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Logging Equipment Operator

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What Does it Take to Be a Logging Equipment Operator?

Job Description: Drive logging tractor or wheeled vehicle equipped with one or more accessories such as bulldozer blade, frontal shear, grapple, logging arch, cable winches, hoisting rack, or crane boom, to fell tree; to skid, load, unload, or stack logs; or to pull stumps or clear brush.

What Do Logging Equipment Operators Do On a Daily Basis?

  • Calculate total board feet, cordage, or other wood measurement units, using conversion tables.
  • Control hydraulic tractors equipped with tree clamps and booms to lift, swing, and bunch sheared trees.
  • Fill out required job or shift report forms.
  • Inspect equipment for safety prior to use, and perform necessary basic maintenance tasks.
  • Drive and maneuver tractors and tree harvesters to shear the tops off of trees, cut and limb the trees, and cut the logs into desired lengths.
  • Grade logs according to characteristics such as knot size and straightness, and according to established industry or company standards.

Logging Equipment Operator Needed Skills

These are the skills Logging Equipment Operators say are the most useful in their careers:

Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

  • Lumber Stacker Driver
  • Log Handling Equipment Operator
  • Lumber Carrier Operator
  • Buncher Operator
  • Logging Tractor Operator

Logging Equipment Operator Job Outlook

There were about 39,100 jobs for Logging Equipment Operator in 2016 (in the United States). There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Logging Equipment Operator. The BLS estimates 4,200 yearly job openings in this field.

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The states with the most job growth for Logging Equipment Operator are Oregon, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Watch out if you plan on working in Alaska, Georgia, or Vermont. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Logging Equipment Operator Average Salary

Logging Equipment Operators make between $25,750 and $60,320 a year.

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Logging Equipment Operators who work in Idaho, Washington, or California, make the highest salaries.

How much do Logging Equipment Operators make in each U.S. state?

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $38,520
Arizona $47,230
Arkansas $41,870
California $51,520
Colorado $39,480
Florida $38,560
Georgia $38,020
Idaho $55,520
Indiana $34,650
Kentucky $31,090
Louisiana $43,010
Maine $36,840
Maryland $42,500
Michigan $35,880
Minnesota $42,740
Mississippi $38,430
Missouri $34,080
Montana $43,260
New Hampshire $40,910
New York $40,470
North Carolina $45,090
Ohio $33,460
Oklahoma $46,560
Oregon $46,910
Pennsylvania $38,730
South Carolina $40,600
South Dakota $40,530
Tennessee $35,200
Texas $42,190
Vermont $41,250
Virginia $43,150
Washington $51,060
West Virginia $33,720
Wisconsin $37,880
Wyoming $43,730

Tools & Technologies Used by Logging Equipment Operators

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Logging Equipment Operators may use on a daily basis:

How to Become a Logging Equipment Operator

What education or degrees do I need to become a Logging Equipment Operator?

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What work experience do I need to become a Logging Equipment Operator?

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Who Employs Logging Equipment Operators?

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The table below shows the approximate number of Logging Equipment Operators employed by various industries.

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Other Jobs You May be Interested In

Those who work as a Logging Equipment Operator sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:

References:

Image Credit: Hic85 via Public Domain

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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