Maine Logging Operations, Forestry Trucking Program Celebrates Graduation

Graduates of the Northeast region’s only college training program for operators of mechanized logging and forest trucking equipment were recognized November 5 at the site where they spent the summer and fall harvesting and hauling timber.

Family members, friends, and supporters of the 20-week Mechanized Logging Operations and Forest Trucking Program (MLOFT) attended the event at the Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) Alfond Campus in central Maine to celebrate the graduates and the tenth successful year of the program.

The graduates included: Emily Pierce, Nicholas Clewley, Hunter Newton, Josh Perry, Evan Ford, Isaac Jordan, Caleb Mckusick, Odin Tanguay, Hunter LaFoe, Chandler McMichael, Jackson Newton, Peyton Plourd, Lochlan Campbell, Bowen Leighton, and Samuel Armstrong.

Duane Jordan, President of the Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast (PLC), attended the event along with PLC members and thanked the many supporters and partners that have made the program possible, including Milton CAT, United Construction & Forestry, DAVCO, Skowhegan Savings Bank, United Insurance, LogAbility, Katahdin Fire Company, LifeFlight of Maine, Dysart’s, Wallingford’s Inc., HAIX, Acadia Insurance, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, American Forest Management, GCA Logging, and the Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine Workforce.

Jordan said when mechanized logging equipment first began being employed in the logging industry in the Northeast in the 1980s, loggers had to learn how to operate that equipment largely on their own and made many costly mistakes. A program like MLOFT provides a great opportunity for new operators to avoid those mistakes and learn directly from the instructors—all veteran operators.

“I’m just glad that you are willing to take the time to do this program and I know you hear a lot of bad things about the logging industry, but I can tell you the trees are still growing, and the wood fiber is still going to be used, and so you folks are going to be very important,” Jordan said to the group. “If you like the logging industry and that’s what you want to do, you’ve got a lot of opportunity in front of you.”

The MLOFT program was created in 2017 by three Maine community colleges, the PLC, and industry partners. Dozens of graduates of the program currently work in the industry, and demand for additional logging and forest trucking operators in Maine is high and projected to remain so for the foreseeable future. Since the program started 110 students have graduated from the program and 71% of them are working in a logging-related industry today.

“That tells you how important this program has been,” Doran says. “The future is bright, and there is opportunity. We have one of the best forest resources in the nation, if not the world, and you’re actually stepping in at a great time when our industry is changing and evolving and we’re going to use this wonderful resource in new and exciting ways.”

The students received hands-on experience operating commercial trucks, loading log trailers, and gaining knowledge critical to forest trucking. This year’s class is the fourth to have the opportunity to earn a CDL-A permit and receive preparation for the state driving exam.

The MLOFT program is administered by KVCC in partnership with the PLC. It includes a strong emphasis on safety as well as giving students an understanding of the variables of timber growth, tree species, and markets. Students pay no tuition or fees, and the program provides all personal protective equipment (PPE) and scholarships from Skowhegan Savings Bank are available to assist with living expenses. This year, as in past years, a majority of the students already have jobs waiting for them after graduation.