12 Key Qualities Every Sawyer Should Possess

Did you know that there are over 5,000 sawyers employed in the United States? A large majority of these sawyers are men and they are employed primarily in the northwest part of the country. On average, a sawyer makes an annual salary of just over $35,000 a year.

Sawyers aren’t just employed by other companies, however. Many sawyers are have their own sawmill operation. These sawyers might just mill on a part-time basis or as a hobby. There are also self-employed sawyers who do this work for a living. If you have every considered having your own sawmill, there are some qualities you should possess.

Having these 12 key qualities will give you the best shot at becoming a successful sawyer.

1. Physical Strength

Have you ever used Brawny® paper towels? If so, you have probably noticed the man on the packaging is a lumberjack. That’s because this brand wants people to think of something strong when people use their paper towels. Lumberjacks and sawyers are similar in that they both work with logs. While there are machines to make a sawyer’s load a little lighter, there are instances when sawyers need to have physical strength to carry, push, or move logs by hand. They may also need physical strength to stack lumber or load boards. In some instances, a sawyer will need to use an axe, chainsaw, or other tools that require some physical strength.

2. Good at Math 

You won’t necessarily need to know advanced math, such as trigonometry or calculus, but having some basic math and algebra skills will be beneficial as a sawyer. Math skills can be helpful for things like finding the volume of lumber and using that volume to calculate board feet, which is how rough sawn lumber is sold. Knowing fractions will also come in handy when it comes to cutting lumber in various sizes.

3. Excellent Communication

Many sawyers work on their own, but they still need to have excellent communication skills if they are trying to get and retain customers. It helps to communicate exactly what kind of services you can provide with your sawmill. As a sawyer, you may work with other professionals, and it helps to be able to communicate effectively with them. If you have hired help or work with other sawyers, good communication is key for preventing accidents and keeping everyone safe.

4. Enjoy the Outdoors

One of the greatest benefits of operating your own sawmill is the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. Even if your sawmill is indoors, you will still spend time in nature retrieving logs, cutting down trees, or transporting lumber.

5. Hard Work Ethic

Long days, physical exhaustion, difficult customers, and machinery breakdowns are all part of being a sawyer. Having a hard work ethic helps to overcome these kinds of challenges. If a sawyer sticks with it, they will reap the rewards of all their hard work.

6. Good People Skills

Good people skills are more about being sociable and communicating effectively. People skills also relate to the following:

• Having confidence when interacting with others.

• Making a good first impression.

• Remembering names during introductions.

• Being comfortable communicating thoughts and ideas.

• Coming across as being likeable, trustworthy, and genuine.

• Having the ability to relate well with others.

• Having active listening skills.

These people skills will be greatly beneficial for finding and retaining customers. If you struggle in some of these areas, don’t despair, as there are plenty of ways to learn how to improve your people skills.

7. Mechanically-Inclined

There are many kinds of machines and pieces of equipment that a sawyer works with in their line of work. Some of these include chainsaws, portable or stationary sawmills, and skid steers. Being mechanically-inclined can help to solve problems that come up with these types of machinery and equipment. When you can fix it yourself, you will save both time and money. Being mechanically inclined can also help when it comes to maintaining equipment, which makes it last longer.

8. Patience

As a sawyer, there will be days when things just don’t go right. There also might be certain customers that are challenging to work with. In both of these instances, patience is definitely a virtue. Having patience will also help you control your temper. The last thing you want to do is get mad and break a tool or piece of equipment, or worse yet, lose a valuable customer.

9. Possesses Integrity

Integrity is usually defined as the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. You will always want to be honest with your customers. This includes being upfront with them about what kind of service you can or can’t provide. If you say you can get your customer a certain kind of wood in a certain size, you better be able to deliver exactly what you said. It’s also important to deliver what they want in a timely manner. You should also never deliver a lower quality of lumber than what they expect. If something comes up and you can’t meet their expectations, this is where good communication is vital!

10. Willingness to Work in Unfavorable Weather Conditions

You aren’t always going to be able to work in optimal weather conditions. In fact, just the opposite is true. There will probably be days you’ll be outdoors gathering logs in the snow or subfreezing temperatures. Or, you might have to transport a load of lumber in a rainstorm. Sawyers in California might not have this problem, but sawyers work in many states, some of which have unpredictable and changing weather.

11. Good Driver

The last thing a sawyer wants is an accident while transporting a portable sawmill from one location to another or delivering a load of lumber to a customer. For this reason, it’s important for sawyers to be good drivers. This includes having great backing up skills and the ability to pull a trailer or drive a semi-truck. Sawyers that drive large vehicles or operate heavy machinery should have at least a Class B commercial driver’s license (CDL), if not a class A CDL. Being a good driver can also help sawyers get a discount on their vehicle insurance!

12. Basic Knowledge of Lumber Industry

Most sawyers begin this line of work with some knowledge of the lumber industry, which focuses on forestry, logging, timber trade, and the production of wood products. Many sawyers choose this kind of work because of the strong demand for homebuilding materials and high price of lumber. If you’re just starting out, you may want to learn as much about the lumber industry as you can. Doing so will improve your interactions with customers and others in the industry.