Alberta’s forestry industry is a major contributor to our province’s economic prosperity with forestry products that are used internally and exported around the world. From managing harvesting, logging activities, operating mills, producing products (such as lumber and oriented strand board (OSB)), and managing access to logging areas, this industry offers a variety of forestry career opportunities for drivers and other labourers.

Drivers in this sector have the option to drive a variety of truck and trailer configurations—both on the highway and offroad. As a career highlight, Alberta forestry drivers are able to see areas of our wilderness most people will never experience.

  • Seasonality

    Work is generally seasonal for log haulers and steadier for bulk drivers. Some seasonal employers are trying to move into nonseasonal operations; this will vary by employer and location.

  • Method of Pay

    Drivers may see productivity-based pay, such as pay by the load and tonne, and time-based pay like hourly pay. Bonuses for completing seasons and certain tasks are also common.

Equipment and Tasks

Forestry drivers operate specialized vehicles and other types of equipment throughout the year and perform forestry-specific tasks. The driving conditions can be quite demanding.

  • Equipment

    Logging drivers will see day cab and sleeper tractors that are modified for offroad driving with tandem or tri drive axle groups. They’ll pull different trailer combinations, such as single trailers with additional axles and multiple trailers that typically use a B-train coupler. Specific configurations and weights often vary based on the location, time of year, and conditions of a permit. Bulk drivers often drive single or B-train double trailers with high sides to haul material like woodchips. Drivers may also haul logging equipment to different locations.

  • Tasks

    Drivers can expect to perform common driving-specific tasks like city and highway driving, pre-and post-trip vehicle inspections, cargo securement, and customer service-related responsibilities. Logging drivers will have to monitor loading to ensure weights and heights are legal, and they may be personally responsible for operating the loader to do the loading. They’ll have to drive in off-road conditions off of maps and on radio-controlled roads, and may be frequently required to chain their tires. Bulk drivers may also have to chain and operate in off-road conditions, although they generally don’t operate in off-road conditions that are as extreme as those seen by logging trucks.

Lifestyle in the Industry

Alberta forestry drivers work in a demanding, busy industry with work taking place near mills and logging sites. While the forestry industry in Alberta often offers better work/life balance than other careers (like long-haul driving), the work is still demanding and the hours can be long.

  • Work Shifts

    Shifts take place around the clock and are often 10 to 14 hours in length. Weekend shifts are common.

  • Physical Demands

    Positions, especially those that involve driving a logging truck, can be physically demanding. Drivers have to chain up tires in challenging conditions, throw heavy ropes over loads, and frequently climb on and off equipment.

  • Work/Life Balance

    Depending on where they live, drivers are often home at night. During the busy logging season, travel may be required, which means these drivers will see their families less often.

  • Predictability

    Weather does impact the work, but it’s reliably busy during peaks in business, leading to a steady and predictable income (although work shifts can vary).

  • On-Call

    On-call work is uncommon.

Getting Started

Larger forestry companies will advertise online for forestry drivers—both for bulk drivers and logging drivers. Interested individuals may have to contact smaller companies directly to see if they are hiring. The driver onboarding process is similar to other sectors, but there’s often forestry-specific safety training and coursework that’ll have to be done before driving can take place. Companies generally offer an orientation with a certain amount of direct supervision and mentorship before the new driver can work independently.

Drivers may get their start by working in other positions in the industry, such as in mill operations or in loading/unloading logging trucks. There may also be opportunities to drive smaller vehicles. Those interested in driving in the forestry industry should consider other forestry-related careers while completing their commercial driving training.

  • Mandatory
    Requirements

    Generally, drivers need the right class of licence, which is almost always a Class 1. Drug and alcohol testing is common. Forestry drivers often need previous driving experience and to be of an older and more experienced age. Thus, this sector may be especially challenging for inexperienced and young drivers to start their careers.

  • Preferred Skills &
    Previous Experience

    Drivers with previous experience in highway and off-road driving, using tire chains, oilfield driving, farm experience, and general mechanical inclination have a competitive hiring advantage.

Red Flags

There are many significant health and safety hazards present in forestry. Mills have hazards like noise, dangerous machinery, and air quality concerns. Drivers will be subject to tasks that expose them to ergonomic hazards related to lifting and overexertion, and the driving itself can be especially challenging. People interested in pursuing forestry career opportunities should be on the lookout for these potential red flags (aka signs that an employer may not be operating safely):

  • Equipment and vehicles that are in poor condition.
  • Being pressured to become an owner-operator early into one’s career or any other signs of employee misclassification.
  • A lack of safety training by an employer, including transportation-specific training for the vehicles being driven and training on safely loading and unloading equipment.
  • Not being provided with orientation or training at specific mill sites, especially when required to perform tasks at new sites.
  • No training on using radio-controlled roads and on how to navigate off-highway routes.
Quick Facts:
  • Forestry includes logging, processing logs into partially finished or finished products like lumber, and the work that supports the industry, like building roads to areas of forests to be harvested.
  • Alberta forestry drivers work hard, but often experience better home time than drivers in other industries with comparable wages.
  • Forestry drivers get to see beautiful and rugged parts of Alberta most people will never have the chance to experience.
  • Fast-paced, season-dependent work puts strains on training and other safety measures, so new drivers should beware of a lack of safety and be confident in asking questions when they’re not comfortable with a specific task.

More Help

Are you interested in learning more about working safely in transportation? Check out our Resources page for insights from industry experts and organizations. We’ve taken great care to present information relevant to those interested in truck and bus driving careers, those already employed in trucking or busing, and employers navigating labour challenges.

Our Resources

Contact Information

If you have questions or want to learn more about the content of this website, please contact the Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA). AMTA employs experts in trucking and busing across Alberta. We would be happy to help you further.

Contact Us