So you want to be a logger?

[Cowboy Billy]

Lets see 3 weeks vacation VS my 3 to 4 months vacation + a rain day here and there.

Looking back being able to physically see the work I did. Being proud of the work I got done. VS worrying about the guy in the next cubical knifing me in the back and taking my job.


Hmm I must be crazy

All I can say life is good here

Billy

 

[nrguenth]

So let me get this straight. A mathamatician has calculated, using many complex calculations, that the best job in the WHOLE world is.... mathamatician! :monkey:

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

 

[KD57]

So I'm a real loser, all 4 of the jobs I have ever had in my life made the top 10

 

[Metals406]

So I'm a real loser, all 4 of the jobs I have ever had in my life made the top 10

Yup... Same here. All the jobs I have done, or do, were rated as the worst.

Guess I'm in good company!

 

[GASoline71]

I worked the flight deck of a US Navy aircraft carrier for years... We made crab fishermen look like pu$$ies...

Most of the drips that compile those "lists" couldn't pack my lunch for a day...

Gary

 

[Metals406]

Leave it to Gary to beat around the bush on the subject. :greenchainsaw:

Hey Gary!! What do you think those nerds use for a coffee to creamer ratio!? LOL

 

[windthrown]

I worked the flight deck of a US Navy aircraft carrier for years... We made crab fishermen look like pu$$ies...

Most of the drips that compile those "lists" couldn't pack my lunch for a day...

Gary

Flight Deck, OPS...

Carrier flight deck duty is crazy stuff. I never was in the service, but I worked on a lot of fighter jets in my engineering days.

I do not get these best job lists at all. A mathmatician is the best job? While a timber faller is the worst. By who's standards? Pure crap. When I was an engineer stuck in endless meetings and in front of a computer for hours on end, it sucked. The pay and benes were good. But the commute? Stress? Repetitive strain injuries? Boring meetings? Putting up with office politics? Cubicles? Dressing up in a suit and tie? No thanks. I do not miss that at all. When I am out in the woods falling trees, or using the chipper, I can only think about the task at hand. Otherwise I would be toast. Also I feel tired in a good way at the end of a day, instead of having to go to the gym and vent on the weight machines. Which over time just leads to more repetative strain. Yes, there are the rain-soaked days that I would rather be in a nice warm toasty office someplace. But far fewer of those than being stuck behind a desk, bored to tears thinking about being outside. Or listening to some manager drone on about putting in a lot of 'free' overtime to get some project done on time.

I suppose Ski Patrl really sucks too. I did not see it on the list. Terrible working conditions, always in the snow, cold, outdoors, gawd awful conditions! Who would want to do that kind of crazy and insane work???

 

[Jacob J.]

Eye of the beholder....I think cutting timber is the best job in America, seriously. Aside from job stability and seasonal layoffs that can be longer than expected (or not) it's great!

I agree, but I sure wouldn't try to support a family on modern cutter's wages.

I worked the flight deck of a US Navy aircraft carrier for years... We made crab fishermen look like pu$$ies...

Most of the drips that compile those "lists" couldn't pack my lunch for a day...

Gary

Gary, that just flat out rocks, man. :rockn:

 

[HolmenTree]

I agree, but I sure wouldn't try to support a family on modern cutter's wages.




Yes pretty well all over the country the honest scale is gone. At the time before 24 hr mechanical harvesting if we got robbed on our scale or even just a tight one we would b!tch and ask for the government check scale and they weren't much better.The company still paid for it even if we didn't gain, but that sure helped loosen up the company scalers though. Mind you we had a union behind us.

Around here there are still a few hand fallers and line skidders left but they are getting pretty rare. Most of them spent the big bucks years ago on processors etc. and seem to now just keep the guys working when they can. But the word in the grapevine is talk of big paper orders coming around again, it will be a cycle that I will miss.

 

[windthrown]

I agree, but I sure wouldn't try to support a family on modern cutter's wages.

That can be said for a lot of jobs out there though. From burger flipping to oil changing... (oops, I made the oil thread mistake again).

 

[Jacob J.]

Yes pretty well all over the country the honest scale is gone. At the time before 24 hr mechanical harvesting if we got robbed on our scale or even just a tight one we would b!tch and ask for the government check scale and they weren't much better.The company still paid for it even if we didn't gain, but that sure helped loosen up the company scalers though. Mind you we had a union behind us.

Around here there are still a few hand fallers and line skidders left but they are getting pretty rare. Most of them spent the big bucks years ago on processors etc. and seem to now just keep the guys working when they can. But the word in the grapevine is talk of big paper orders coming around again, it will be a cycle that I will miss.

Scaling down here is pretty much a thing of the past. I'd look for busheling jobs if they were available here simply because a guy can highball and make a lot more coin in a short time. Most of the buddies I have working for themselves are getting a day rate right now of $300/day just to keep working. A few are making a bit less and a couple are making a bit more.

Down here the real money in falling is either on the big fires or cutting for the helicopters.

That can be said for a lot of jobs out there though. From burger flipping to oil changing... (oops, I made the oil thread mistake again).

I agree, I guess the point I was making was that there's a lot of people who pick up a saw thinking they're gonna be well off. Cold, brutal reality sets in quick though. My first year of contracting I grossed about $34k from cutting full time, had around $5k in equipment expenses (had to buy a new "Hi-Jacker" that year), just over $8k in payroll taxes ($1200 just for the broadform), and about $3200 in fuel and oil. So I didn't walk away with much. But I had a great time, and learned a lot.

 

[windthrown]

I agree, I guess the point I was making was that there's a lot of people who pick up a saw thinking they're gonna be well off. Cold, brutal reality sets in quick though. My first year of contracting I grossed about $34k from cutting full time, had around $5k in equipment expenses (had to buy a new "Hi-Jacker" that year), just over $8k in payroll taxes ($1200 just for the broadform), and about $3200 in fuel and oil. So I didn't walk away with much. But I had a great time, and learned a lot.

We all pay taxes, and every job has expenses. My first engineering job paid $30k a year. For about a 55 hour week. Oh, and all the travel time sitting in airports and stuff, not getting paid. Nor getting paid for clothes, or education expenses. It cost me a fortune to get my university degrees. And 5 years of my time and energy in college (making zero) to get them. Then after 15 years, my job was off-shored to some goons in China and India. Sold down the river by the multinational corporations.

I tell kids now to forget college, and just get a job that cannot be off-shored. Like my nephew, who makes custom cabinets and installs them. Also my niece; she manages a pizza place. They cannot off-shore those jobs.

I mean, this best job review thing, in this kind of a recession, just how much demand is there for a mathmatician, anyway? And I bet that they can do that kind of work in Chindia for cheaper too.

 

[slowp]

I worked the flight deck of a US Navy aircraft carrier for years... We made crab fishermen look like pu$$ies...

Most of the drips that compile those "lists" couldn't pack my lunch for a day...

Gary

Did you sunburn your lips? I did while working on the parking strip at the air tanker base. Really. It was in Winslow, AZ and my lip goo did not have sunscreen in it. Scary. My lips puffed up which wasn't the style then. And air tanker pilots ignored us anyway. But we got to stay in motels at night and not in fire camp.

I often have to help the lost nerdy tourists. Their GPS systems tell them to go on roads that are still snowed in, or they get fearful that the road might not really go back towards Portland, because it seems so far and isolated.

But, look on the bright side. The more people who think working in the woods is a bad thing means less competition for work in the woods.

 

[forestryworks]

I tell kids now to forget college, and just get a job that cannot be off-shored.

or get a degree that gives you a job that cannot be off-shored

 

[windthrown]

or get a degree that gives you a job that cannot be off-shored

Most of those do not pay well enough to justify the expenses for college.

 

[windthrown]

I often have to help the lost nerdy tourists. Their GPS systems tell them to go on roads that are still snowed in, or they get fearful that the road might not really go back towards Portland, because it seems so far and isolated.

No no no! Tell them that the roads are fine, and they should trust their GPS systems, and to keep on going as deep into the snow as possible. That way the woods will eat them all, and they will not return to Portland. This place is full enough as it is.

All roads lead to Portland anyway. Damn old wagon train day roads here are all going to and from Portland. No lateral roads, or roads that go around and avoid Portland. Also the Green-line here keeps them all cooped up in high-denisty apartments and monster homes inside, and zero development outside. I would say that the development plan in Oregon is failing, and miserably at that.

 

[slowp]

No no no! Tell them that the roads are fine, and they should trust their GPS systems, and to keep on going as deep into the snow as possible. That way the woods will eat them all, and they will not return to Portland. This place is full enough as it is.

All roads lead to Portland anyway. Damn old wagon train day roads here are all going to and from Portland. No lateral roads, or roads that go around and avoid Portland. Also the Green-line here keeps them all cooped up in high-denisty apartments and monster homes inside, and zero development outside. I would say that the development plan in Oregon is failing, and miserably at that.

A friend of my dad's showed us a picture of my grandpa all dressed up in a bowler hat and spats at Jantzen Beach? celebrating Portland's 50th anniversary I think. So I can't bash Portlanders too much.

The train they built is good when you are a tourist though. And Portlanders helped our group of visiting outlanders when we got a bit too likkered up and got on the wrong train and were heading to the airport instead of to the Rose Quarter. One guy even walked us to our destination. He didn't rob us or anything either.

So, I guess I'm just paying back. I'm not robbing them or anything either.

 

[forestryworks]

Most of those do not pay well enough to justify the expenses for college.

there's all kinds of grant money and scholarships... i've had half my school paid for by grants, a few loans, and lots of scholarships. sure it's alot of paperwork - but it's worth the shot.

plus if you pay back your loans on time it makes your credit look good

 

[Jacob J.]

Most of those do not pay well enough to justify the expenses for college.

I don't know about that, I have a number of friends who I went to high school with who went on to complete degrees and are doing very well. My brother got his civil engineering degree after being catastrophically injured while logging, and is now making more than double than his best year as a hook tender.

 

[HolmenTree]

Education is the key!

I took a summer job when I was 16 and never went back to school in 1974.
A 16 yr old just can't do that today. When most half decent paying jobs at large companies won't take you if you don't have grade 12.