Hauling Christmas Tree

http://www.oan.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=322

 

Hauled them out of mid michigan, 2 or 3 stops at Home Depots. Loaded right at the farm. They had cribs that the trees were stacked in and loaded with a tractor. Loaded pretty quick but the stores were expecting flatbeds which really threw them off with unloading at their dock. Left a hugh mess in the trailer because of loading on the farm, outside, with a tractor so i was stuck finding a washout afterwards.

 

never did it with a van, it's an all day adventure with a flat bed though, all done by hand, 1000+ trees, never a one drop load either, but you smell nice when your done

 

I've been doing trees for 4 yrs in a dry van out of OR and WA. Load time verys on what u r loading some on pallets some on the floor. They make u put ice in your trailer on the west coast to keep them fresh but they pay for that. Don't plan on loading right after u r done with the trees cause your floor will be wet and takes at least 2-3 hours to get dry.

 

Would they load reefers with trees? Never hauled them before.

 

Yep, I have hauled out of OR and they seem to prefer a reefer, especially when taking them to the east coast. Set temp at 34 and go, although I've done the blown in ice too. I suppose it varies by tree farm. As others have noted, usually a multi drop load with a mess afterwards.

 

From L.A., its easy to grab loads off the load board to get to WA or OR. You usually have some deadhead to get to the farms. Once there, you do some dirt roads to get to where the trees are and if you're coming back to L.A., most loads we've hauled are stacked on the floor of the trailer. It's time consuming. Once you get them to L.A., you'll do one or more drops at the little corner X-mas tree lots. Some lots get you unloaded quick, some don't. Depends on who is working the lot that day and how many customers they have there at the time. Take some thick gloves and be prepared to drag them out of your trailer one at a time to keep the process moving. Your floor will be wet and covered in pine needles when you're done. It will smell delightful though.

 

Leaves (needles)get stuck EVERYWHERE LOL--but nothing that can't be easily washed out--so don't sweat it