How to Measure a Firewood Delivery (and Spot a Short Load)
Measure the wood once it is stacked and before you pay: a full cord is 128 cubic feet, and a pile dumped in a driveway looks bigger than it is. Truck beds are a common trap. A level-full full-size short-bed pickup holds about 48 cubic feet, so it takes roughly 2.6 loads to make one cord.
Check it in five steps
- Agree the quantity, log length and price in writing before delivery.
- Stack the wood tightly in a single row; loose piles contain extra air.
- Measure length, height and depth in feet and multiply them.
- Divide by 128 to get cords. The cord converter does it for you and shows what you paid per full cord.
- Test moisture on a freshly split piece; seasoned wood reads 20% or less (how long to season).
Common shortcuts
Sellers sometimes call two truckloads a cord. Check your truck against the pickup bed table. Terms like rick or “bush cord” have no standard size, so ask for dimensions (face cord vs full cord).
If you were shorted
Ask for the missing wood or a price adjustment. Divide what you paid by the cords you actually got to see your real price per cord and compare it with typical prices.
FAQ
Can I measure a pile instead of stacking it?
Not accurately. A loose pile holds more air than a stack, so stack it first.
Is a truckload a cord?
Almost never. Even a full-size long-bed pickup holds well under a full cord.
How accurate does my measurement need to be?
Within a few inches is fine. A one-foot error on a 4-foot stack is 25% of the wood.