LAST month, the Forest Machine Operators Blog was aflutter with one of its favourite topics (and one that so often fills these very pages).
It was just a normal day in a normal week when one Scotland-based operator put his head above the parapet and shared what seemed (at least to FJ) a perfectly reasonable post.
“Looking for a forwarder driver for Dunoon area and all over Argyll. You need experience on steep and wet ground and turn up when you say you are.”
You could be forgiven for thinking that sounds like the ideal job; Argyll is one of the finest parts of the UK, and its plantations would probably keep an operator plenty busy. But you’d be wrong.
Instead, the post sparked plenty of thoughts on the possibility of finding a forwarder operator that would be willing to take on such a daunting task.
One example read: “F**k me. Give me the lottery numbers as well.
“You have got no chance. Forwarder drivers are not made like they used to be. The child-like words always comes out like ‘I can’t or I want’. They all talk the talk, but actually doing and planning what they do is non-existent.
“The job is now finally f****d if this is what is now in front of us. They just don’t have a clue, want big money whether they can actually do the job to the standard that is demanded or not.
“Oh, and I forgot they all want the big pat on the back. Sell the machines, old boy.”
Yikes.
But surely someone on the blog would stand up and defend the current crop of operators, and would-be operators? Well, not exactly.
Other comments included:
“There is a lack of young lads coming into the industry. And so many leaving it.
“Everyone blames the drivers and slagging them off but can you blame drivers jumping ship for more money when in line with other industries forestry is probably one of the lowest paid?
“Why don’t contractors stick together and do something about it? Seems to be the same contractors always looking for staff so either you’re paying s**t! Or just a s**t employer to work for!
“Why would someone drive hours to work every day or stay out in a caravan all week to be spoken to like s**t and underpaid!!
“I get not all drivers are underpaid but most drivers talk and it soon gets about who’s getting more for doing the same and same standard! Plenty would come to the industry if they were properly looked after.”
The picture doesn’t get any less bleak.
“Well all I can say is you reap what you sow,” added another experienced operator.
“It’s a bit 50/50 if you ask me. Contractor has to stump up a lot of wages plus money plus he has to claw it back somehow. As a whole I think most of the contractors out there are very fair with their wages, and price per tonne or metre.
“On the other hand, you got machine operators that do take the p**s, making hours up, turning up late or not at all. Then you got the operators that just get on with it, work for the hell of it because it’s all they know and are very good at their job.
“Sometimes it could be that the machine keeps breaking down through no fault of their own.
“Contractor going mad flips on operator, what’s he to do?
“There is a right way and a wrong way to talk to people.”
We can all certainly agree on that last point ... at least we hope we all can. Maybe you are reading this right now and looking forward to the next opportunity you will have to ruin someone’s day. All FJ will say is that the editor’s contact details can be found on page 6.
In any case, that level-headed operator had a little more to say.
“I can see it from both parties, but end of day you all must try and get on better. Everyone needs to earn but it doesn’t have to be massive wages every week, but a fair wage every week.
“People have got greedy; it’s ‘I want or I’m off’.
WANT MORE BITES?
- 'DO NOT open that can of worms!': Bites from the Blog (June 2024)
- 'Must be tough on that heater blowing warm': Bites from the Blog, March 2024
- 'People like us ... it's scary': Bites from the Blog, December 2023
“There’s an in-between for everyone. As long as I can pay my bills, keep my family happy and have a bit left for me, I’m happy.
“Yes, there’s the young inexperienced ones; we all started there, just have to teach them. Or in ten years from now there won’t be an industry. All going too big, too fast.”
While the irony of FJ being a place where big machinery is often championed (and you’ll notice some big machines next to these words), we struggle to disagree with much of that sentiment. Crikey, that’s a bit troubling.
Let’s get back to some bog-standard forestry chat, which is what the blog often thrives on.
Several members sought advice last month.
First up was an anonymous poster (the reasons why will become clear in a few lines), who asked: “When taking on a subcontractor, handcutter and/or forwarder driver, does their certification/ticket have to be in date for insurance purposes, or is it okay that they just have the certification?”
Sounds like a minefield, and not something that best pleases the UK’s operators.
Take this response.
“Paperwork exercise in my opinion. I’m not going to insult guys that have been doing this 20 plus years for expired tickets, if their insurance and first-aid is in date, that’s all I worry about.
“Renewing tickets is just for paper and cash cows. You don’t redo your driving licence, so why should you machinery?
“You can tell very quickly if someone’s experienced or not in the forestry game.” Quite.
As much as we’d like to focus on some very pertinent points made by this responder, here are a few snippets of genuine advice offered to the original poster.
“Chainsaw certificates for daily users are refresher at the highest unit every five years, or every three for occasional users.
“FMOC as yet are always in date and no refresher needed. But I’m sure there’s a plan for FMOC to be refreshed as a money-making exercise.”
“I’m fairly certain tickets don’t expire once qualified.”
“You’d have to ask your insurer as every policy would be different T&Cs.”
Another query raised in the blog last month concerned excessive pin, bearing/bushing wear on a harvester head.
Looking for help, one member asked: “Has anyone with a 1270G 425 head been experiencing excessive pin, bearing/bushing wear? Especially the ones where the rod end of the cylinder mounts to the knives or feed roller arms? We have about 2,000 hours on ours and it looks like it has 10,000. Greased everyday and JD Molly grease. Same thing we did with the 415 and that head was still solid at 6,000 hours. Thanks for any feedback.”
Looking at responses, this appeared to be a fairly common complaint.
One read: “Yes, 2,600 hours. Have replaced pins and bushes twice now. Greased every day.”
Another added: “Yes, 2,800 hours on mine greased every day. Quite a bit of wear in the roller arm bearings.”
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