Logging Equipment Operator

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  Career Profile

Logging Equipment Operator

What they do

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 Called: Delimber Operator, Feller Buncher Operator, Harvester Operator, Loader Operator, Log Processor Operator, Logging Equipment Operator, Logging Shovel Operator, Skidder Driver, Skidder Operator, Yarder Operator, Delimber Operator, Feller Buncher Operator, Harvester Operator, Loader Operator, Log Processor Operator, Logging Equipment Operator, Logging Shovel Operator, Skidder Driver, Skidder Operator, Yarder Operator

$30,930
Starting Salary (2023)
$48,240
Median Salary (2023)
-3.8%
Projected Job Growth
23,720
Employment (2022)

Typical Tasks

Inspect equipment for safety prior to use, and perform necessary basic maintenance tasks.
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.
Drive tractors for building or repairing logging and skid roads.
Control hydraulic tractors equipped with tree clamps and booms to lift, swing, and bunch sheared trees.

A day in the life

What kind of work is this?

Realistic
Practical, Physical Work
Conventional
Organized, Procedural Work
Investigative
Studying, Research based work

What personality traits do you need to succeed?

Dependability
Initiative
Self-Control
Adaptability/Flexibility
Cooperation
Independence

What key skills are needed for this job?

Operation and Control
Operations Monitoring
Equipment Maintenance
Troubleshooting
Quality Control Analysis
Active Listening

Expected Knowledge

Mechanical
Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Public Safety and Security
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Production and Processing
Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Common Activities

Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
Controlling Machines and Processes
Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.

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