# Ruts in the yard from wood delivery truck.



## ericj (Dec 7, 2010)

I had our first cord of wood delivered last week for the new stove. The wood was seasoned a full year, so I'm starting off with decent wood. The problem was that the truck left ruts about three inches deep in our nice backyard. This isn't going to fly longterm for wood delivery. How long will it take these ruts to work out? How do you guys avoid this problem when wood (or logs) are delivered. I'm  thinking about waiting until the yard is fully frozen, but will this completely prevent the ruts?


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## CarbonNeutral (Dec 7, 2010)

I guess if you can time fully frozen/no snow...

Just dump it at the edge - it only takes an hour or two to move via wheelbarrow, even with one person


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## ckarotka (Dec 7, 2010)

I'm unfamiliar with the weather in your area, but around here, I was done driving on the yard in mid Oct for that reason. Not sure how much room you have to store wood but getting deliveries in Aug-Oct for the following year would prob work out better. This was you know the wood has actually been split and stacked for a year and your always one or more years ahead.

You could put down some strips of OSB or 2X12's and let the truck drive on those depending on the gross weight of the truck.


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## btuser (Dec 7, 2010)

A trick I learned is to attach a garden hose to a length of pipe, then shoot water under the turf a few inches deep up and down the ruts.  Not always perfect but the turf will stay together and you will be able to lessen the depth of the ruts.  If you have a showpiece, then afterwards you can topdress with some sifted loom and it will be gone in a few weeks tops.

Untill you drive on it again...


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## SolarAndWood (Dec 7, 2010)

Throw some stone in the ruts and make sure the guy uses the same lane next year.


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## project240 (Dec 7, 2010)

SolarAndWood said:
			
		

> Throw some stone in the ruts and make sure the guy uses the same lane next year.



Lol.  Problem solved.


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## JustWood (Dec 7, 2010)

Nature of the beast.
You're gonna have to get your wood in the dry of summer or keep the snow scraped off the grass for a few days when the temps stay below 20.
I just have to grin when I pull in a drive and the wood truck rut  victim sez " hey,,,, think you can back that thing down around that tree ,across the septic tank ,through that ditch and over behind that shed ". My response is "If I get stuck it's $100/hour from the minute the wheel spins to the time the wrecker has me dragged back on the road plus you pay the wrecker bill". In 23 years I've only had one taker that I guaranteed I wood get stuck and he still gave me the go ahead and he ate a $350 wrecker bill and 2 hours of me sittin there.
Best to get your wood when you no there will be no problems.


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## ecocavalier02 (Dec 7, 2010)

i drive on my lawn all summer and winter go in the same spot everytime in the front and its worn down so much it doesnt even ruin the grass. my back yard is not grass so i dont care back there.


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## rdust (Dec 7, 2010)

SolarAndWood said:
			
		

> Throw some stone in the ruts and make sure the guy uses the same lane next year.



:lol:  I'd have trouble if I cared about ruts in my yard.  Nothing like bring 2 cords of fresh cut oak home in the spring and backing up into the yard making 6" ruts while the dove tail on the trailer is acting like a plow.

Can you just drive the car over the edges of the ruts to knock them down.  Maybe just wait till spring and fill with top soil and drop some seed.


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## LLigetfa (Dec 7, 2010)

I usually take my deliveries in Winter on well frozen ground.  It's a big grapple truck with a 12 cord load so it would leave some real nasty ruts any other time.  My driveway is firm enough to take the load but the truck doesn't stay on the beaten path.  I clear the snow from the area well in advance so that the frost can go deep enough.


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## ericj (Dec 7, 2010)

Thankfully traction wasn't a problem for the truck. He had no problems with getting stuck. It's just the aftermath when he left. Our yard is a crisscross of 2-4" deep ruts where the tires ran. So, if I waited till the dead of winter (in Iowa) when the temps have been consistently 20 degrees or colder, will I have a problem with the next delivery? I'm guessing that the frozen ground would carry the load of the truck pretty well. Maybe it would leave 1/2 ruts? (The truck they delivered with was a large flat bed with a pickup cab and duelly tires in back.) 

To fix the current problem I might try watering the ruts well this winter in the hope that the moisture will absorb into the ground and freeze pushing the dirt back up.


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## Bigg_Redd (Dec 7, 2010)

ericj said:
			
		

> I had our first cord of wood delivered last week for the new stove. The wood was seasoned a full year, so I'm starting off with decent wood. The problem was that the truck left ruts about three inches deep in our nice backyard. This isn't going to fly longterm for wood delivery. How long will it take these ruts to work out? How do you guys avoid this problem when wood (or logs) are delivered. I'm  thinking about waiting until the yard is fully frozen, but will this completely prevent the ruts?



1) cut your own firewood - this way any lawn damage is all you

2) have your wood guy dump the wood before his tires hit your precious lawn

3) tear that wood burner out and install a pellet stove


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## wetwood (Dec 7, 2010)

Just wondering, How did they get to the backyard? an ally or driveway?


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## billb3 (Dec 7, 2010)

The wetter the earth is the soupier and easier to mold .

Well frozen and or extremely dry is usually safer  to drive on without getting stuck ( and making ruts).


If flooding it  doesn't help you could carefully peel the lawn back like new sod and fluff up and relevel the dirt under the sod.
The ruts usually aren't just pushed down dirt but often oozed up beside the depression making it appear deeper than it is sometimes, so you might have to peel back the sod  a bit wider than the ruts.

Or just till the whole thing in and plant grass.

Or  fill the ruts with loam and seed. That won't work too well  if you have mountain and valley ruts. 


Sometimes you can level them out better with flooding  by putting some boards down and driving over them (like you were patching asphalt) when it's all soft and mosshy. Hopefully pushing the mountain part of the rut back into a valley.


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## Backwoods Savage (Dec 7, 2010)

Leave the ruts in the yard.....until spring. Immediately after the frost goes out is the time to level that lawn again.


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## gpcollen1 (Dec 7, 2010)

Those ruts may improve some by late spring.  The freeze and thaw cycles and some moisture may help.  See what you have in the spring.  If they are still bad, just fill and seed them - lesson learned.


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## zzr7ky (Dec 7, 2010)

Hi - 

My brother-in-law showwed me how to cure ruts in sod several years ago.   On ground that's not frozen you just slide a pitchfork in under the rut at a 45 degree angle, then push the handle down, thus raising the rutted area.  Then repeat.  It is really very effective, pretty fast, and easy.

ATB, 
Mike


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## cre73 (Dec 7, 2010)

I drive through my yard quite often throughout the year hauling wood moving the camper or whatever is needed. All I have ever done is get the roller out when the ground is nice and soft. A few passes over the affected areas and ruts are gone.


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## Backwoods Savage (Dec 8, 2010)

cre73 said:
			
		

> I drive through my yard quite often throughout the year hauling wood moving the camper or whatever is needed. All I have ever done is get the roller out when the ground is nice and soft. A few passes over the affected areas and ruts are gone.



Right, and the spring of the year is when this is done best. Do it as soon as you can after the frost is out. That is when the ground is the softest.


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## nate379 (Dec 8, 2010)

When I hauled my wood this fall I just parked the truck (1 ton duallie holding a cord each load) at the edge of the driveway and loaded up my yard cart to drive on the lawn.  Sure it took a bit more time, but it was bettery than rutting up the yard.


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## mayhem (Dec 8, 2010)

> How do you guys avoid this problem when wood (or logs) are delivered.



Have them dump the load in the driveway.


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## velvetfoot (Dec 8, 2010)

Make sure you don't have anything heavy going over your septic system.


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## NH_Wood (Dec 9, 2010)

CarbonNeutral said:
			
		

> I guess if you can time fully frozen/no snow...
> 
> Just dump it at the edge - it only takes an hour or two to move via wheelbarrow, even with one person


+1


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## ansehnlich1 (Dec 9, 2010)

Not sure the extent of the problem ruts, matter of fact, don't think I've ever seen 'rut' pics on hearth.com before 

Anyway, I've been known to wait til things are real soft, and go out with my best stompin boots, and just stomp the edges and work that putty like ground back into place.....also have used a sledge hammer head to pound around if needed, also have a tamper that works ok for certain situations, also have simply gotten the grader blade on the tractor if it's serious business.


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