The Complete Guide to Becoming A Logging Worker, All Other

Chapter 1: What Does a Logging Worker, All Other Actually Do?

Let's start with the most honest thing you'll read in this book: a Logging Worker, All Other is a title that covers a lot of ground. If you look at the federal government's occupation code, it's the catch-all bucket for everyone in the logging industry who isn't a faller, a logging equipment operator, or a log grader. In practice, that means you are the person who makes sure the wood actually gets from the hillside to the truck. You are the hands, the eyes, and sometimes the muscle that keeps a logging operation moving.

What does that look like on a Tuesday? Usually, it starts with a ride to a landing — which is the cleared area where the logs end up after they're cut, before they're loaded onto a truck. You might drive a pickup truck that's part of a small fleet, or you might ride in the passenger seat of a crew truck with three or four other people. The drive can be anywhere from twenty minutes to two hours, depending on how remote the site is. You'll learn to drink your coffee fast, because the truck won't wait for you, and the ride is often bumpy enough that a half-full cup will end up on your lap.

Once you're on site, your job list can shift by the hour. On a typical small logging operation — say, a crew of six to ten people — the