Forestry machinery operators
- Logging machinery operators
use various heavy machinery and equipment to harvest and process trees at logging sites.
On This Page
Full NOC Description
Logging machinery operators operate cable yarding systems, mechanical harvesters and forwarders and mechanical tree processors and loaders to fell, yard and process trees at logging sites. They are employed by logging companies and contractors.
Main Duties
This group performs some or all of the following 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 that perform a combination of slashing, bucking, chipping, sorting and loading logs or trees at landing sites.
Also Known As
- chipping machine operator
- delimber operator
- feller buncher operator
- feller forwarder operator
- grapple operator - logging
Employment Requirements
- 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.
- Mechanical tree processor and loader operators usually require one to three years of logging experience.
- Certification as a heavy equipment operator may be required.
- Company certification for mobile logging machinery operation may be required.
- Provincial air brake certification may be required in British Columbia, depending on the type of equipment operated.
- Workplace hazardous materials information system (WHMIS) and first aid certificates may be required.
- Knowledge of tree harvesting regulations is required.
Provincial Regulation
- Provincially Regulated: Yes
- Compulsory: No
- Red Seal: No
Regulation Body
The following graph shows the percentage of men and women working in this occupation in New Brunswick.
Data legend
The following graph shows the breakdown of all persons working in this occupation in New Brunswick by age group.
Data legend
The following graph shows the breakdown of all persons working in this occupation in New Brunswick by highest level of education achieved.
Data legend
The following graph shows the industry groups in which the largest shares of persons working in this occupation in New Brunswick are employed. Small percentages for all top three industry groups may suggest employment for this occupation is widely distributed amongst many industry groups.
Data legend
The following graph shows the breakdown of all persons employed in this occupation in New Brunswick by which economic region they reside in.
Data legend
Economic Regions
The following map displays New Brunswick’s five economic regions. An economic region (ER) is a grouping of counties, created as a standard unit for analysis of regional economic activity across Canada.
The following graph shows the average salary of all persons employed in this occupation in each of New Brunswick’s five economic regions.
Data legend
Economic Regions
The following map displays New Brunswick’s five economic regions. An economic region (ER) is a grouping of counties, created as a standard unit for analysis of regional economic activity across Canada.
The following represents the median hourly wage of all persons employed in this occupation in each of New Brunswick’s five economic regions.
The following shows the average salary of everyone who worked full-time and year-round in this occupation across each of the Atlantic Provinces and nationally.
The following represents the number of job openings that are expected to occur in this occupation over the next three and ten years respectively, broken down by openings expected to result from growth (“new jobs”) and openings expected to result from attrition (death and retirements).
Share this page
No endorsement of any products or services is expressed or implied.