Loggers and Firewood Businesses: Silverado HD Payload, Bed Protection, and Winter Duty Cycles

Wood is a heavy substance and if you've ever loaded a truck with green oak you'll know that. In Litchfield County, where a large number of houses still use woodstoves for heating, the people who sell firewood and the smaller logging businesses have to subject their trucks to more wear and tear than almost any other kind of business.

If you need a truck of that type, a light-duty pickup won't turn out to be durable. The guide details the real carrying capacity of a Chevy Silverado HD, shows how to protect the bed, and looks at the impact that winter working has on a truck. If you are intending to buy one, Northwest Hills Chevrolet is situated at 2065 East Main Street in Torrington.

Start With the Weight of a Cord
When selecting a truck you should first make sure you know how much wood you have. A full cord is a pile which is 4 feet high, 4 feet wide and 8 feet long, thus having a volume of 128 cubic feet. Its weight will depend on the kind of wood and on how dry it is.

Rough numbers you'll see from firewood and forestry sources:

• Seasoned hardwood: often around 2,500 to 3,500 lbs per cord
• Green hardwood: often around 4,000 to 5,000 lbs per cord, and some heavy species go higher
• Green oak in particular is one of the heaviest woods you'll load

This is only an estimate because wood can vary a great deal. Nevertheless, it does illustrate a significant fact, namely that a full cord of green hardwood can weigh more than two tons.

What Each Silverado Can Really Carry
Here's the payload picture across Chevy's full-size trucks, meaning how much weight the truck can carry in the cab and bed:

• Silverado 1500: up to about 2,300 lbs in the best-case build
• Silverado 2500HD: up to about 3,900 lbs in the best-case build
• Silverado 3500HD: up to about 7,400 lbs in the best-case dual-rear-wheel build

These are the best-case numbers. Diesel, Crew Cab, and four-wheel-drive builds weigh more, so they carry less. Place that alongside the wood.

A half cord of green hardwood, which weighs between 2,000 and 2,500 lbs, will use up all of the Silverado 1500's payload capacity before your crew and the saw have even got in. Although the 2500HD can handle a half cord of green wood with some capacity left over, a full cord of green hardwood will exceed the amount that the 2500HD is rated to carry; in that case you should use a 3500HD with the appropriate setup or a trailer.

The payload also includes all the other things in the truck, such as you and your helper, the saws, the fuel, the chains and the splitting maul; just look at the sticker on the door jamb of your truck, as that is your truck's real number.

Towing: Splitters, Trailers, and Equipment
The vast majority of individuals who collect firewood and engage in logging own some sort of thing that they tow. This might be a log splitter, a dump trailer full of logs, or a trailer holding some small equipment.

The Silverado HD offers two engines, both with an Allison 10-speed automatic:

• The 6.6-liter gas V8 produces 401 horsepower and 464 pound-feet of torque.
• 6.6L Duramax turbo-diesel V8. 470 hp and 975 lb-ft of torque.

So long as it is properly equipped, the 2500HD is capable of towing up to 20,000 lbs with a standard hitch with the diesel, and the 3500HD can tow up to 36,000 lbs with a dual-rear-wheel diesel setup if a gooseneck or fifth-wheel hitch is used. Yet these are the best possible figures; the actual amount your truck can tow will depend on the particular build it has.

As for the rules, most Silverado HD trucks have a weight rating above 10,000 lbs. Commercial rules may apply if you are using a heavy trailer. Specifically, if the total weight of the truck and trailer exceeds 26,000 lbs and the trailer itself is rated over 10,000 lbs, the driver may be required to have a commercial license. It would be a good idea to check with both the Connecticut DMV and your accountant before putting your setup together.

Protecting the Bed

It is bad to put firewood in the bed of a truck since every time a split log is dumped into it it leaves a mark; eventually, after a number of seasons, the exposed part of the bed will become dented, scratched, and rusted, thereby decreasing the vehicle's resale value.

Here's what helps:

• The Chevytec spray-on bedliner is available on the Silverado HD and adheres to the bed, proving to be more resistant to impact than plain paint.
• When you can, put the wood down rather than throw it, since doing so does actual harm over time.
• To protect the back of the cab, use a headache rack or a solid front bed rail to prevent a shifting load from striking the cab window. When the vehicle stops suddenly, the wood piled above the bed rails is likely to slide forward.

Fasten the tie-downs and secure the load, particularly when going down hills. It is dangerous for a pile of loose rounds to move about in the bed on a steep road.

In winter clean the bed; road salt and wet bark getting stuck in the corners cause rust to set in faster.

The Silverado HD is also equipped with LED lighting for the cargo bed and has a 120-volt bed outlet that is available, which is useful when you're loading up late on a short winter day.

Winter Duty Cycles
Winter is the season when there is high demand for firewood; at the same time it is the most difficult season for the truck, because short, cold trips with heavy loads and a great deal of idling cause it to wear out more quickly than when traveling long distances on the highway.

The Diesel's Winter Gear
If you go with the Duramax, it comes with features that matter up here:

• An exhaust brake aids in slowing down a heavily loaded truck on long downhill sections, such as those found around Torrington, Winsted, and Litchfield, and reduces the workload on your brakes.
• A block heater for an engine: just plug it in on cold nights and it will help the engine to start and warm up more quickly.
• It is a grille cover for use in winter and it aids the engine in reaching its operating temperature when it is cold.

Watch Out for Idling and Short Trips
Modern diesel engines have the capability of cleaning their exhaust filters while driving on the highway, but a truck that spends its time idling in the woods and making short trips might have trouble with this. If your routes are mostly short and local, you should ask your salesperson whether the gas V8 would be more appropriate since it is easier to operate in cold weather and has a lower starting cost.

Basic Winter Habits
Make sure you have your oil changes carried out regularly since heavy loads and idling can be considered severe duty.

Frequent checks of the tires are necessary since trucks carrying a heavy load on hills covered with ice require good tread.

It's essential to get four-wheel drive since logging roads and snowy driveways make this a necessity.

Keep an eye on your brakes since heavy loads and steep grades cause them to wear out more quickly.

Which Silverado HD Fits Your Business?
2500HD with the gas V8: smaller firewood sellers doing local deliveries of a half cord or less

2500HD with the Duramax: operations that tow a splitter or trailer most days and cover more miles

3500HD: full cord deliveries, heavy trailers, or a dump body setup

Why Buy From Northwest Hills Chevrolet
They know the area; Northwest Hills Chevrolet has been providing service in Litchfield County for over 20 years and they are familiar with the roads, the winters, and the kind of work done there.

One that doesn't apply pressure. The dealership states that it avoids aggressive sales techniques and instead concentrates on your real requirements. When it comes to a heavy-duty truck, it's more important than anything else to get the load capacity and the setup correct.

There is a wide range of used trucks, which is helpful when you want to add a second truck to your operation.

The service and body work are carried out at the site. The service department looks after all sorts of jobs such as oil changes and transmission work, and there is also a collision and body shop to deal with the dents that result from hauling wood.

The Bottom Line
For loggers and people who run firewood businesses, the quantity of cargo that they can carry is of the absolute utmost importance. Since a full cord of green hardwood can be heavier than the 2500HD's rating, it is essential to select a truck that is suitable for the kind of loads you actually have to carry. In order to protect the truck bed you should apply a spray-on liner and observe good practices, and you should choose a powertrain that corresponds with your winter usage.

Take your usual load, trailer, and delivery routes to Northwest Hills Chevrolet, located at 2065 East Main Street in Torrington; they can assist you in finding a Silverado HD that is built for the kind of work you really do.