While logging was once a very popular and lucrative occupation around the world, it is one that has been in decline for decades. While part of the decline has been due to a decrease in the need for manual labor due to the increase in machinery, there are other reasons as well.
Paper recycling and more efficient use of full trees has helped to curtail demand for trees. Wood products are being produced in China and other countries more so than in the past so production has shifted. Wood substitutes are also increasingly used for flooring and other traditional wood markets.
Increased mechanization has decreased the need for manual logging and salaries have also decreased making the profession less desirable than in the past.
While logging continues to be a dangerous profession, the payoff for workers is not what it used to be. Let’s take a closer look at the logging business and its current state.
Productivity and demand for wood have both grown
While paper recycling and more efficient use of full trees have helped to remove some pressure on demand for new trees, the fact is that wood consumption globally continues to grow. The question is less about whether logging is a dying business and more on how the industry has evolved to meet changing demands and increased efficiencies through machinery.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) projects that by 2030 demand for industrial roundwood as well as paper and paperboard products will increase by around 60% over current levels. Source: FAO.org
The FAO further projects during this same time period that industrial roundwood production from tree plantations will also double which will help meet future expected wood demand growth. Source: FAO.org
Due to the overall increase in forestry management, better tree harvesting techniques, improved recycling of paper, wood and trees, and better planning for future tree growth (i.e. tree plantations), the general feeling is that there should not be a wood shortage in the future due to these improvements.
So that’s the wood supply perspective. Let’s dive further into the actual logging industry and take a closer look at the type of work that is done to remove trees.
What types of logging exist?
Clearcutting, shelterwood and selective cutting are the three main types of logging that exist. You may also read references to tree-length logging, cut-to-length logging and whole-tree logging. About 14% of land in the United States is protected and many of this covers forests that can’t be used for logging or other destructive purposes.
“Protection” can mean different things however and may take different forms depending on the circumstances. This helps to limit the number of areas that can be logged.
Here are some details regarding each kind of logging that exists:
Clearcutting is the removal of all or most trees in an area at one time in a uniform fashion. While loggers like the practice for economic reasons, detractors say that it harms plants and wildlife that rely on the trees. Some areas are protected from rampant clearcutting by banning it outright.
Shelterwood refers to removing a section of mature trees at one time while leaving other sections of trees intact. This allows seeding and shelter of younger trees and eventually the removal of the remaining trees that weren’t previously cut.
Selective cutting or selective harvesting refers to removing specific trees that are considered high risk in order to protect and allow more desirable trees to develop. Selective cutting may also refer to cutting down only certain species or sizes of trees that are desired.
Tree-length logging refers to cutting down and removing the whole tree with all parts intact. While new technology enables loggers to remove branches and limbs while cutting the tree, tree-length loggers still exists.
Cut-to-length logging is a process where the trees are felled, delimbed and then cut to the desired length at the same time where the tree is cut down. It’s a efficient process using high tech machinery such as a harvester.
Whole-tree logging refers to cutting down the entire tree from the ground and removing it from the woods in one piece. This excludes the stump and roots.
Each type of logging generally requires different equipment and somewhat different skills especially when choosing which trees to cut and which to leave intact. Many high end machines are simply too expensive for smaller logging companies who may rely on older and less technical machines and more manual labor.
How much do loggers make?
The average logger earns around $36,000 per year according to industry research
. The median salary is reported to be around $45,000 with more money earned through overtime and steadier work. The average hourly rate is around $18 per hour with the median being around $21 per hour.
Specialist jobs in the industry such as buckers, choke setters, rigging slingers and log sorters may pay more.
While around 75% of workers are employees, around 25% of the industry are self-employed.
The overwhelming number of loggers have always been men with very few women actively working in the industry at any given time.
What skills do loggers require for the job?
The major skills required for jobs in the logging industry include:
Mechanical – The logging industry is highly mechanized although manual labor is still required. Whether it’s operating one of the many machines commonly used (see the full list below) or driving one of the numerous vehicles, the ability to operate machinery and be mechanically minded is important.
Production management – Depending on the job, you might be in a lead role working in the woods where you’re ultimately responsible for the day’s production and overall management of the staff. Problem solving is also required as trees don’t always fall the way you want and you will often run into problems with the environment and nature that need to be addressed as they arise.
Safety and security – Given the nature of the job and dangers involved, safety and security are of utmost importance. Between working around large falling trees, heavy equipment and saws, you are working around a number of potential danger areas with co-workers who rely on your professionalism.
Transportation – The ultimate goal of logging is to eventually deliver wood to a mill where it can be processed for final delivery to the customer. Many jobs in the logging industry involve transporting logs and timber either to a road for collection or for delivery to a mill or customer.
Production and processing – Many logging jobs involve working at the mill where raw timber is cut and otherwise processed into specific sizes and shapes for delivery to the customer.
Quality control – The difference between a quality high value tree and a lower value one can be in the tens of thousands of dollars for just one tree. Leadership positions in the logging industry involve being able to quickly identify which tree is more valuable than the others surrounding it and how to most quickly and safely remove it.
In addition to these skills, loggers generally need to deal with a high level of manual labor, wet conditions, heavy lifting, and working at a fast pace in a loud and dirty environment.
How dangerous is logging?
Logging is a dangerous job that has over 21 times the death rate of overall fatality rate for US workers according to the CDC. Loggers also experience up to 40% more nonfatal injuries than the private industry rate and that doesn’t even include self-employed logging staff which is around 25% of the industry.
Because there are different jobs within the logging industry, the injury and fatality rate differs. Those working nearest to the trees (tree fallers) with chainsaws to fell trees tend to suffer the highest rate of fatalities and research suggests that they suffer close to 2/3 of all industry deaths.
The most common logging injuries include:
- Injuries from falling objects like entire trees, tree limbs and logs.
- Injuries from flying objects such as wood chips, bark and sawdust.
- Cuts from chainsaws or axes.
- Slips and falls resulting in leg or foot injuries or more serious ailments.
- Pinching and crushing accidents caused by logs, cables or other equipment.
- Motor vehicle accidents caused by various machinery.
Given the dangers associated with logging, the drop in demand for workers and the associated low pay due to falling industry profitability, logging is not nearly as desirable a job as it once was.
What machinery is used by loggers these days?
A wide variety of machinery can be used in logging depending on the size of the operation:
- Forwarder – A forwarder lifts and then carries felled logs in its to another location typically to a landing spot to be collected and shipped.
- Skidder – A skidder is a heavy vehicle that pulls logs out of a forest area. Skidding is the verb that describes the process of actually removing the logs with a skidder.
- Harvester – A harvester is a multi-tasker machine that typically combines the tasks of a feller-buncher, delimber, and slasher into one machine. It grabs the tree, cuts it, delimbs it and controls its fall to the ground.
- Feller buncher – A feller buncher fells (cuts down) and bunches them (drop piles them and skids them) into stacks to be removed.
- Delimber – A delimber removes limbs and branches from a tree as it’s being cut down.
- Slasher – A slasher saw is used to cut delimbed logs to make them easier for transport.
- Knuckleboom Log Loader – This is a swing machine that can be based on a track or be either wheel or trailer mounted. It’s used to collect felled logs and load or unload them as needed.
- Swing Yarder – A swing yarder or grapple yarder is used to drag large logs and timber up hills from where they were felled to a collection station or road. From there, they can be put on a truck for removal.
- Wood Chipper – A wood chipper turns logs or pieces of wood into smaller wood chips that might be used for fuel, garden mulch, wood pulp, and more.
- Forestry Mulcher – A forestry mulcher is used to cut and clear out brush when land clearing is needed.
- Chainsaw – Chainsaws are still used for various reasons including felling trees and for cutting already felled trees into smaller pieces to make them easier for transport.
- Axe – Axes may still be used to manually cut down individual trees when necessary.
Given the increase in mechanization, many logging jobs have been eliminated with a focus more on using machinery to do the work instead of people.
Tree species that are most valuable to loggers
The value of trees to loggers depends on several factors, including the wood’s characteristics, demand, and regional preferences. Here’s a table with some valuable tree species for logging and their common uses:
| Tree Species | Common Uses |
|---|---|
| Oak (Various Types) | Furniture, flooring, cabinetry, barrels, veneer, and architectural applications. |
| Maple (Various Types) | Furniture, flooring, cabinetry, musical instruments, and butcher blocks. |
| Cherry | Fine furniture, cabinets, millwork, and specialty items. |
| Walnut | High-end furniture, gunstocks, cabinetry, and veneer. |
| Pine (Various Types) | Construction lumber, paneling, molding, and furniture. |
| Douglas Fir | Framing lumber, plywood, and veneer for construction. |
| Red Cedar | Outdoor applications (fencing, decking, and shingles), and aromatic cedar for closets and chests. |
| Hickory | Tool handles, flooring, and athletic equipment (e.g., baseball bats). |
| Mahogany | High-quality furniture, cabinetry, veneer, and boat-building. |
| Teak | Boat-building, outdoor furniture, decking, and flooring. |
These species are often highly valued by loggers due to their wood’s unique qualities, which make them suitable for various applications. The value of each species can also vary by region, depending on local preferences and market demand.
Summary
Is logging a dying industry? Certainly the employment prospects are very different than in the past. Many dangerous aspects in the logging profession have not gone away and at the end of the day, you are working outdoors in a loud and dangerous environment with heavy machinery, felling large trees.
Over time the industry has consolidated with jobs lost due to technological advancements and people leaving the industry for other less dangerous and better paying positions. Having said that, timber remains one of the largest exports in countries like the U.S. and Canada and will remain an important part of their economies due to ongoing demand.
Given that wood is a sustainable resource, forestry management has become critically important for the continuation of the industry so expect to see certain aspects of logging such as clearcutting become less prevalent as a result.