more lightweight trucks to their fleet. "I like to stay on the leading edge and use the best technology available."

It also allows him to make more money. Because Mallock's truck is some five tonnes lighter than average, he's allowed to carry five tonnes more logs per load. Provincial regulations limit the total weight of trucks and their loads, so the lighter the truck and trailer, the larger the payload. He can thus earn about $13 per hour more than the average truck.Mallock also takes advantage of the GPS-powered tracking system onboard every truck that hauls for AL-PAC. By extracting from the system useful data about such things as his truck's speed, time spend idling, stops en route and tire inflation rates, he is able to further improve his fuel efficiency by two to three per cent.

"Most mills are interested in more efficient trucks because transportation is one of their highest costs," says Mallock, who also acts as a trucking consultant for AL-PAC.