Idaho's logging industry struggles to fill jobs as demand for lumber continues to grow

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Күн бұрын

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@noahgolden-cv1pc Жыл бұрын

They seem to be under the misconception that nobody want to be a logger because they think it’s just “physical labor” when its probably the pay rate lmfao

@toucanvanbeak 7 ай бұрын

Your dumb

@booboolapua6482 Жыл бұрын

I logged full time in Florida for 8 years and learned all the pieces of equipment. Was crew foreman for 5 years over 12 men. Loved it. Grew up around it all my life. I went from full time to part time in 2020 to go to nursing school and become a registered nurse. I graduated in 2022. Logging pay is so low, people make twice as much money flipping burgers at McDonald’s. Despite it being fun and fulfilling, it doesn’t support a family financially unless you like driving a wore out pickup truck and living in a double wide trailer. If the industry paid more, it’d be a worthwhile career. But it don’t.

@oldtimerf7602 Жыл бұрын

Exactly.

@upstatehauling6996 Жыл бұрын

It comes down to the sawmills paying the same rate for wood now as it was in the early 80's. When you get the same amount of money per board feet of timber that they did 30 to 40 years ago, and then have the sawmill that your taking it to tell you what they will give you, and to top it off, deduct a third of your load for defect, which it doesn't have. I can make more selling logs as firewood as selling to the mills.

@toucanvanbeak 7 ай бұрын

Lol logging cost is way up

@ervinbratlien8741 Жыл бұрын

Nice to see a news piece where they aren"t just bashing on logging.

@squidreuel 10 ай бұрын

People dont like getting up at 3am and getting home at 6 or 7pm , a 4hr unpaid round trip in the crummy sucks

@Dunk1It1Hard 3 ай бұрын

Yepp working for free is for suckers. How’s a man supposed to provide for a family on them wages?

@dev4statingx90 Жыл бұрын

Have they tried paying more?

@Drivapete 11 ай бұрын

Have you ever seen the price of Logging equipment? My kid makes 4 to 500.00 a day running a yarder for 8 hrs a day in N. Idaho!

@dev4statingx90 11 ай бұрын

@@Drivapete a day? There is not a chance in hell, a week maybe

@Drivapete 11 ай бұрын

@@dev4statingx90 God is my witness! They HAVE to pay good if you want quality help. My employer is getting high school graduates their CDL's and into driving, we are seriously under staffed on the log truck side. The log trucking is paying very well too! McCall is going through the same transition we in St Marie's are. There are lots of retirees or transplants moving in, driving the real estate prices through the ceiling, young people have no chance of buying a home and many are leaving! We keep hoping for a "nuclear winter" in hopes it runs some off. In the mean time, the mills are starting high school kids ( Jr - Sr ) in a trainee / mentor program at 25.00 an hr! Hell, I'm making almost 300 a day in a chip truck! My job, and the mills are also offering insurance and retirement. Employers are starting to realize they have to make it a little more worth it to live here than before. I think the whole state is starting to wake up!

@hunteryt2462 10 ай бұрын

@@dev4statingx90 one company near me was offering 30$ a hour for a green choker setter in north idaho

@Drivapete 10 ай бұрын

@@dev4statingx90 if I'm lying I'm dying!!!

@funkysawmanwright5077 Жыл бұрын

I refuse to sit in a cab all day, as a 25 year veteran timber feller in north idaho, i live and die with a power saw in my hands. No wonder the cant find workers, i know many others just like me.

@hunteryt2462 Жыл бұрын

Timber fallers are the way to go not bunchers

@funkysawmanwright5077 Жыл бұрын

@@hunteryt2462 I lost a ton of work due to bunchers and processors

@hunteryt2462 8 ай бұрын

@@funkysawmanwright5077 ya my dream job is cutting timber but its a dying job sadly

@Drivapete 11 ай бұрын

Gerry cut down a tree back in 03 that we hauled to Washington DC. It was the Capitol Holiday Tree! I drove the truck.

@peppitachips1764 Жыл бұрын

I’m interested in this type of job but I have no idea how to start

@oldtimerf7602 Жыл бұрын

The problem isn't that no younger person wants to be a logger. The problem is that no younger person wants to work blue collar at all. They all think they should make $250k a year to drink energy drinks and play on tik tok all day.

@censoredeveryday3320 9 ай бұрын

I would take a logging job, but I'm probably too old at 43.

@zachis4wheeling 12 күн бұрын

So what do you feel nowadays, is a fair average wage for this line of work? Should those folks receive a pension? Or any type of retirement compensation? How about health insurance? Do you feel they should receive vacation, holiday, personal or sick leave…all of which should be paid time off? I can tell you, the vast majority of employers don’t want to offer much of these things, especially in the logging industry. These are very basic level job benefits and not outlandish requests at All. The cold hard truth, is that 4Until employers in all industries that are struggling…….decide to “step up” on the benefits and pay side, they’re gonna always struggle to have an actual long term sustainable workforce

@chrisfarris2594 2 жыл бұрын

Do some companies offer a relocation fee if someone really wants to go logging?

@oldtimerf7602 Жыл бұрын

That will depend on what you bring to the table. The more you are worth, the more they will do. Call the Idaho loggers council. They will know who you should call.

@Drivapete 11 ай бұрын

Only problem is finding housing, at least in St. Maries. A starter home here is 200 to 300k around here!

@censoredeveryday3320 9 ай бұрын

@@oldtimerf7602 Do they hire anyone who is 43?

@deadfrequency1259 9 ай бұрын

"they think its just physical work thats not the case anymore" yeah i almost guarantee the majority of young workers who will get hired will be thrown to the grumpiest crew and straight into the ditch sure the old timers are still in the machine but if you never let the young bucks have a try you'll be out an operator and the young buck despite trying to prevent it....then we cheech

@scottkelley883 10 ай бұрын

It sounds like a pay issues. Those jobs dont pay the bills. Soon those piece of equipment will be autonomous anyways.

@karenkrejci1187 2 жыл бұрын

I sent this to my grandson, because he loves logging and wants to do it!

@booboolapua6482 Жыл бұрын

Tell him to do something else unless he doesn’t care about having money

@hunteryt2462 8 ай бұрын

Thats awesome if he knows how to budget his money he will be fine

@lukelanphear988 2 жыл бұрын

I'm still willing able, I should get back n the woods and go logging. Building houses is not as fun as logging.

@HabeasJ 2 жыл бұрын

Can confirm that logging is fun (most of the time)

@cumminsnchevy Жыл бұрын

Logging is fun, I loved working in the woods till you don’t have enough money to make ends meet then it really sucks

@censoredeveryday3320 9 ай бұрын

@@cumminsnchevy What if I had enough money to buy house and just need $$ for food? Would logging be enough to pay the bills if my house was paid off?

@cumminsnchevy 9 ай бұрын

⁠@@censoredeveryday3320 I suppose that would help a lot, but it’s still hard to raise a family on it, I know because I was raised as a timber fallers son, I could do it now with my wife getting the heath care from her job if I fell timber, I do realize that I live in one of the most expensive states there is CA. I became a heavy equipment mechanic because my dad did not want me to be a timber faller🤷🏼‍♂️

@carlcarlamos9055 9 ай бұрын

A quick news article cannot do justice to this problem. A two year college coarse is definitely not a cure. The owner complaining that his crew is aging out looks like he is about to age out as well. Decades ago, an absentee timber owner upset the whole economy of mid-Pacific coast logging because he overextended himself. The economics of logging are not simple. The weather in Idaho is a big factor, I imagine. The complaints that the money is not right are probably spot on. If the money was right, the Spanish folks would be lined up. There is a great deal of bull-headedness all around, and if things do not change, the business will collapse, or maybe just fade away. Take care. And if everything goes to hell in a hand basket, I’m looking for a Silvey square chain grinder. Thanks.

@jamesbohlman4297 2 жыл бұрын

It's a little to late to do the right thing now.

@garysublett3493 7 ай бұрын

Inflation has brung market down..

@triple6758 2 жыл бұрын

What y'all paying?

@bryanrizo7142 4 ай бұрын

im 20 years old and ive been underground coal mining for 2 years since the day i turned 18. id love to be a logger. id give my left nut to be in the sun and in the forrest. nothing is better than the smell of sawdust pine trees and two stroke. im a dying breed especially in my generation. its a shame no one my age is willing to be the backbone of this country.