Logging Machinery Operators

Use various heavy machinery and equipment to harvest and process trees at logging sites.

Main Duties

Cable yarding system operators operate machines to transport trees from logging areas to landing or log loading sites in mountainous terrain in western Canada.
Mechanical harvester and forwarder operators assess site and terrain and drive heavy equipment to perform a combination of felling, slashing, bucking, bunching and forwarding operations at logging areas.
Mechanical tree processor and loader operators operate a variety of machines which perform a combination of slashing, bucking, chipping, sorting and loading logs or trees at landing sites.

There are 79 job openings forecasted between 2023-2032.

Completion of secondary school may be required.
On-the-job training from three to 16 months is provided, depending on the complexity of machinery operated and the type of woodlands operation.
Experience requirements vary depending on the complexity of machinery operated.
Mechanical harvester and forwarder operators may require logging experience as a chain saw and skidder operator.
Feller buncher operators and cable yarder operators usually require three to five years of logging experience.