Abstract
Increasing costs have forced the forest industry to rationalize its road maintenance operations. Though the industry needs to control its maintenance costs, it must also avoid any negative impacts on trucking activities, which currently account for close to 50% of the industry's wood-procurement costs. To help the forest industry solve this problem, FERIC developed a modified approach to grading that focuses maintenance on the road segments that need grading most, thereby making the most efficient use of graders, lowering grading costs, and improving the performance of the roads.