So you want to be a logger?

[Burvol]

I laughed when my job made the list for the worst occupation in the country this year...."Lumberjacks"...OK. Firefighters, EMT's, Welders and Construciton workers were all in the top 20 of worst jobs. That about covers my family, friends, and aquaintances. Even a nuclear decontamination technician was higher than us!

I wonder when these people will realize that we all can't stare at a montior all day, sell ####, do customer service, and write software. People seem to think that breaking a sweat for your daily bread is bad...And we wonder why we are a nation of fat asses.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123119236117055127.html?mod=yhoofront

 

[xcr440]

I also laughed as I am a welder/construction worker in the summer and I cut firewood cutter in the winter.

 

[Nailsbeats]

That's Ok, at least I still have my looks.:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Burvol]

You should feel like crap. People on Wallstreet think we are low.

 

[xcr440]

oh I feel so worthless. What shall I ever do:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[hutch3912]

Yea

Not having to shave, shower, or wear a tie before I go to work is a real drag I see what they mean. I can wear what I want, look how I want, as long as the trucks are rolling nobody cares.

 

[hutch3912]

huh

They put philosopher in the top twenty. Must take allot of stomach to sleep knowing you get paid to sit around and think.

 

[Tree Sling'r]

Nerds vs. Blue Collar.

 

[PA Plumber]

Thanks a lot Burvol!

Plumber who fells/sells logs, cuts firewood, and does a little welding on the side.

Never realized things were going so badly.

 

[forestryworks]

i saw that today also... the things that make the news these days :monkey:

it all boils down to doing what you love... not what other people expect of you or how they see where an occupation "ranks" among others

 

[hutch3912]

treeslinger

nice signature tree slinger

 

[goatchin]

well holy crap us dairy farmers aint doin to bad after all LOL

yea i sorta notice that there Tree Sling'r-desk job ranking high and dawn to dusk job ranking in the tanker haha.

Let them roll in the dough all they want, i'll just keep on rollin' in to bed tired every night knowing that I worked my ass off for the bed im sleeping in and being able to live a happy life away from the concrete jungle.

 

[Jacob J.]

it all boils down to doing what you love... not what other people expect of you or how they see where an occupation "ranks" among others

That's basically it. There's no point to doing a job just for the money unless you're in survival mode. I have friends who've taken white collar jobs for big bucks, but they're miserable- living in the middle of the city, tiny apartment, constant noise and people- they hate it.

However- you can do what you love and be highly successful. A good friend of mine started his own septic pumping business, and does those porta-toilets on the side. After expenses, payroll taxes, equipment- He netted just over double what I made in 2008, and I had a damn good fire season. This season isn't shaping up to be as good, so I'm exploring alternatives.

I've also posted before about the timber cutter who started his own janitorial/custodial business. That old boy is making great money and loves it.

 

[Wood Scrounge]

I work with 3 or 4 of the groups on the left, and I GURANTEE you that MOST would give up their desk job to cut down trees or milk cows. They are miserable sitting at a desk under fluorescent lights from 9-5 going home to their condo or townhouse. The list was generated by elitist over educated no nothing know it alls. I should know I have been in both columns.

 

[wilbilt]

I did 20 years as a brake/front end mechanic, wore out my back and knees.

Now I take care of 600 workstations and a bunch of servers for a school district. I also pull cable, bore through walls, dig ditches and whatever else it takes to get the network where it needs to be. I prefer these jobs to sitting behind a monitor.

The other techs think I'm strange because I wear work clothes and boots to work instead of Dockers and shiny shoes. So be it.

 

[deeker]

What about dangerous jobs,

like gobbbbblins. It is bad for him to care for his landlords chickens. And really dangerous too.

I have gone from the office to the forest, I won't be going back.

 

[forestryworks]

like gobbbbblins. It is bad for him to care for his landlords chickens. And really dangerous too.

yeah, that had nothing to do with this thread :monkey:

 

[deeker]

yeah, that had nothing to do with this thread :monkey:

True, but I plead guilty. And I am a logger, and own a small sawmill.

 

[Cedarkerf]

Why I didnt fallow the rest of the family into the logging buisiness for job security. Fortunately I have gotten to cut enough timber to almost keep me satisfied. But I do spend a lot of time wondering if I would of been happier in the woods. I have a glamour job fixing jets (knuckle draggin Mechanic). Probably some of the best years of my life I spent on a ranch runnin saws 15-20 hours a week plus fixen jets falling trees makin saw logs, skidden them out makin shingle and shake bolts fire wood. Loved the rewarding hard work. Read Owls,Burvols and Slingers posts and think thats what I always wanted to do just like my Grandad did.
Funny how people who spend their life in an office almost helpless doin any thing else lookin down on people that they would call if a 20 ft fir tree fell over in their yard.

 

[deeker]

Why I didnt fallow the rest of the family into the logging buisiness for job security. Fortunately I have gotten to cut enough timber to almost keep me satisfied. But I do spend a lot of time wondering if I would of been happier in the woods. I have a glamour job fixing jets (knuckle draggin Mechanic). Probably some of the best years of my life I spent on a ranch runnin saws 15-20 hours a week plus fixen jets falling trees makin saw logs, skidden them out makin shingle and shake bolts fire wood. Loved the rewarding hard work. Read Owls,Burvols and Slingers posts and think thats what I always wanted to do just like my Grandad did.
Funny how people who spend their life in an office almost helpless doin any thing else lookin down on people that they would call if a 20 ft fir tree fell over in their yard.

Good points. I spent a lot of the summer cutting dead spruce from camp sites. One of the camp hosts a hard core lib/greenie, watched me fell four or five 4'x 100'+ spruce. And asked, "why did you choose this line of work" , I replied it beats the hell out of working for a living.