Logging Equipment Operators

Career Overview

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. Includes operating stand-alone logging machines, such as log chippers.

Also Known As

Loader Operator
Logging Equipment Operator
Skidder Driver
Skidder Operator

Alternate Job Titles

Buncher Operator
Chain Hooker
Cutter Operator
Delimber
Delimber Operator
Equipment Operator
Feller Buncher Operator
Feller Operator
Forder Operator
Grapple Operator
Grapple Skidder Operator
Groundsperson
Harvester Operator
Hook Tender
Loader

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

Inspect equipment for safety prior to use, and perform necessary basic maintenance tasks.
Control hydraulic tractors equipped with tree clamps and booms to lift, swing, and bunch sheared trees.
Grade logs according to characteristics such as knot size and straightness, and according to established industry or company standards.
Drive straight or articulated tractors equipped with accessories such as bulldozer blades, grapples, logging arches, cable winches, and crane booms to skid, load, unload, or stack logs, pull stumps, or clear brush.
Drive crawler or wheeled tractors to drag or transport logs from felling sites to log landing areas for processing and loading.
Fill out required job or shift report forms.
Drive tractors for building or repairing logging and skid roads.

Emerging Responsibilities

As this field evolves, you may also:

Operate remote-controlled logging machines and drones for dangerous or hard-to-reach tasks.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

Mechanical

Essential Skills

Success in this career requires strong skills in:

Operation and Control
Operations Monitoring

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

Control Precision
Reaction Time
Arm-Hand Steadiness
Multilimb Coordination
Depth Perception
Rate Control
Response Orientation
Problem Sensitivity
Far Vision
Near Vision

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

Dependability
Cautiousness
Stress Tolerance
Attention to Detail
Perseverance

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

Support
Independence
Working Conditions
Relationships
Achievement

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: Less than a High School Diploma

On-the-Job Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months

Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Office software
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Word
SAP software

Tools & Equipment

Cable skidders
Delimbers
Desktop computers
Digital tire pressure gauges
Drive-to-tree feller bunchers
Equipment trailers
Felling heads
Forestry crawler dozers
Forestry hoes
Forestry swing machines
Forwarders
Grapple skidders
Grapple yarders
Harvesting heads
Heavy duty chainsaws

Work Environment

Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
Frequency of Decision Making
Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment

Salary & Job Market

Salary Percentile	Annual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)	$35,050
Median	$49,210
Top Earners (90th percentile)	$72,280

Workers Employed Nationally: 22,520