This is the most extreme, heavy, offroad trucking in the world.... Trucks that are 16 feet wide, can carry loads of huge old growth timber that weigh 130 tons, gross weight of truck and load can be as much as 180 tons. This is done on roads that are very steep "as much as 20% down grades", barely as wide as the truck with as many as twelve switchbacks that cling to the sides of the mountain for thousands of feet, with drop offs of hundreds and sometimes thousands of feet at nearly every turn. Narrow bridges, soft spots, muddy slippery conditions, extreme fog, and in most cases two trucks cannot pass each other.. they must use call points on the radio to inform all the other divers of locations... Fog, rain, ice, etc all add to the conditions that make this the most demanding, and unforgiving trucking job in the world. The men that drive these trucks tend to have decades of experience and know the vehicles inside and out... mistakes are deadly in this business. I had always wanted to see these trucks in action... and boy did I ever get my chance.
These guys make ice road truckers look like Sunday drive in the country. This video will give you just a little idea of what its like to drive two hours into the high timber, meeting other giant trucks all the way, to bring 120 tons of logs off a mountain and haul it to a dryland sort at an inlet on the Pacific Ocean. Awsome is the only way to describe the feeling to be in this huge truck in these conditions. Thanks to Steve and the mighty "H17" 1975 Hayes HDX off road log truck.