# American Loggers



## rmihalek (Mar 7, 2009)

Can we post about the American Loggers show here? Granted it's filmed in Maine, and most of the guys have funny accents, but they move some wood!


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## A.E. Metal Werx (Mar 7, 2009)

i thought loggers cut wood... this show so far seems like they should call it... TRUCKERS....


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## forestryworks (Mar 7, 2009)

mx_racer428 said:


> i thought loggers cut wood... this show so far seems like they should call it... TRUCKERS....



yeah, america log truckers


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## tomtrees58 (Mar 7, 2009)

mx_racer428 said:


> i thought loggers cut wood... this show so far seems like they should call it... TRUCKERS....



yea i was telling my son that today tom treesopcorn:


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## Darin (Mar 7, 2009)

The episode I watched seemed like they rolled more trucks than got them from A to B.


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## gunnarfan (Mar 7, 2009)

when my cousin Gerald started out he had one truck and was staying at my grandfather's-his uncle's house (a great northern mill employee) and that is what he started out doing for work is trucking. it has grown to a bunch more than that in 50 years. they do it all. cut, skid, truck, plus race saws and do truck pulls for fun at the fairs. i will agree that the core is that they do all their own trucking. that part is a tribute to Gerald and his legacy. they also have harvesters and guys doing sawing and skidding.. really depends on where they cut and that region supports harvesters. i think they will show more as it goes on. with the paper mills closed they have to run everything to Quebec and thats what they've adapted to. its not like the good old days of "the magic city" which was and is Millinocket's nickname. 

one note about the Pelletier family is that they opted out of any payment for the show and this first season (there may be more) was done more for the town of Millinocket than anything. its not like they build motorcycles or hot rods and have product to sell like the other "American so and sos". Since the mill closures in the area the region has had only tourism to Baxter State Park for income so any kind of draw is a big deal. thats one thing to consider and is one reason why i respect them.

i'm also pretty psyched to catch up on that branch of the family. our name was chopped to Pelkey as of how it was pronounced with my grandfather's accent. and yeah.. they managed to stay sounding french but they are really up in the woods all the time.. and in quebec for a good chunk of it. i know i never had that accent.. but i can speak enough french to swear.


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## rmihalek (Mar 8, 2009)

I enjoy learning about all facets of the timber industry and I really enjoy watching both Axe Men and American Loggers.

I just got back from skiing in Baxter State Park and we drove down a little road that had about 1/2 mile of logs stacked about 30 feet high and 45 feet deep on both sides; had to be about 20,000 cords, maybe more. It was the Pelletier's wood for sure because I saw that same log pile on the show.

In fact, when we were driving into the Abol campground parking area, some of those double wide (but not tandem) log trucks rolled by us. It was definitely a cool site to see!

How about that driver who literally got scalped when a passing log truck had a snag sticking out that went through his windshield? That's a damn scary thing to have happen; you don't duck fast enough and your head will get taken off. The danger doesn't end in that business, that's for sure.


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## gunnarfan (Mar 8, 2009)

i miss the abol natural water slide... closed due to mysterious circumstances.. like someone got messed up there... i've ripped a number of shorts on the way down. theres a shortcut from "the lake road" next to the closed gas station that takes you to the road that heads to medway. during a dryer time of year i'd suggest poking around and seeing some old tote roads.

plus near the strip club.. la casa ...theres an area that was man-flooded for river driving... theres a monument my grandfather used to take me to... i'd say a few of our people ended up in there as a result of the river driving days.

Pelletiers have really been involved with every part of it.


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## whiting-5 (Mar 9, 2009)

i have to say i like the show... these guys put in some horrific hours!!! it has made me want to get up that way someday.looks like awsome country .and the way they talk reminds me of my grandma from northern mi.the trucks remind me of how those trucks in the outback of australia run (land trains)i like the show seems more infomitive than ax men.


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## thejdman04 (Mar 10, 2009)

Its kind of boring, but better then most shows on tv. Some of those loads on those bridges would make me pucker a bit (190,000 on one trailer).


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## sloth9669 (Mar 14, 2009)

*closed mills*

ok i dont get how a mill shuts down and you still make money sending it to Canada. would it not at least pay for its self and get more American jobs to open up a mill in Maine and drop the trucking hours and cost ? just dont get how they system how it is now is worth it ? GET THE MILLS BACK IN AMERICA


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## nilzlofgren (Mar 14, 2009)

I wonder why they don't preload their trucks at night. Maybe if they did that, they wouldn't have to get up at the crack of A:censored:s.


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## AKDoug (Mar 14, 2009)

They probably don't pre-load the trucks because they'd have to haul a full load back down to their base, then turn around the next morning and haul the whole dang thing back the other direction then on to Canada. Wastes fuel and more wear and tear on trucks. Plus, they are most likely doing maintenance on the trucks at night and that's hard to do with a full load of logs.

The History Channel is reaching to fill the show with action. How many times are they going to burn, crash and roll that same truck they use in the re-creations? I enjoy the show as-is without the stupid re-creations. I am probably a minority, though. I drive heavy trucks and am impressed with the loads these guys haul on very marginal roads.


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## gunnarfan (Mar 14, 2009)

just got off their site http://americanloggers.com

i was glad they had some more info on that rottine forwarder i'll have to see about getting some summer work!! like they'd trust me with it.


the site has a bit more detail of the history and the various parts of the company.

i wonder how much more business the blue ox saloon is getting this week?

they may still have my folks old store sign on their wall.. paul bunyans market & deli... anyone notice a theme here?


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## AOD (Mar 14, 2009)

I'd like to see a little more logging and a little less trucking. It was cool watching the fancy new forwarder at the end of this week's episode. That is one area where I like Ax Men better, there's guys on the ground with saws and in the rigging instead of just watching machines.


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## sawyerloggingon (Mar 15, 2009)

Really does look like beautiful country, alot like where I live in North Idaho.They should call it American log truck driver though not American logger. I find it kinda boring. I drove log truck one winter thinking it would be an easier life than cutting. I was wrong, long hours, chain up 3 times a day, wait in line to get unloaded at the mill, fight traffic through town and a runaway down an icy logging road that I'm only alive to tell about through luck of the stupid.I'll stick to the logging end of things myself.


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## Jkebxjunke (Mar 15, 2009)

now there are some insane loads ... 270,000LBS!! and didnt that bridge say only 175,000?


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## Gologit (Mar 15, 2009)

Jkebxjunke said:


> now there are some insane loads ... 270,000LBS!! and didnt that bridge say only 175,000?



Maybe...but if you're going to town you might as well take some wood with you.


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## Greg373 (Mar 16, 2009)

Those are some crazy loads there hauling. Especially when on the interstate you are limited to 80,000lbs.


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## Rftreeman (Mar 17, 2009)

tomtrees58 said:


> yea i was telling my son that today tom treesopcorn:


And I'm nuts  that show is boring........


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## naftel (Mar 17, 2009)

Ok what about the show "Extreme Loggers" then? they seem to actually cut wood in all sorts of scenarios.


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## rmihalek (Mar 17, 2009)

What channel is Extreme Loggers on?


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## naftel (Mar 18, 2009)

its on discovery channel (at least here in ontario - can't speak for american version of discovery channel)


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## Marc (Mar 20, 2009)

As far as the "Ax Men Alternatives" go, I'm getting the biggest kick out of "Heli-Loggers" on the Learning Channel. Still just a shade more drama than I'd prefer, but I don't get the feeling that any of it is faked, at least.


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## naftel (Mar 20, 2009)

yeah heli loggers is good show too. it almost makes the other forms of logging on ax men etc almost seem safe!


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## AOD (Mar 21, 2009)

Last night's show actually showed some logging, although mostly skidding, delimbing and truck loading. I liked the part at the end with the grapple crane putting logs on the bonfire. 

+1 for Heli Loggers, they really show a lot of detail of climbing and falling. I think that Gord guy is an anal-retentive perfectionist prick but he is a welcome change from the tomfoolery of Ax Men.


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## Rookie1 (Mar 21, 2009)

Rftreeman said:


> And I'm nuts  that show is boring........



I like the way the show is layed out. Axmen has too much Hollywood in it. Greenhorn and such. This seems to have more realworld stuff and not so much drama. I know the westcoasters laugh at the logs but its interesting to see a different region being logged.


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## Dalmatian90 (Mar 22, 2009)

Watching episode 1 of American Logger right now...enjoying it far more then Axe Men. Seems to have a bit more details / information (and I'm nerdy enough to like that), and a bit less melodrama then Axe Men. 

Obviously they're doing some hamming for the camera, but it's not over the top like Axe Men. That and the slowest Pelletier employee has more common sense in his pinky then that Aquaman dude.


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## AOD (Mar 27, 2009)

There was a pretty good episode tonight. They had a new guy who earned his stripes, Bonecrusher showed off his old skool Chevy plow truck and his sweet tats and we got to see some OWB action!


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## gunnarfan (Mar 27, 2009)

also explains why we haven't seen any chainsaws.. so that will clear things up for the concerned members.

i guess you can make those choices when the area you cut is the size of rhode island... that and you value your staff like family.


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## AKDoug (Mar 28, 2009)

I enjoyed the show last night...sitting in my living room and watching other guys do the same work I do all winter..LOL.. Up at 4:00am to plow snow so that my business can work that day. Of course I don't have to plow 125 miles of road..that has to suck. 

They really overdramatized the whole plow truck in the ditch thing. I did that last month with my Kenworth and equipment trailer. Nothing a D-6 and a big chain can't fix ...back to work..no drama.

I'm still on the fence at whether I enjoy the show. I couldn't stand Ice Road Truckers and this isn't much better. The next show will be Dalton Highway truckers... 12% grade on Atigun Pass..avalanches, 60mph winds and 8 months of snow... There is always a tough trucking job somewhere..



> I liked the part at the end with the grapple crane putting logs on the bonfire.


 We do the same thing with an excavator on New Years eve... boys will be boys and big fires are cool.


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## green leaf (Mar 28, 2009)

I enjoy any show about logging/tree work but I have to admit that this is more about trucking than it is about logging, but it is a lot better than 1/2 the crap on T.V. these days.


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## turnkey4099 (Mar 29, 2009)

I doubt if I will watch any more of it. Unfortunately, it is a good example of how boring 'real' reality TV can be. When people know what they are doing and don't ham it up there is very little excitement for the viewer. 

Axmen = shows how stupid faked up 'reality' can get. I thought last season was bad, this season took 'bad' to a whole lower level.

American logger = Real work by peoplewho know what they are doing = boring for the viewer.

Heli Logger = Interesting, some fakery but not much, clips are too short for my taste but at least they reflect reality.

Harry K


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## spencerhenry (Mar 29, 2009)

i think the show should be called "maine log truck"


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## gunnarfan (Mar 29, 2009)

well.. guess some folks missed why they don't use saws.

and seeing as how these guys (the pelletier brothers) aren't getting paid to do the show the least we can do is feature the jobs they do for the trial season. 

good to see how much hands on involvement is done by the owners.

glad to see anybody with a job out of millinocket for that matter.

i'd say the trucking focus is to honor gerald who passed away a few years ago and started the whole thing. he was a farmer from fort kent that got a truck and got it all going. the business was expanded on when they took over that area/ the golden road etc. its really the original trucking business meets the other end of it.


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## ManiacPD (Mar 31, 2009)

sloth9669 said:


> ok i dont get how a mill shuts down and you still make money sending it to Canada. would it not at least pay for its self and get more American jobs to open up a mill in Maine and drop the trucking hours and cost ? just dont get how they system how it is now is worth it ? GET THE MILLS BACK IN AMERICA



The Canadian sawmills get large government subsidies and our mills do not, and there are no tariffs on lumber coming back into Maine or the rest of the US. It's as simple as that. If you ever drive into Quebec province from any point in Maine you'll hit a half dozen saw mills in the first 5 miles once crossing the border. Armstrong, Daquaam, St. Zach, they are all like that. Our guys cut the wood and haul it in, they saw it out, then ship the lumber back into Maine and transport it south of here.

All together now..."Thank you NAFTA..."


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## mercer_me (Apr 13, 2009)

I think it's alot better than Ax Men.


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## Kunes (Apr 13, 2009)

They don't use Chainsaws cause of a death or close to it i believe.

Did anyone notice it wasn't on last Friday?


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## mercer_me (Apr 13, 2009)

Kunes said:


> They don't use Chainsaws cause of a death or close to it i believe.
> 
> Did anyone notice it wasn't on last Friday?



They don't use saws becouse one guy almoste got killed and buchers and harvesters are mcuh faster. And I hope the didn't cancal the show it's the best show I ever wached.


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## Kunes (Apr 13, 2009)

it is the best show ever and thats what i thought.

it wasn't on on friday. i have it DVR'd :greenchainsaw:


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## gunnarfan (May 1, 2009)

one of the pelletier's drivers came through to my yard sale last weekend and said he believed there were some more new episodes coming up soon. he said in may.. my dad heard july from another relative. the pelletier brothers are my 3rd cousins. turns out there were 16 kids in my grandfather's generation. he was born in 1895 and is gerald's uncle. when i grew up in millinocket they were all off at school, military or up in the woods already so its been fun "catching up" with them through the show.


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## mercer_me (May 2, 2009)

gunnarfan said:


> one of the pelletier's drivers came through to my yard sale last weekend and said he believed there were some more new episodes coming up soon. he said in may.. my dad heard july from another relative.



A guy from the Bangor Daily News Paper toled me they are curently filming more episodes, and the new episodes should be comming out soon.


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## TimberFaller660 (May 3, 2009)

its way better than axe-men thats for sure. but i get kinda bored watchin it sometimes. im more partial to heli-loggers


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