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
• 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 Skidder Operator
• Grapple Operator
• Forder Operator
• Feller Operator
• Chipper Operator
• Chain Saw Operator
• Chain Hooker
• Buncher Operator
• Boom Operator

Tasks for “Grapple Skidder Operator”

• Fill out required job or shift report forms.
• Control hydraulic tractors equipped with tree clamps and booms to lift, swing, and bunch sheared trees.
• Drive crawler or wheeled tractors to drag or transport logs from felling sites to log landing areas for processing and loading.
• 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.
• 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.
• Calculate total board feet, cordage, or other wood measurement units, using conversion tables.
• Drive tractors for the purpose of building or repairing logging and skid roads.
• Grade logs according to characteristics such as knot size and straightness, and according to established industry or company standards.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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