Why biomass ships by full truckload: 28–31 tons per trip

We ship biomass in full loads of 28–31 tons per trip and do not take part orders. That is not policy, it is the arithmetic of freight.

Photo: Unsplash, used under the Unsplash licence

Why full loads

Biomass occupies far more volume per ton than coal or oil. Chips have a bulk density of about 250 kg/m³ against about 850 for coal and about 845 for oil; pellets run about 600–650. A truck therefore carries less weight and less heat than it would with a denser fuel, and every part-filled trip wastes more.

Driver and vehicle depreciation do not change between a full truck and a half-full one, and fuel changes only a little: a half-loaded 44-ton tipper uses only about 16% less fuel per km than a full one (an empty one about 46% less). Cost per ton at half load is therefore roughly 1.7–1.8 times higher. Order a half load and you still pay for nearly the full run, divided across fewer tons.

Actual tonnage per trip

28–31 tons. That figure is not an estimate, it is a subtraction.

The legal ceiling for full trailers with 22–24 wheels, and for 22-wheel semi-trailers registered from 1 January 2010, is a gross weight of 50,500 kg for vehicle plus cargo. Older semi-trailers with a king-pin distance under 8 m are limited to 45,000–49,000 kg, a rigid 10-wheel truck to 25,000 kg and a 6-wheel truck to 15,000 kg. Per-axle limits apply as well. Subtract the truck's own tare weight from that ceiling and what remains is the payload. A lighter truck carries more under the same cap.

• Tare weight. The main variable. A few hundred kilos of difference changes the tons per trip.
• Product. Pellets are denser than chips and hit the weight limit before the body is full; chips usually fill the volume first.
• Route. Some have weight or bridge restrictions.

We do not inflate the figure to look better. If a load comes in at 28 tons, it is 28 tons, weighed at origin.

Settle these before scheduling

Tipping area. A dump trailer needs room to turn and to tip. A tight yard, or one where tipping isn't possible, means a stake-body truck instead. Tell us in advance so we send the right vehicle.

Gate hours. Many plants have restricted receiving windows. A truck arriving outside them and waiting overnight puts that cost into the next trip.

Frequency. Regular work lets us plan vehicles, so cost per ton is lower than ad-hoc ordering. Customers on a fixed schedule get better rates than customers who call when the pile runs low.

Storage. Calculate from daily consumption times days between deliveries, allowing for moisture and for the pile settling.

Lead time by distance

From the plant in Ratsada, Trang, neighbouring Phatthalung takes same-day delivery with several trips possible. Further provinces such as Chumphon or Narathiwat run 3–5 days and suit a planned schedule better than urgent orders.

See distances and lead times by province on the delivery coverage page.

Book a schedule

Tell us monthly consumption, the size of your tipping area, and your receiving hours, and we will build a cycle that matches your production. Call +66 92 392 2292.

Sources

• Department of Highways (Thailand), Notification of the Director-General of Highways (No. 2), B.E. 2552 (2009)
• Department of Highways (Thailand), Notification of the Director-General of Highways (No. 1), B.E. 2548 (2005)
• Forest Research (UK), Typical calorific values of fuels
• Coyle, UK Department for Transport, Effects of Payload on the Fuel Consumption of Trucks (2007)