How to haul away

[timothywhite]

Hello,

My neighbor is having her mature black walnut tree cut down on Wednesday and Thursday, and she’s offered me as much of the wood as I want. The main trunk is about 3–4 feet in diameter and roughly 25 feet of straight log before it splits into two large branches.

I’m willing to pay for whatever truck and trailer setup is needed to haul the main trunk, but I’m not sure what would work best—maybe a U-Haul truck with one of their auto transport trailers and some heavy-duty ratchet straps? I’m also not sure how I’d unload it afterward, though my father-in-law has a tractor that could help, and we could store the wood on their property.

I’m assuming the tree service doing the removal might also be able to load the log onto the trailer.

[wtnhighlander]

Beware, a log that big will be heavier than you think. A LOT heavier. Hopefully the tree service can load it for you. To unload, I would probably tie the log to a tree or other solid anchor point, and pull the trailer out from under it.

[Ron Swanson Jr.]

On 5/28/2026 at 4:39 AM, wtnhighlander said:

Beware, a log that big will be heavier than you think. A LOT heavier. Hopefully the tree service can load it for you. To unload, I would probably tie the log to a tree or other solid anchor point, and pull the trailer out from under it.

I found a calculator online. The size described would be about 9600 lbs. Obviously it would be sectioned, but that should give you an idea of what each section will weigh

[fcschoenthal]

That's a lot of tree. Not every mill is going to be able to process one that diameter. I would contact a mill first that is able to handle it. They probably have the means of transporting as well. My guess is that it will take multiple trips.

[curlyoak]

On 5/28/2026 at 6:34 AM, fcschoenthal said:

I would contact a mill first that is able to handle it. They probably have the means of transporting as well.

Contacting the mill you intended to bring it to. They will have all the needed answers.

Lucky you. Frequently the mills charge extra for trees in neighborhoods. More likely to have iron in the trees. Causes a big shutdown and loss of time and money. But with a fine walnut log as described makes the risk worthwhile.

There is over 2000 bf in that log. Do the math, a lot of money. What would you do with all that wood. Do you have storage room for that? And think about the best length to cut the log.

Where do you live Tim? The more north you live the better. Cold weather causes tight grain. Another question to answer, would you want the log quartered?  Figured is frequently found on the wood closest to the ground.

And would you want to dig up the stump and have the mill slice it up?

I think there is a lot of time and money in the process. But because the log is free it is all worth while. If the log is good then it is a great investment. To make it pay you need to be able to wait a year or 2 until you can start gettin your money back.

If you want it kiln dried, I would do that, then ask the mill about logistics.

I would love that opportunity. Good luck!

Please keep us posted.