Timber Loader and Stacker

Timber keeps rural towns working, and a sawmill near Secunda is hiring crews. It's a practical job: you'll see what you got done before you go home.

Home base is a sawmill on the Secunda side of Mpumalanga.

• Clear and maintain firebreaks during the dry season
• Sharpen and service chainsaws daily
• Stack logs by length for loading onto trucks
• Fell, debranch and cross-cut trees with a chainsaw
• Prune lower branches with pruning saws and ladders
• Wear chainsaw chaps, helmets and ear protection at all times
• Fight veld fires with beaters and water packs under a crew leader

• Valid ID
• Willing to work in remote areas
• Physically strong and fit for steep slopes
• Able to work in a crew and follow the crew leader

• Chainsaw operator certificate
• Previous plantation or sawmill experience
• First-aid training

• Fire-season standby allowance
• Chainsaw and fire training at no cost
• Crew transport to plantations

• Mention fire fighting experience, even as a volunteer. Fire protection crews look for it before winter.
• Say you are fit and do not mind remote sites. Many applicants drop out after the first week, so recruiters test commitment.