Will “Grapple Skidder Operator” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

Job Description

Drive logging tractor or wheeled vehicle equipped with one or more accessories such as bulldozer blade, frontal shear, grapple, logging arch, cable winches, hoisting rack, or crane boom, to fell tree; to skid, load, unload, or stack logs; or to pull stumps or clear brush.

Job Details

• The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 45-4022.00
• The Mean Annual Wage in the U.S. is $ 38,880.00
• The Mean Hourly Wage is $ 18.00
• Currently, there are 27,250 people on this job

☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Logging Equipment Operators”.

Also Known As…

• Logging Equipment Operators
• Skidder Operator
• Skidder Driver
• Logging Shovel Operator
• Logging Equipment Operator
• Log Processor Operator
• Loader Operator
• Grapple Skidder Operator
• Feller Buncher Operator
• Delimber Operator
• Cutter Operator
• Yarder Operator
• Truck Driver
• Tree-Shear Operator
• Tree Shear Operator
• Tree Feller Operator
• Tree Cutter Loader Operator
• Tractor Driver
• Timber Harvester Operator
• Stroke Delimber Operator
• Slasher Operator
• Shovel Logger
• Shift Stacker
• Processor Operator
• Mobile Heavy Equipment Operator
• Machine Operator
• Lumber Stacker Operator
• Lumber Stacker Driver
• Lumber Carrier Operator
• Logging Tractor Operator
• Logging Crane Operator
• Logger
• Log Truck Driver
• Log Stacker Operator
• Log Loader
• Log Hauler
• Log Handling Equipment Operator
• Log Carrier Operator
• Hook Tender
• Harvester Operator
• Grapple Operator
• Forder Operator
• Feller Operator
• Chipper Operator
• Chain Saw Operator
• Chain Hooker
• Buncher Operator
• Boom Operator

Tasks for “Grapple Skidder Operator”

• Control hydraulic tractors equipped with tree clamps and booms to lift, swing, and bunch sheared trees.
• Inspect equipment for safety prior to use, and perform necessary basic maintenance tasks.
• Drive straight or articulated tractors equipped with accessories such as bulldozer blades, grapples, logging arches, cable winches, and crane booms, to skid, load, unload, or stack logs, pull stumps, or clear brush.
• Drive crawler or wheeled tractors to drag or transport logs from felling sites to log landing areas for processing and loading.
• Calculate total board feet, cordage, or other wood measurement units, using conversion tables.
• Grade logs according to characteristics such as knot size and straightness, and according to established industry or company standards.
• Drive and maneuver tractors and tree harvesters to shear the tops off of trees, cut and limb the trees, and cut the logs into desired lengths.
• Fill out required job or shift report forms.
• Drive tractors for the purpose of building or repairing logging and skid roads.

Related Technology & Tools

• Drive-to-tree feller bunchers
• Truck mounted boom loaders
• Forestry crawler dozers
• Log trailers
• Scarifier attachments
• Cable skidders
• Mobile radios
• Digital tire pressure gauges
• Wheeled harvesters
• Yarding grapples
• Loading grapples
• Desktop computers
• Log winches
• Tractor cranes
• Heavy duty chainsaws
• Loggers' tapes
• Nailing hammers
• Forwarders
• Forestry hoes
• Tracked feller bunchers
• Log loaders
• Tracked harvesters
• Equipment trailers
• Log forks
• Grapple skidders
• Tree saws
• Pocket knives
• Tablet computers
• Protective safety glasses
• Felling heads
• Log stackers
• Processing heads
• Knuckleboom loaders
• Log transport trucks
• Forestry swing machines
• Delimbers
• Harvesting heads
• Grapple yarders

• TradeTec TallyWorks TimeTracker
• BCS Woodlands Systems The Logger Tracker
• TradeTec TallyWorks Logs