Are logging jobs realistic in ATS?

[Gunn]

It was my understanding that log trucks typically run local. In ATS I bought my first trailer, a log hauler, and I'm seeing jobs for logs running from my home base in Bend, OR all the way out to Texas. Is this realistic? I can see it perhaps being a special case if some mill in Texas needed logs from the PNW, but I can't imagine that's a super common thing right?

[Wille Wilse]

Probably not.

[MagnusA]

Probably not. But that's the way the random job generator works.

For Log, jobs go from *any* company that may have Logs for pickup to *any* company that accepts Logs, even across the map.

Personally I often take Live Cattle from one airport to another airport, sometimes via a logistics center. Poor cattle...

[Dark & Realistic™ Nessie]

Maybe locals can answer this better, but I feel it's more from a gameplay point of view and having an excuse for a long drive than being 100% realistic.

If I can give a partially unrelated example, I've already taken a job from a machinery company to a faraway farm. When I reached destination, I couldn't avoid to notice the city also had a depot of the same machinery company.

As I play the game for fun and not question extreme realism, I found the simple reason to explain it: maybe that depot didn't have the required machine, so it was requested from somewhere else, life goes on, the end. I face crazy enough stuff during my day at work, I don't wanna spend much time thinking about it while playing a game. 😅

EDIT: And if we take it that seriously, none of Easter / Halloween / Christmas events make sense, as we're basically hauling the same cargo from city to city - unless of course we use our imagination, and think each trailer contains different cargo.

Originally posted by MagnusA:

Personally I often take Live Cattle from one airport to another airport, sometimes via a logistics center. Poor cattle...

Maybe cattle is afraid of heights...

[jeremyj621]

There are several examples of unrealistic handling of logistics in the game:
1) As Magnus pointed out, hauling cattle from a farm long distance to a train depot, or from one train depot long distance to another. That's just inhumane.
2) Taking a long haul to a distant train depot when there are several nearby train depots.
3) Hauling double or triple trailers to a department store. I've worked in a few department stores unloading trucks and I've never had to unload a double or triple trailer. Two or three singles on separate trucks, yes, but never doubles or triples. Of course, I've never done this work in major metropolitan stores such as in Los Angeles or San Francisco which may operate differently than the stores I worked in.

[waite]

Typically, consumers of logs aren't willing to pay to have logs shipped long distances if there is a source for logs that is closer.

[Arkhyel]

I may not know much about real life trucking, but I say there's not many cargoes which makes sense to haul long distances. Here's a simple example:
A construction site at New Mexico orders an power generator from mine in Oregon. Really? There must be severe lack of power generators in New Mexico, don't you think.

[Actively-Lazyguy]

i havent done it in a while , but i used to be able to get runs from the yard to the paper store . using my own trailer , around northern idaho. there are a few log yards in that area .

[Devil]

it is possible to configure a max distance value for certain trailers with certain goods. some modded trailers only do short deliveries, the 'East Quadaxle Enddump Trailer' does for example. SCS simply does not configure this parameter right now.

[Gunn]

Seems like a not so minor detail to miss for a game focused on driving trucks, and delivering goods. Knowing almost nothing about trucking and logistics hauling by truck, I almost regret asking. Now my immersion feels slightly ruined knowing most of these hauls are not so realistic.

What do over the road long haul truckers generally haul then? Or are they typically doing multiple smaller pick ups and drops along the way? If that's the case I wonder if SCS would ever incorporate such a system. Haul load 1 from A to B, pickup load 2 and take it to C, etc, etc

[Qrazy]

Originally posted by Gunn:

What do over the road long haul truckers generally haul then?

Pretty much everything we already haul in game. Live animals would be the only exception I can think of that wouldn't be moved long distances. At least not in one go. I would imagine there are others.

Lots of times the things you're hauling don't make any sense. I had a 600 mile trip once for a single pallet of...envelopes. Several times I've pulled an empty trailer several hundred miles to swap trailers with another driver that also had an empty. I get paid either way.

[Wet Valley Mayor]

Originally posted by Dark & Realistic™ Nessie:

Maybe locals can answer this better, but I feel it's more from a gameplay point of view and having an excuse for a long drive than being 100% realistic.

If I can give a partially unrelated example, I've already taken a job from a machinery company to a faraway farm. When I reached destination, I couldn't avoid to notice the city also had a depot of the same machinery company.

As I play the game for fun and not question extreme realism, I found the simple reason to explain it: maybe that depot didn't have the required machine, so it was requested from somewhere else, life goes on, the end. I face crazy enough stuff during my day at work, I don't wanna spend much time thinking about it while playing a game. 😅

EDIT: And if we take it that seriously, none of Easter / Halloween / Christmas events make sense, as we're basically hauling the same cargo from city to city - unless of course we use our imagination, and think each trailer contains different cargo.

Originally posted by MagnusA:

Personally I often take Live Cattle from one airport to another airport, sometimes via a logistics center. Poor cattle...

Maybe cattle is afraid of heights...

Say, glowing candies from a nuclear power plant.

[Dark & Realistic™ Nessie]

Originally posted by Gunn:

(...)

It's like I said on my previous post. Ignore a little logic, and you enjoy game more. When I stay home at weekends I try to look for the longest haul possible, from Washington to Texas or vice-versa, no matter if it makes sense.

Originally posted by Wet Valley Mayor:

Say, glowing candies from a nuclear power plant.

Feels like something we'd see on a Simpsons episode. They need to add more Springfields in this game. 🤣

[HighPlains Drifter]

I don't know about all logs; But the ones used for power/phone poles are shipped by train for long distances or to/from the treatment site.

[Lordboogar]

Raw logs from timber sites are almost always transported to local mills. Most log truckers run double logs and drive like psychopaths but they're usually home late daily and scrambling out early to get as many loads in as they can.

Now the mills (paper or saw) will process those logs and then freight haulers (flatbed or dry-van guys like me) will pick up the lumber, poles, or paper rolls and maybe haul those half way across the country...

[TA10N]

I hauled logs for several years in SE Oklahoma. The jobs where I loaded changed often, the mill where I dropped logs stayed the same ( Wright City, OK ). The mill opened at 0700 and closed at 1700. We would get up and leave the house at 0300, get up on the job and load up and try to be at the mill at around 0600 to get in line. Then go back and forth and try to get 3 or 4 loads a day depending on how far the jobs were from the mill. Sometimes I'd go back on the job site after my last load of the day and load back up and take the load home with me, usually getting home around 2000. Take a shower, eat, go to bed, and get up at 0500 and head out since I was already loaded. Good times.