Occupation · SOC 45-4022
Logging Equipment Operators
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.
Median wage
$49,210
$35,050–$72,280
Projected growth
-1.3%
Declining
Annual openings
-40
per year
Employed (US)
22,520
Job Zone 2
Typical preparation
Some preparation
Stackable credential programs
57 mapped
Core skills
Operation and ControlOperations MonitoringEquipment MaintenanceTroubleshootingQuality Control AnalysisMonitoringActive ListeningTime ManagementRepairingJudgment and Decision MakingCritical ThinkingComplex Problem SolvingWritingSpeakingSocial PerceptivenessEquipment SelectionCoordinationReading ComprehensionSystems AnalysisPersuasionMathematicsSystems EvaluationService OrientationNegotiationManagement of Personnel ResourcesLearning StrategiesInstructingActive LearningManagement of Material ResourcesManagement of Financial ResourcesScienceOperations AnalysisTechnology DesignInstallationProgramming
Knowledge areas
MechanicalPublic Safety and SecurityProduction and ProcessingTransportationAdministration and ManagementCustomer and Personal ServiceEngineering and TechnologyPhysicsMathematicsEnglish LanguageEducation and TrainingLaw and GovernmentGeographyDesignPsychologyBiologyMedicine and DentistryBuilding and ConstructionComputers and ElectronicsPersonnel and Human ResourcesTelecommunicationsCommunications and MediaSales and MarketingTherapy and CounselingEconomics and AccountingAdministrativeChemistrySociology and AnthropologyHistory and ArcheologyPhilosophy and TheologyForeign LanguageFood ProductionFine Arts
Technology & tools
BCS Woodlands Systems The Logger TrackerMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WordSAP softwareTradeTec TallyWorks LogsTradeTec TallyWorks TimeTracker
Representative tasks
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or EquipmentControlling Machines and ProcessesRepairing and Maintaining Mechanical EquipmentGetting InformationInspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialsEvaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsCommunicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesMaking Decisions and Solving ProblemsEstimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or InformationEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsMonitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsHandling and Moving ObjectsIdentifying Objects, Actions, and EventsDeveloping and Building TeamsAssisting and Caring for OthersDeveloping Objectives and StrategiesJudging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or PeopleOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkUpdating and Using Relevant KnowledgePerforming General Physical ActivitiesProviding Consultation and Advice to OthersMonitoring and Controlling ResourcesCoordinating the Work and Activities of OthersThinking CreativelyCommunicating with People Outside the OrganizationCoaching and Developing OthersGuiding, Directing, and Motivating SubordinatesScheduling Work and ActivitiesTraining and Teaching OthersResolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersInterpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersRepairing and Maintaining Electronic EquipmentDocumenting/Recording InformationProcessing InformationWorking with ComputersAnalyzing Data or InformationPerforming for or Working Directly with the PublicSelling or Influencing OthersDrafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and EquipmentPerforming Administrative Activities
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Routine feller-buncher, skidder, or loader operations — perform under a senior operator's direction on a working sale.Daily pre-shift inspections (fluids, hoses, tracks, blades) — complete per the operation's checklist.Personal protective equipment (hardhat, chaps, eye-and-ear) — apply consistently on the landing.Stand-around discipline (line-of-fire, equipment proximity) — apply consistently on the unit.Daily-shift logs and production tallies — record accurately for the supervisor.Routine refueling and lubrication — perform per the manufacturer's intervals.Standard radio communications with the crew — use clearly during operations.Stream-crossing and BMP rules — follow without prompting per the unit's plan.Felling-direction and lay-down basics — observe and assist a feller's plan.Stump-side and landing safety — follow per the operation's standards.
developing
Independent operations on familiar equipment — execute reliably across a shift.Pre-bunching, skidding, and forwarding patterns — execute per the supervisor's plan with documented productivity.Routine equipment troubleshooting (sensors, hoses, electronics) — perform with documented checklists.Productivity targets (loads per shift, MBF per day) — meet consistently within the unit's plan.Junior operators and apprentices — train on safety, technique, and pace.Cross-equipment flexibility (skidder, loader, forwarder) — adapt with rapid retraining.Spill-kit deployment and fuel safety — execute per the BMP plan.Routine repairs and rigging — perform during downtime with the shop's support.Sale-layout reading and harvest-plan execution — follow with documented compliance.Safety culture at the landing — model for the crew.
proficient
Multi-equipment operator and crew lead — supervise across feller-buncher, skidder, and loader operations.Productivity and uptime optimization — own with measurable improvements in cost-per-thousand.Major repairs and equipment overhauls — schedule and oversee with vendors and shop personnel.Sale-layout planning with foresters and contractors — contribute substantively.BMPs, water-quality, and erosion-control execution — own with documented compliance.Continuous-improvement projects (fuel, downtime, harvest quality) — lead with measurable outcomes.Junior crew leads and operators — mentor on operational ownership.Customer- and agency-relationship management — own at unit operations level.Capital-equipment evaluations — recommend on purchase and trade-in cycles.Wildland-fire prevention and detection on harvest sites — own per the operation's plan.
advanced
Operations leadership for a logging contractor — set direction across crews, equipment, and contracts.Capital decisions (machines, trucks, training programs) — author with the owner.Major contracts with timber companies and public agencies — own from bid through closeout.Workforce development (mechanic training, sawyer certifications, equipment-operator pipelines) — build with measurable outcomes.Safety culture and incident-investigation programs — institutionalize across crews.Industry forums (logging-contractor associations, equipment manufacturers) — represent the operation.Disaster response (fire, weather, mechanical) — lead at operation level.Capital and operating budgets — own with executive sponsorship.Talent pipelines from rural and forestry communities — build with measurable retention.Legacy mentorship and field-shaping standards — institutionalize through training and certification.
Also known as
58 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Buncher OperatorChain HookerCutter OperatorDelimberDelimber OperatorEquipment OperatorFeller Buncher OperatorFeller OperatorForder OperatorGrapple OperatorGrapple Skidder OperatorGroundspersonHarvester OperatorHook TenderLoaderLoader OperatorLog Carrier OperatorLog Chipper OperatorLog Handling Equipment OperatorLog HaulerLog LoaderLog Loader OperatorLog ProcessorLog Processor OperatorLog Stacker OperatorLog Truck DriverLogging Cable Skidder OperatorLogging Clam-Bunk OperatorLogging Crane OperatorLogging Equipment OperatorLogging Excavator OperatorLogging Forwarder OperatorLogging LoaderLogging Operating EngineerLogging OperatorLogging Service OperatorLogging Shovel OperatorLogging Slasher OperatorLogging SpecialistLogging Tractor Operator