PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. — Weyerhaeuser and the Saskatchewan Department of Transportation are testing a new configuration they hope will increase payload and reduce road damage.

The new configuration will be tested over the next year, which will give the province time to determine whether or not it does reduce wear and tear on roads. Also being tested on the new configuration are the impacts of reduced axle weights and the benefits of central tire inflation systems.

“Road damage resulting from increased truck traffic is one challenge we face in building and maintaining our highways,” says Highways and Transportation Minister Mark Wartman. “While the province has made record investments over the last several years to operate, preserve and improve our transportation infrastructure, innovation and partnerships also play an important role.”

Weyerhaeuser expects to find the new configuration to be more stable and the company says it also has a shorter stopping distance than other configurations currently in use.

“Since nearly 50 per cent of wood costs are for in-bound transportation, Weyerhaeuser looks very seriously at finding improvements to this component,” Harvest Systems Co-ordinator for Weyerhaeuser’s Saskatchewan Forestlands operations Dave Harman says. “The increased payload has an important economic impact as Weyerhaeuser continues to work to make its operations more efficient.”