Had to quit first logging job after fitting in perfectly. How should I proceed?

[matthew sparks]

Yesterday afternoon they asked me to get a can of starting fluid out of the skidder and when I did about 10 beer cans were empty inside and I kind of just went on my way. I am new. I am good at knocking trees down but I don't know anything about logging. I haven't even bucked trees for this company.

The boss is a great guy, but I knew the skidder driver was an alcoholic. This morning when we were fueling up off road diesel into 5 gallon buckets for the skidder I could smell alcohol on his breathe. I just knew to stay away from him. I have stayed away from the skidder as much as possibly anyways because I have heard stories of skidders hitting people with tree tops because they simply couldn't see them, even a skilled and sober operator.

I had cut down and topped about 6 trees this morning and I pinched my saw. I knew the skidder would be by in a few minutes and planned to flag him down to release my saw. I heard the skidder coming and it stopped. After listening to it idle for about 10 minutes I assumed there was a problem with the skidder so I walked over there. He looked to be passed out cold with the skidder running. I yelled a few times and he didn't move. I had know idea it was alcohol related and I jumped up to check to see if he was alive. He jumped up and acted scared to death and revved up the skidder somehow.

The skidder didn't move but he could have ran me over. He is constantly moving logs and tops near me and there were several times he never sees me when he should. I went and borrowed the owners saw, cut my bar out, and loaded up my equipment.

They know he drinks all the time. I have four kids. I can't die over 5.00 a tree......

I had planned on starting my own operation. I don't know enough. I am addicted to the woods but I don't know how to proceed thanks to my lack of experience.....

This sucks.

 

[blades]

Maybe a letter to the owner stating why you left. Just about what you posted above would be a fair start, if you didn't tell him up front when you left.
As to the owner/employer well sooner or later it's going to bite him where it really hurts.

 

[matthew sparks]

He was on the same job site. He knows the guy is a drunk. He rides to work with them everyday.

 

[Gologit]

You found that job. Find another one.

 

[matthew sparks]

Trying to figure out if I cut a log a day myself and took it to the market if I would make more and not have to worry about someone else killing me or if I could do it without getting ripped off. I am at least a year away from knowing what to do as far as bucking, grading, dealing with sawmills, etc., but this scared the hell out of me. Makes me want to head to the woods and find five white oak trees and make money without anyone else endangering me.

Makes me want to head tot he credit union and buy equipment but I am afraid I just need to know more than all you very helpful people can teach me via the internet.

 

[madhatte]

You're doing well to walk away. You aren't walking away empty-handed, either -- you learned a valuable lesson.

 

[2dogs]

Resign the proper way. 2 weeks notice, ask for an exit interview, DO NOT burn any bridges. Say nothing afterward, no gossip. Ask for a reference.

Oh, go back to school, get an even better job. Cut wood for fun on the weekends.

 

[matthew sparks]

I won't give someone two weeks to kill me drunk on the skidder, which is acceptable by the owner because he is a family member. I am a student at the UK college of engineering right now. I have kids to feed in the meantime and timber is the highest paying job in this area.

I also like cutting timber.

 

[rwoods]

See post #4. Ron

 

[slowp]

opcorn:

 

[Red Elm]

Matthew, is this the first time you've experienced an alcoholic in the workplace? They're everywhere. Doesnt make it right, but they're there. You should have talked it over with the owner, family or not. You just pack out and quit everytime something going on you dont like, you'll get the reputation as a whiner. Believe me, contractors and owners talk to each other. Surprises me that someone smart enough to go to engineering school couldnt figure out something better than to pack out and quit. Fallers have many ways to get a skidder operators attention.

 

[matthew sparks]

I have been self employed my whole life and have had no tolerance for people drinking when working for me. The owner wasn't mad at me. He said he shows up for work and is family so we have to give him a drink from time to time and not much I can do about it. I asked if there was a way to handle this without me getting squashed by a skidder or move me to the other side of the powerline and he said that he might be able to on days that it is too wet for the skidder but not normally.

I then told him I have four children and my youngest child has down syndrome and my life is too valuable to my family. He said he understood and asked me if I wanted to work when it rains and I said to give me a call but I won't be around that guy. We shook hands and I headed home.

I am not a whiner. This guy was asleep. Passed out. It wasn't a voluntary nap. He was so drunk he went out. If he had been lifting a log to get a saw out for me then he could have ran me over. That doesn't make me a whiner in my opinion.

I guess I should have explained I didn't run off the jobsite. The owner understood why I was leaving. He is usually bore cutting more trees than anyone unless he is meeting with a amish buyer or something. He said he has had some close calls but that everyone is more cautious around him because he can fire them.

I like being in the woods. I really liked the guy I worked for but on a weekly basis I was cutting down 75% of the trees and that puts me in line with that particular skidder driver way too often. When I feel like working in the woods alone would be safer than being around other workers then I thought it was time for me to leave. I can see everyone thinks I am being a baby so I will take the advice given but I do not feel I made a mistake leaving. I just wondered what my next step should be. I will eventually do this on my own but I don't know enough at this point.

I also don't think I am better than anyone else. If your an alcoholic please don't take this to heart. I smoke 2 packs a day and have no room to talk about vices. I just don't trust this guy.

Ready for the next step.

 

[DanTheCanadian]

Next step is to find another guy to cut wood for. You say you don't know enough but obviously you have the capacity to learn so go to it. Good look

 

[Red Elm]

Nope, not an alcoholic, rarely drink, dont smoke, do drugs or chew, I do however cuss, much to the dissapointment of my saintly wife.

 

[treeslayer2003]

you did right........i wouldn't work with a drunk 5 minutes. well........most would get away from me.......they couldn't stand what i have to say about stupidity.

yes you will make money at one load a day but you will spend it fast to. remember, 1 guy one load, 2 guys two loads......see what im saying here. if you hire stuff out, they better hustle or they will make more than you do.

if your still afraid you won't make it on yer own, then yea, look for another falling gig. and i'll tell ya this, the falling is the most relaxing part of logging, the rest is aggravating.

 

[matthew sparks]

Thank you so much for such sound advice that I needed. The only thing that scares me is a grapevine or something stupid knocking me into the after life.....

 

[northmanlogging]

Go find another outfit to log for, better to work for a few anyway, more tricks...

As for doing it yourself, taint much to it, learn as you go.

Barring finding another crew to work for, scrape some cash together (I mortgaged the house...) go find an abused old skidder, and some friends with timber, cut a few loads hire a self loader, wait for the check...

Most of logging is basic physics, push here this happens, a guy really just has to have an eye for it, and remember not to push to hard...

The rest is spacial awareness... (which most folks lack) I.E. knowing where everything is and how everything is going to react before anything moves, and also seeing what is should look like when your done.

As for me, I don't work with drunks or addicts, I will walk when I come in the next day said person is sober or absent, or I'm absent, even in machining I've seen way to many people get hurt from substance abuse to deal with it anymore. Logging is dangerous enough adding drunk/high to the mix just makes it stupid to stick around.

(granted tipping a few back while cutting firewood is a different story, everything in moderation, including moderation)

 

[Locust Cutter]

I love beer, chainsaws, heavy-equipment, motorcycles, flying, boating, hunting and fishing. The only one that mixes well (to a point) with beer (or any other form of intoxication/incapacitation) is fishing. Beyond that all bets are off, as I long ago realized that I'm neither invincible nor replaceable (to my family anyway). Find another gig somewhere else or try it on your own. Otherwise, do like I do and enjoy your time cutting firewood while dreaming of the big ones.

 

[bitzer]

Five bucks a tree sucks anyway. Say your cuttin 1000 board footers all day. Your not makin any money then. **** it I've got five kids and went all in logging 3 years ago for myself with no prevous production experience at all. I didn't even know any loggers locally. It can be done, just hope you can turn a wrench. Bucking and grading can be done on the landing with help of a forester. Call some local mills and cut for them rather than trying to buy your own.

 

[matthew sparks]

Your right about the 5.00 a tree being no good. I was on VERY steep terrain and felt like I was going to stroke out in order to make enough to make the job worth it. I was just doing it for experience. I learned a lot in a few days. I have cut several hundred trees with just a notch and a backcut and they showed me how to bore cut. I only pinch my saw once on a back cut of the bore and two times on a top in almost 200 trees. I am shocked I never had a major barber chair just back cutting all these years.

One day I cut 32 white oaks 18-28 inches on the stump and I would guess each tree were mostly stave logs. I sure would hate to do the math on what that was at the sawmill. I would probably go get a mortgage on my house myself.

Additionally, You all have helped me a lot since I started. I was back in the woods cutting after having 18 teeth pulled out in 10 days. I am tough enough to be dumb at times but you guys have all given me very good guidance for the most part.

I would go get new tires for my gooseneck and buy a skidder or just do low impact with my tractor and a arch if I learn how to sell. The only bad thing about that is I might get banned from the board for all the questions I would have.