Long, heavy, awkward loads across soft and debris-strewn ground: timber work pairs the DF30’s yard duty with the RT40’s off-pad capability where the ground gives up.
Scenario challenges
Timber bundles push load centers far forward; capacity is read from the derated chart or not at all.
Sawdust pads, ruts and rain change the ground weekly; tires and drive layout answer it.
Sawmills run daylight-to-dark; fuel, filtration and service discipline carry the shift.
Selection logic
| Decision factor | What to check on site | How this solution is specified |
|---|---|---|
| Load geometry | Long bundles move the center of gravity out. | Read the derated capacity at the real load center — the load chart ships with every RT40 and DF quotation. |
| Seasonal ground | Pads and lanes soften and recover. | DF30 on prepared yard surfaces; RT40 with aggressive-lug tires and 4WD where the pad ends — 30% gradeability, oscillating axle. |
| Dust and debris | Sawdust and bark load the filtration. | Dry-type air filter on the DF30; service intervals per the diesel maintenance schedule, shortened for the dust. |
| Stacking and staging | Lumber stacks high and heavy. | Mast options to 6,000 mm on the DF line; stacking discipline per the operator checklist. |
Recommended models
Yard and pad duty at 3.0 t — torque converter, 2-stage mast, dry-type filtration.
\nOff-pad capability — 4.0 t 4WD, aggressive-lug tires, 30% gradeability.
\nSend your bundle lengths, weights and yard ground profile — engineering responds within 12 hours on average.
Brick yards, steel mills, logging and construction — the heavy-material environments.
The rough-terrain selection guide and the RT vs telehandler comparison cover the ground-and-geometry decisions.