Examining the role of transportation in the timber, wood ... · supply chain. The study examined the transportation concerns of exporters, transportation policies and regulations

Policy Research CENTER

TRANSPORTATION

Moving Texas ExportsExamining the role of transportation in the

timber, wood, and wood product export supply chain

TRANSPORTATION Policy Research CENTER

ii

Moving Texas ExportsExamining the role of transportation

in the timber, wood, and wood product export supply chain

by

JOLANDA PROZZIResearch Scientist

Texas A&M Transportation Institute

MEGAN KENNEYAssistant Transportation Researcher

Texas A&M Transportation Institute

CONTENTS

Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1

Background .................................................................................................................2

Timber, Wood, and Wood Product Export Supply Chain ......................... 4

Transportation Issues ....................................................................................... 7

Overweight Regulations .........................................................................................7

Weight Limits ....................................................................................................... 7

Overweight Permit Fees..................................................................................... 8

Neighboring States ............................................................................................. 8

Enforcement ......................................................................................................... 8

Container Capacity............................................................................................. 8

Designation of IH 69 .................................................................................................8

Condition and Funding of Rural Connectors ...................................................9

Rail Capacity Constraints ......................................................................................10

Shipping Line Frequency ......................................................................................10

Port Gate Congestion .............................................................................................10

Key Findings ..................................................................................................... 11

References ........................................................................................................ 12

The Texas A&M University System College Station, Texas 77843-3135

Published: March 2016

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The freight transportation system of a state has a direct and indirect impact on its international trade. The mode of transportation has a direct impact on the cost, efficiency, and reliability of moving export products to overseas markets. So too does the capacity of the transportation infra-structure. Freight infrastructure investments that increase system capaci-ty could reduce travel times and costs, which can translate into increased economic productivity, as well as enhanced labor and market access. Better labor and market access, in turn, could contribute to increased

IntroductionIn 2014, U.S. exports of goods and services amounted to $2.34 trillion, with Texas ac-counting for $289 billion of that amount (1). Furthermore, in 2013, Texas’ exports supported approximately 1.1 million jobs (2). There is no doubt that Texas’ transportation system—its roads, rail, ports, pipelines, airports, and bor-der crossings—facilitates export trade.

economic competitiveness (3), which can result in increased exports. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (4) reported that most countries with high-quality infrastruc-ture rank high in the world index for overall competitiveness. Specifically, quality infrastructure is a key indicator of international economic competitiveness because it determines the scale, volume, and efficiency of international trade.

The objective of this series of papers is to describe the supply chains for six of Texas’ major export commodities and identify the role of transportation in the supply chain. The study examined the transportation concerns of exporters, transportation policies and regulations affecting the costs of exports, and infra-structure concerns. This is the second paper in the series and documents the role of transportation in the timber, wood, and wood product export supply chain and key transportation issues and concerns that were shared with the study team.

The objective of this series of papers is to describe the supply chains for six of Texas’ major export commodities and identify the role of transportation in the supply chain.


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BackgroundForest land (i.e., forests and woodlands) cov-ers 62.4 million acres or roughly 38 percent of Texas’ land area (see Figure 1) (5). Most of the productive timberland, however, is concentrat-ed in the Piney Woods region of East Texas. Of the 14.2 million acres of timberland in Texas, 11.9 million acres is in East Texas (5). East Texas produces more than 70 percent of the state’s output of forestry, logging, and primary solid wood products (6).

Approximately 92 percent of the timberland in Texas is owned by private individuals, families, partnerships, corporations, forest product compa-nies, and timber investment groups. The remaining timberland is owned by the government (5).

In 2011, timber was the ninth most valuable agricultural commodity in Texas (5). In 2012, Texas landowners received $229.7 million in stumpage revenue (6). The term stumpage refers to the amount that a logger will pay for each stump of standing timber to be harvested. In 2012, the Texas forest sector contributed $17.8 billion of industry output to the Texas economy and employed more than 59,400 people with a payroll of $3.8 billion (6). The total economic impact, including direct, indirect, and induced impacts,1 of the timber industry in 2012 was $30.3 billion in industry output, 130,600 jobs, and $7.9 billion in labor income (6).

1 Direct economic impacts are measured from the employment, salaries, and output that result from forestry, logging, and the manufacturing of primary solid wood products, secondary solid wood prod-ucts, primary paper and paperboard products, and secondary paper and paperboards products. These activities, however, do not occur in a vacuum. The economic impacts associated with businesses that conduct transactions with the timber industry are called the indirect economic impacts. The spending of individuals’ personal incomes (salaries or wages) employed by those businesses responsible for the direct and indirect impacts produces economic activity of its own. Induced economic impacts are the impacts that result from the consumption from the employees of those businesses generating the direct and indirect economic activity.

The total economic impact, including direct, indirect, and induced impacts,1 of the timber industry in 2012 was $30.3 billion in industry output, 130,600 jobs, and $7.9 billion in labor income (6).

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Source: (6).

Figure 1. Texas Forest Cover Percentage.

Figure 2. 2012 Value of Texas For-est Product Exports (in Millions of Dollars).

Source: Adapted from (6).

In East Texas, 33 out of the 43 counties in the region count the wood and timber sector as a top-five manufacturing employer (7). Many counties in the region reported major economic genera-tors involving wood products, such as lumber mills and shippers of wood byproducts (biomass), wood fuel (charcoal), and paper prod-ucts. For example, Marion County reported five major shippers in the area, all related to wood: East Texas Forest Products, Blackburn Syrup Works, John Bradley Timber, Brooks Timber, and McDonald Lumber (8).

Logging57.3

Forestry16.2

Primary Solid Wood Products206.5

Secondary Solid Wood Products567.3

Primary Paper/Paperboard Products401

Secondary Paper/Paperboard Products401

In 2011, total Texas timber product exports amounted to 59.4 million cubic feet. Texas mills processed 87.4 percent of the harvested timber, with the remaining 12.6 percent processed by mills in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma (5). In 2012, Texas exported approximately $1.8 billion in forest products. Of those products, forestry and logging represented the low-est-value exports at $16.2 million and $57.3 million, respectively (see Figure 2). Considerable value is therefore add-ed to Texas timber during processing and manufacturing. The largest forest export products (in terms of value) were primary paper and paperboard products ($574.2 million) (6).


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Timber, Wood, and Wood Product Export Supply ChainThe timber, wood, and wood product supply chain begins at the forests in East Texas where logs are harvested and moved by truck to either a log storage and merchandizing yard or a primary processing mill:

• A log storage and merchandizing yard is a loca-tion where harvested logs are delimbed and cut into logs of standard sizes or higher-value log products. The products then go to the primary processing mill.

• A primary processing mill is a location where logs are cut into various lumber products, such as plywood, wood chips, and pulp.

Primary processing mills are usually located very close to the area of harvest (i.e., within 75 miles of the forest [9]) because transportation is a significant component of the price of the mill prod-ucts (10). The cost of roundwood (i.e., the trunk of the tree that is cut), for exam-ple, is a function of the stumpage price, harvesting and processing costs, and transportation costs (11). Figure 3 shows the locations of primary processing mills in East Texas.

Primary processing mills are usually located very close to the area of harvest (i.e., within 75 miles of the forest [9]) because transportation is a significant component of the price of the mill products (10).

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Figure 3. East Texas Primary Processing Mill Locations.Source: (12).

From the primary processing mill, timber is moved by either truck or rail to a secondary manufacturer or an export distribution center:

• The secondary manufacturer turns these lumber products into a range of wood and paper products, such as wood containers, wood flooring, wood windows/doors, wood trusses, manufactured homes, prefabricated wood buildings, paper, and converted paper products. Secondary manufacturers are typically located in larger metropolitan areas, such as Dallas, El Paso, McAllen, Houston, and Beaumont-Port Arthur (13), that are accessible by reliable transportation infrastructure. The products then go to the export distribution centers by truck or rail.

• Export distribution centers move products to, for example, Mexi-co (14), or one of Texas’ ports. In recent years, China has become an important export market for Texas timber and wood products (15).

Figure 4 illustrates the different components of the export supply chain.


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Figure 4. Export Supply Chain for Texas Timber, Wood, and Wood Product.

Primary Processing Mill

Texas Forest

Secondary Manufacturer

Log Storage/Merchandizing Yards

Mexico

GlobalMarketplace

Port ofHouston

ExportDistribution Center

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Transportation IssuesTransportation is a major component of the timber, wood, and wood product export sup-ply chain. This section of the document high-lights a number of transportation concerns expressed by the industry that are believed to add costs to the timber, wood, and wood product export supply chain.

Overweight RegulationsWeight LimitsThe federal government mandates the size and maximum weights of trucks in an effort to preserve (i.e., prevent damage to) the highway and road infrastructure. While industry clearly benefits from more productive trucks (i.e., heavier trucks), these benefits have to be balanced against the costs to rehabilitate and maintain a state’s highway and road infrastructure. Currently, federal regulations limit trucks to a maximum gross vehicle weight of 80,000 lb. Table 1 provides the legal axle weight limits for trucks operating on Texas’ highways.

Table 1. Legal Axle Limits on Highways in Texas.

Axles Non-interstate (Pounds)

Interstate (Pounds)

Single Axles

20,000 20,000

Tandem Axles*

34,000 34,000

Tridem Axles**

42,000 42,000

Quadrum Axles***

50,000 50,000

* Two consecutive axles extending across the full width of the vehicle at a spacing of 48 inches.

** Three consecutive axles extending across the full width of the vehicle at a spacing of 48 inches.

*** Four consecutive axles extending across the full width of the vehicle at a spacing of 48 inches.

States may grant special use permits to commercial vehicles for being over-size/overweight on the non-interstate highway system. In Texas, timber haulers can apply for an annual timber permit to move unrefined timber, wood chips, or woody biomass on vehicles with a gross vehicles weight of up to 84,000 lb. The permit allows a weight of up to 44,000 lb on a tandem axle. The permit does not allow for timber trucks to exceed the Texas legal size limits, and the timber trucks cannot operate on the interstate system.


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Overweight Permit FeesThe annual timber permit fee is $900 in Texas and can only be used to transport timber, wood chips, or woody biomass in timber harvest counties (16) (as listed in the Texas A&M Forest Service Harvest Trends report). The most recent version of the Texas A&M Forest Service Harvest Trends report is for 2013 and lists 43 counties in East Texas (7). Before permit issuance, the trucking company must file a timber permit bond of $15,000 or an irrevocable letter of credit with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (18).

Neighboring StatesIndustry has expressed concern about neighboring states allowing higher gross vehicle weights for timber trucks under lower permit fees. Louisiana, which borders East Texas, has a $10 annual harvest season or natural forest products permit. This $10 annual permit allows trucks that haul forest products in their natural state on the non-interstate system to have a gross vehicle weight of 86,600 lb (and 40,000 lb on a tandem axle). Louisiana also allows a gross vehicle weight of 83,400 lb (and 35,200 lb on a tandem axle) on the interstate system with the harvest season or natural forest products permit (17). The timber trucking transportation costs are therefore lower in Louisiana and have resulted in a number of mills locating in Louisiana to take advantage of the lower truck transportation costs.

EnforcementSimilar to the concerns expressed by the cotton industry, log haulers find it challenging to determine the axle and gross vehicle weight of trucks transporting logs from the field because there are no scales in the forest. Industry also noted inconsistencies in the enforcement of weight regulations by local enforcement agencies (18).

Container CapacityTimber products (e.g., wood pulp or wood pellets) “weigh out before they cube out”. In other words, the weight limit of the truck is reached before the truck is fully load-ed. This results in the container capacity being used less optimally on the transportation leg to the port (last mile) (18). Industry said that costs would be less if containers destined for export markets could be heavier.

Figure 5. Proposed IH 69 Corridor in Texas. Source: (20).

Designation of IH 69The proposed 1,600-mile IH 69 corridor would connect Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. In Texas, the corridor starts at US 84 (in Joaquin) and US 59 (in Texarkana) and extends to Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley (see Figure 5). Congress has designated the highway as a High Priority Corridor and a Future Interstate Highway. IH 69 is needed in Texas to accommodate the growing popu-lation and associated traffic demand along the corridor, support economic development, provide a safer travel option, and provide more capacity for hurricane evacua-tions (19).

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Condition and Funding of Rural ConnectorsThe first transportation leg of the timber export supply chain (from the forest to the log storage and merchan-dizing yard or to a primary processing mill) is exclusively conducted by truck. These first miles are predominantly on county roads and farm-to-market/ranch-to-market roads. The condition and funding of these rural con-nectors and the farm-to-market/ranch-to-market road system are of major concern to the industry. These roads were never designed for the number or weight of current truckloads and therefore are deteriorating. The percep-tion exists that available highway funding is prioritized to address metropolitan mobility needs at the expense of maintaining and improving rural connectors (22). Industry feels that it is critically important that funding be prioritized for these first miles to ensure an efficient timber export supply chain.

The truck weight limits associated with the designa-tion of IH 69 in East Texas are of concern to the timber industry. This route is currently the main artery for timber movement from East Texas. Once IH 69 is designated, the timber industry will be bound to the 80,000-lb federal gross vehicle weight limit for combination vehicles with five axles. The industry will have to move less timber on the trucks, which will increase costs.

The industry wants the Texas Legislature to request an exemption for the movement of timber along highways that are destined to become part of IH 69 (currently signed portions of US 59, US 77, US 281, and SH 44). The state would have to request that the single-axle weight, tandem-axle weight, gross vehicle weight, and bridge formula limits set forth in federal law not be applied to the segments of IH 69 for the operation of any vehicle that could have legally operated on that segment before its designation as an interstate. For Texas to allow timber (or other) vehicles to exceed the 80,000-lb limit and travel on the interstate system, the state must request an ex-emption through the U.S. Department of Transportation. Louisiana currently permits such an exemption for vehi-cles that transport sugarcane during the harvest season (21). While the timber industry would not be bound by the federal interstate requirements if permitted an exemption, it would still be bound by existing state ax-le-weight requirements (21).

These roads were never designed for the number or weight of current truckloads and therefore are deteriorating.


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Rail Capacity ConstraintsInadequate rail capacity is a growing concern for the timber industry in Texas. Timber, wood, and wood products are bulk commodities, which are typically more cost-effectively transported by rail. However, inadequate rail capacity impacts the efficiency of the timber export supply chain, resulting in additional travel time and cost. This inadequate rail capacity is primarily:

• In East Texas.• Serving the Port of Houston (i.e., the Port Terminal

Railroad Association).• Linking to secondary manufacturers in major metro-

politan areas (e.g., Dallas/Fort Worth).• Crossing into Mexico (resulting in rail bottlenecks).

Inadequate rail capacity and service result in transporta-tion by truck, which is typically more expensive than rail.

Union Pacific Railroad (UP) has said that Texas’ rail network is an important component of the company’s rail network. UP’s commitment to addressing rail capac-ity concerns in Texas is evident from the fact that the company invested $3 billion of its private capital in the state between 2009 and 2014. UP has also entered into public-private partnerships to address rail capacity issues. The Tower 55 Reconfiguration project in Fort Worth is an example of a public-private partnership benefiting Texas’ freight rail network (23).

To address rail border issues, UP has made considerable investments at the Laredo gateway. For example, UP installed an improved signal system on the Laredo subdi-vision2 to allow trains to proceed to and from the border more efficiently (28).

Shipping Line FrequencyTimber and wood products are typically shipped using port-to-port liner services. A lack of scheduled liner services to timber and wood product export destinations at some of Texas’ ports can have a significant impact on the competitiveness of the export supply chain because exporters must pay for climate-controlled storage at the ports. Certain wood products, such as wood pellets, are very sensitive to moisture and require higher levels of storage standards. Some Texas ports are able to provide such storage, but occasionally exporters must construct their own storage facilities to properly maintain the integrity of the wood pellets (11).

Port Gate CongestionConcern has been expressed about congestion at the Port of Houston gates, resulting in waiting times of two to three hours. Congestion affects the number of dray trips a driver can make in a day and ultimately the cost of the drayage operations (i.e., last-mile delivery) (24). However, the Port of Houston Authority said that since it resumed responsibility from APM Terminals for the terminal gates, congestion issues have largely been resolved (26).

2 A segment of the railroad system designated by the railroad for administrative and operational purposes.

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Key FindingsThe following are the key findings from this research:

• Compliance with overweight regulations is prob-lematic in the forest. Also, more lenient overweight regulations and lower permit fees in neighboring states (specifically Louisiana) put Texas at a compara-tive disadvantage in terms of the cost of transporting timber.

• The designation of IH 69 in East Texas is of concern to the timber industry. This route is currently the main artery for timber movement from East Texas. Unless the state requests an exemption, the timber industry will have to comply with the 80,000-lb federal gross vehicle weight limit for combination vehicles with five axles.

• The deteriorating condition and funding of rural connectors (first mile) are a major concern for timber exporters, specifically for moving lumber from the forest to the log storage and merchandizing yard or to a primary processing mill.

• Inadequate rail capacity is a growing concern for the timber industry in Texas.

• A lack of scheduled liner services to export destina-tions at some of Texas’ ports can significantly impact the competitiveness of the export supply chain because exporters must pay for climate-controlled storage at the ports.

• Congestion at port gates affects the number of dray trips a driver can make in a day and ultimately the cost of the drayage operations.


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References1. Office of Trade and Economic Analysis. Texas

Exports, Jobs, and Foreign Investment. International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Com-merce, July 2015. http://www.trade.gov/mas/ian/statereports/states/tx.pdf.

2. Office of the United States Trade Representa-tive. Fact Sheet: Unlocking Economic Opportunity for Texans through Trade. Executive Office of the President, October 2014. https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/fact-sheets/2014/Octo-ber/FACT-SHEET-Unlocking-Economic-Opportuni-ty-for-Texans-Through-Trade.

3. Horsley, J. AASHTO Freight Transportation Bottom Line. Presented to a Meeting of the Modes, Florida Transportation Commission, February 13, 2007. http://www.ftc.state.fl.us/documents/Presenta-tions/AASHTO-Freight_Transportation_Bottom_Line_%282-13-07%29.pdf.

4. Organization for Economic Cooperation and De-velopment. Strategic Transport Infrastructure Needs to 2030: Main Findings. International Futures Pro-gramme, OECD Futures Project on Transcontinental Infrastructure Needs to 2030/50, 2011. http://www.oecd.org/futures/infrastructureto2030/49094448.pdf.

5. Texas Almanac. Forest Resources. Texas Historical Association, 2011. http://texasalmanac.com/topics/environment/forest-resources.

6. Joshi, O., C. Edgar, R. Zehnder, and A. B. Carraway. Economic Impact of the Texas Forest Sector, 2012. Sustainable Forestry Department, Texas A&M Forest Service, 2014. http://tfsfrd.tamu.edu/economicim-pacts/Texas%20Flyer/EconomicImpact2012.pdf.

7. Edgar, C., O. Joshi, R. Zehnder, B. Carraway, and E. Taylor. Harvest Trends 2013. Forest Resource Devel-opment and Sustainable Forestry, Texas A&M Forest Service, September 2014. http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/uploadedFiles/Sustainable/econdev/Pub-lications/Reports/HarvestTrends2013.pdf.

8. Prozzi, J., D. Seedah, M. Carrion, K. Perrine, N. Hut-son, C. Bhat, and C. M. Walton. Freight Planning for Texas—Expanding the Dialogue. Report No. FHWA/TX 11/0 6297 1. Center for Transportation Research, The University of Texas at Austin, 2011. http://www.utexas.edu/research/ctr/pdf_reports/0_6297_1.pdf.

9. Personal communication with Texas A&M Forest Service, April 20, 2015.

10. Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Timber and Primary Wood Manufacturing. http://www.dnr.state.md.us/forests/planning/sfla/indicators/prima-ry_wood.htm.

11. Qian, Y., and W. McDow. The Wood Pellet Value Chain: An Economic Analysis of the Wood Pellet Supply Chain from the Southeast United States to European Con-sumers. U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communi-ties, March 2013.

12. Texas A&M Forest Service. Directory of Forest Prod-ucts Industries. http://tfsfrd.tamu.edu/ForestProd-uctsDirectory/DirectoryofForestProductsIndustries.html

13. Torres, L. Texas’ Stake in International Trade through Its Exports and Some Foreign Direct Investment. Technical Report 2022, Texas A&M University Real Estate Center, April 2013. http://recenter.tamu.edu/pdf/2022.pdf.

14. Parilla, J., and A. Berube. Metro North America: Cit-ies and Metros as Hubs of Advanced Industries and Integrated Goods Trade. November 7, 2013. http://www.brookings.edu/research/interactives/2013/metro-north-america.

15. Personal communication with Texas A&M Forest Service, April 20, 2015.

16. Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Annual Timber Permit. http://txdmv.gov/oversize-weight-permits/timber-permit.

17. Louisiana Department of Transportation and Devel-opment. Louisiana Regulations for Trucks, Vehicles and Loads. 2013. http://perba.dotd.louisiana.gov/welcome.nsf/RegBook2013.pdf.

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18. Personal communication with Port of Beaumont, June 24, 2015.

19. Texas Department of Transportation. Why Texas Needs I-69. http://www.dot.state.tx.us/drivenbytex-ans/why_i69.htm.

20. Alliance for I-69 Texas. Tracking the Progress of Interstate 69 in Texas. http://www.i69texasalliance.com/index.html.

21. Texas A&M Transportation Institute. Information Submitted in Response to Oversize/Overweight Re-quest: Draft. March 31, 2015.

22. Personal communication with Texas Farm Bureau, January 26, 2015.

23. Email communication with Union Pacific Railroad, October 7, 2015.

24. Personal communication with R&T Truck, Inc., May 19, 2015.

25. Personal communication with Port of Houston Authority, June 24, 2015.

Examining the role of transportation in the timber, wood ... · supply chain. The study examined the transportation concerns of exporters, transportation policies and regulations

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