Timber transport

Scotland harvests millions of tonnes of timber every year.

This wood, and its products, is important as they support thousands of jobs and add £1.1 billion GVA to the economy.

Standard sized 44-tonne heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) play a vital role in these supply chains, making up over 96% of movements by volume.

But not all rural roads were not designed for such heavy vehicles, so there are some issues, including:

• lack of passing spaces
• heavy wear of the road surface
• proximity to cars and people as towns grow - a huge issue

Forestry haulage stands out because it actively works to reduce these impacts.

The Strategic Timber Transport Fund (STTF) began in 2005. The aim of the STTF is to reduce the impact of timber transport on roads, communities, and the environment.

These include:

• modal shift projects that support movement of timber by sea and rail instead of by road.
• the upgrade of public roads and development of forest roads that bypass communities.
• projects that support and advance sustainable transport of timber in Scotland.

The STTF is focused through two complementary mechanisms:

• TimberLINK
• Strategic Timber Transport Scheme
• Timber Transport Forum project officers

The Timber Transport Forum is a partnership organisation that promotes voluntary measures to improve timber transport. 

The Forum supports forestry by ensuring that the timber industries can access forests and market timber in a sustainable way.

Scottish Forestry is a member of the Forum and provides co-funding.

Like Scottish Forestry, the TTF seeks to minimise the impact of timber transport on:

• the public road network
• local communities
• the environment

The Forum promotes voluntary measures to improve the sustainability of timber transport:

• managing timber traffic to sustain the road network and minimise disruption
• maintaining and improving minor roads used for timber haulage
• moving timber by other modes of transport where possible

Visit the timber transport forum to share ideas and best practice with regional timber transport groups and the wider forest industry.

The Timber Transport Forum (external website)

TimberLINK

TimberLINK is a public service contract, funded by the Scottish Government, to support short-sea coastal shipping of roundwood from Argyll to Ayrshire.

TimberLINK