Lumber Weight by Species: Charts, Moisture and Truck Payload
A load of green oak and a load of dry spruce are two different trucks. Species density, moisture content and payload limits — how they add up.
Why weight, not just volume
Trucks, forklifts, roof structures and trailers all answer to kilograms, not board feet. Ordering 2 m³ of oak instead of 2 m³ of pine can double the weight of the delivery — and put an otherwise legal load over the axle limit.
Typical densities (air-dry)
Western red cedar ~380 kg/m³, spruce and fir ~450, white pine ~500, Douglas fir ~530, southern yellow pine ~550–600, cherry ~600, black walnut ~650, ash and birch ~670–700, oak ~750, beech and hard maple ~750. These are air-dry approximations — individual boards vary.
Moisture changes everything
A green board can carry nearly double the water weight of a kiln-dried one: green oak approaches 1,000 kg/m³ while KD oak sits near 750. Structural timber is usually dried to about 18–20%, furniture stock to 8–12%. Weighing a delivery? Ask for the moisture content too.
Payload sanity check
A typical one-ton pickup carries about 1,000–1,200 kg legally. That is roughly 1.5 m³ of KD oak — or 2.2 m³ of spruce. Before loading by eye, multiply your volume by the species density and compare with the payload rating; the Lumber weight calculator does this and includes the density you select.
From species to truck
The Lumber weight calculator converts board lists into weight using species density or a custom value, totals the load, and checks it against your truck payload so you can split the delivery correctly.