worst job

[247ktmmx]

I was watching fox news this morning they had a list of the worst jobs for 2014 and being a lumberjack was number 1 worst what does everone think after over 20 years I kinda agree what does everone think

[Ianab]

By whose measure?

Pay is average?
Work is hard?
It's a dangerous job?

To your average desk jockey reporter that's makes it the worst job ever.

But ask the guys out there doing it? You might get a different perspective.

BTW, I'm not a professional logger. I'm only silly enough to do it as a hobby.  :D

[David-L]

20 degrees, two inches off snow and will be cleaning off the skidder this a.m. to make the paycheck happen. Dangerous but definitely not the worst job. Quite rewarding to be a handchopper which will become a lost skill in most areas eventually.
Now cleaning out septic hold tanks in the naval yard on one of the ships i was on, that was no fun at all.

                        David l

[247ktmmx]

my point about it being one of the worst is the trying to make a living there is no money in it at least in NY where I work I worked construction operator pay is more than double per hour I must like something about working in the woods but it is time to make a desent wage again and it is NOT who I work for fault I know what the mills pay I owned my own skidder the mills just dont pay enough fuel parts equpitment all went way up in cost compaired to the price of wood

[jd540b]

Logging is the worst addiction I have ever had.  But worst job?  No....

[Ianab]

my point about it being one of the worst is the trying to make a living there is no money in it at least in NY where I work I worked construction operator pay is more than double per hour I must like something about working in the woods but it is time to make a desent wage again and it is NOT who I work for fault I know what the mills pay I owned my own skidder the mills just dont pay enough fuel parts equpitment all went way up in cost compaired to the price of wood

This might be true. That's more an issue with the US economy in general (which is a whole other subject for the restricted board)

Locally ( New Zealand) it's still a viable career. We had a member a while back who emigrated from Ireland (?) to NZ and got a job operating forestry machinery here.  Getting a work visa in NZ is difficult, but forestry machinery operator is one of the skills that get preference.

Put it this way, there are very few unemployed forestry workers locally.
It's still hard work etc. But the trees still need cutting.

Ian

[goose63]

Happy birthday David 8) 8)

[240b]

Every job but logging looks like the worst to me.
Going to some job where you know your going to only earn x amount of dollars no matter how hard you work each day? no thanks.. 

[Woodboogah]

I would say they asked the wrong people.  You wont get rich, work hard you could make a living. 

[snowstorm]

20 degrees, two inches off snow and will be cleaning off the skidder this a.m. to make the paycheck happen. Dangerous but definitely not the worst job. Quite rewarding to be a handchopper which will become a lost skill in most areas eventually.
Now cleaning out septic hold tanks in the naval yard on one of the ships i was on, that was no fun at all.

                        David l

i know a guy that has been pumping septic tanks many years. he was telling me about the time he looked down in the tank to see if it was empty and his glasses fell off. yup they fell into the tank. he says i had to get down the tank to get them i cant see with out them. couple others. a few yrs ago a car left the road in bangor and ended up in the sewage plant pool. he didnt make it. or the car that went over the guard rail in rockland and ended up in the old quarry. in 150ft of water. they say there are huge ells in there. the diver had a tough job

[BargeMonkey]

 Working in the woods is only as dangerous as you wanna make it. We still cut alot by hand, sometimes things dont work out as planned. As far as worst job, not even close. Im a uscg licensed marine engineer, cutting wood is an expensive hobby for me. Try going out in 20ft weather for 10 days getting your brains kicked in, sewage system running from the overhead onto your generators, and then catch fire @ 0200 off Puerto Rico. And thats when it just starts to get interesting. Cutting wood is relaxing. Somedays you win, im down this week doing repairs and clean up, thats the expensive part. 

[ehp]

I love my job as a logger , yep its hard work but I'm fine with that  , I make enough money to put food on the table and pay all the bills and in my area not much else to do other than work for a farmer and most donot pay much

[lynde37avery]

logging is not the worst job, being in a cubicle shuffling papers or in a sewer working is worse in my eyes. but they all have ups and downs. i keep safe i go slow and steady and somehow money generates from that. im pleased. defntly dangerous.

[sawguy21]

Logging is hard and dangerous work, doesn't pay all that well considering the risks, but for those in it there is no life like it. The sun on the back, fresh air, and sights and sounds of the bush can't be measured. After the heli logging company I worked for folded I went on to other things but I still miss it.

[Bert]

Driving a desk would be the worst job for me. Most loggers I know are self employed. That can make a world of difference. I enjoy working for myself. If I had to do it for someone else I might have different feelings.

[petefrom bearswamp]

I have never logged for a living, I just marked the trees.
I know many loggers that would do nothing else, some are very good and successful some not so much but seem to make a living.
It must be akin to the sawdust disease we full and part time sawyers have.
I am part time.

[NS logging]

I gave up a job in corporate America where I was very comfortable.  Now I struggle to get enough wood to market to take care of my family and put food on the table.  I wouldn't trade it for the world

[luvmexfood]

Worse job is when you have to deal daily with a government agency that regulates you. Some inspectors are great guys with some common sense and work with you to find a workable solution. Others compare themselves to God and have no common sense. Have even had their supervisors agree with me and chew their butt's off for a dumb interpatation of a regulation. Guess what. They are back the next week.

Course the guy who wrote the regulation has never worked in the industry or real world.