For a short-haul timber contractor to remain competitive, it is beneficial to have a dual-purpose vehicle capable of loading and unloading itself both in the field and at roadside depots, with the ability to drive on public roads being an additional advantage.

This is the opinion of a surprisingly young man, who, although a recent entrant into the competitive world of forestry contracting, has learnt so much of the sound basics of forestry contracting from his experienced father.

Jaco Potgieter founded his company, Welverdiend Forestry, in 1998 in Mkhondo (formerly Piet Retief), after gaining experience in forestry contracting. His son, JC, joined the business in 2020 straight from school.

Small scale manual harvesting

“My dad began with small-scale harvesting of pine and gum, then shifted focus to gum near Mkhondo in Mpumalanga,” JC explains. “He used manual harvesting techniques and transported the timber with Bell Loggers”.

Around 2003/2004, Jaco helped Bell Equipment develop a debarker inspired by a Bell three-wheeled machine. Jaco bought four of these machines.

Mechanised harvesting

In later years, at the insistence of his clients, who are large-scale paper and pulp producers, harvesting methods became more mechanised due to safety concerns. Tracked carriers were fitted with harvesting and processing heads.

Welverdiend Forestry now operates from two bases: one near Mkhondo and the other at Rooihoogte near Carolina, also in Mpumalanga.

“With new contracts in place, we soon realised we needed a versatile vehicle capable of working in the field, where driving over stumps can be difficult, and suitable for covering longer distances on gravel roads,” says JC. Finding such a vehicle was not easy until Bell Equipment’s knowledgeable Sales Representative, Daniel van Huyssteen, pointed out the Bell TF302E Forwarder.

Safety first

JC says they have built a good reputation with their large grower clients as operators with an exceptional safety record, and they are keen to continue that trend, which is important from a reputational and very real safety perspective.  

With confirmed client orders in place, Welverdiend Forestry ordered its first Bell TF302E Forwarder in May 2024, and it was delivered at the end of July.

“Bell Equipment’s safety systems are world-class with ROPS-FOPS certified cabs, automatic transmissions and park brakes. The latter is a massive advantage when working in steep areas," JC explains.

“Added to this is the Waratah CF8 crane, which is significantly more powerful than those of competitors. This ensures safe and secure operations when loading and unloading timber.

“We have three operators for our Bell TF302E Forwarder, and it took them a little while to get used to the fast crane, which is due to the excellent hydraulic flows the machine delivers,” JC says. “After 11 months, it clocked an impressive 4,500 hours.

Moving forward

“We operate on mixed terrain interspersed with flat and hilly areas. Our average daily payload is between 16 and 18 tonnes. This is 8,500 tons per month with an average fuel consumption between 15 and 16 litres an hour, which fits our business plan perfectly.”

JC adds that, with long-term contracts on the horizon, they plan to increase their fleet with similar Bell TF302E Forwarders.

“A longer-term contract facilitates planning for capital expenditure on equipment. Our operational plans include having a new machine, a mid-life machine, and an older machine available, as this supports sustainable replacement planning. “We’re receiving excellent service from Bell Equipment’s branch in Mkhondo, with prompt response times and readily available parts. This is reassuring given our plans to expand the size of our Bell Forwarder fleet”, JC comments.