2024 Logger survey: working tough ground

Loggers across the U.S. responded to Timber Harvesting’s recent 2024 Logger Survey, which showed that contractors in all parts of the country are having a tough time grappling with rising costs and dropping demand in some areas. For example, for the first time ever across 20-plus years of logger surveys, the number of loggers who rate their company’s financial health “poor” (9%) to “very poor” (21%) outnumber those who say “good” (21%) to “very good” (7%)—30% to 28% overall in favor of the negatives.

Meanwhile, two-thirds (66%) of loggers who responded say they see a trend toward lower sawlog and plylog demand in their area, an overwhelming number of loggers (89%) say they see a trend toward lower pulp and fiber wood in their area. Of the almost 200 loggers who responded, the top four challenges cited are insurance (68%), limited markets (62%), load quotas (57%) and mill compensation (56%). There’s much more included, but here’s a quick look at other survey results:

• 45% of loggers have trucks parked for lack of qualified drivers.

• 61% buy at least some of their own timber.

• 69% have employees who regularly operate two or more different machines.

• 85% of loggers say they would seek other work rather than relocate to stay in logging.

Full survey results are covered in the July-August Timber Harvesting, both hard copy and digital versions.

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Beginnings

Feb 4, 2022 | My Take

Way back in the 1940s my father was a local kid with smarts. Born into a farming family in Butler County, Ala., he grew up loving his family, the land, animals and hunting and fishing. He was even working his way into the timber industry: The folks running W.T. Smith Lumber in Chapman gave him a summer job learning to cruise and mark timber, and he planned to attend Auburn University and go into forestry…