Learn Spanish (Latin America): Recién llevaron los troncos al aserradero.

In many parts of Latin America, recién followed directly by a conjugated verb (like the preterite llevaron) is a very standard way to say someone "just" did something. Using acaban de llevar is also completely correct, but this recién structure is extremely common in everyday regional speech.

Does recién always mean "just" in this way?

Traditionally, recién means "newly" and is used before participles (like recién casados for "newlyweds"). However, in Latin American Spanish, placing recién right before a conjugated verb is a special, localized structure that specifically means the action happened just now.

Why is the verb llevaron used here for "took" instead of tomaron?

You use llevar when "take" means to transport or carry something from one location to another (like moving logs to a sawmill). Tomar is used for "taking" in the sense of physically grabbing something, drinking, or catching a ride (like taking a bus or taking a tool in your hand).

Could I put recién at the end of the sentence instead?

When using recién to mean "just now," it belongs right before the conjugated verb. Saying Llevaron los troncos al aserradero recién sounds less natural and weakens the sense of immediate action, making it sound more like a general "recently" rather than a task that was finished seconds or minutes ago.