A yarder is heavy equipment used to move logs to a landing for transport. Developed in the mid-1800s, there are several styles available today. Workers must communicate and monitor safety while logs are in motion. Other devices are used to load logs onto vehicles for transport.
A yarder is a piece of heavy equipment for moving logs around a logging site, bringing them to a stage or landing so they can be loaded onto vehicles for transport to a processing facility. The first yards were developed in the mid-1800s to replace animal and human energy, making logging much more efficient. Several styles are available today and can be seen in operation on registration sites of a variety of sizes.
With some yarders, technicians have to attach cables to the logs they want to move, then operate the machine to drag or lift the logs into place. Others use logs attached to a cart on a line from part of the logging site to a wharf. The first method is cheaper and easier to install and run. It can also be very dangerous, as people such as choker setters tasked with attaching wires to logs are at risk of serious injury from snapped wires or mishandled logs.
A swing yarder pivots on a base to provide a large range of motion for moving logs to a site. It can be useful in cramped quarters and in confined spaces such as slopes, where the steep nature of the site can make working difficult. Others operate with a single fixed spar and lack this flexibility. In all cases, the device is semi-permanent. Workers move it into position at the start of the job and place it there for safety and remove it at the end when they’re ready to clear the site.
The site operator must be in constant communication with everyone on the site. People notify the operator when the logs are ready to lift and provide guidance to help the operator maneuver the logs around obstacles such as stumps, ditches, and so on. Workers must also monitor safety while logs are in motion. They can be difficult to stop and people in the way could be seriously injured if hit by moving logs. Site personnel may use hand signals and headsets to maintain safety while operating the machine.
Workers have other devices to collect logs to load once the yard has brought them to the wharf. This frees up the yarder to focus on moving logs across the site. Logs can be dumped directly into a river to float to a collection point or can be transferred onto the deck of a train, truck or barge.
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