Case Study: Idaho Forest Group cuts stockpile measurement time by 80% with WingtraOne

How Idaho Forest Group Cut Stockpile Measurement Time by 80% [ROI Study]

Idaho Forest Group, a large U.S. lumber producer operating six yards in Idaho and Montana, needed a faster, more accurate way to measure wood stockpiles across large areas with limited takeoff and landing space. Using WingtraOne mapping drones, they aimed to replace slower terrestrial methods and improve on their earlier DJI Phantom 4 workflow for log deck and residual pile surveys.

Wingtra implemented the WingtraOne with a Sony QX1 payload, giving Idaho Forest Group fixed-wing coverage with VTOL landing flexibility. The result was a major efficiency gain: stockpile survey time dropped by about 80%, with an 80-acre survey completed in 17 minutes and full setup plus flight in 35 minutes versus about 7 hours on foot. Wingtra also helped reduce payroll costs by about $53K per year, save 2,652 hours annually, and improve stockpile volume accuracy enough to protect millions of board feet in inventory value.

Idaho Forest Group

Aaron Fisher

Technology and Project Manager