Function

• The chokerman is responsible for fastening a choker around a log. A choker is a short amount of cable that surrounds the log and tightens around it, preventing the log from being released. Additionally, the chokerman helps other members of the logging team whenever they need help. The chokerman works alongside several other specialized workers such as the hooker, yarding-engineer, shovel-operator, landing-bucker, chaser and rigging-slinger. The position of chokerman is the most junior position among the loggers, and there are usually three chokermen per team.
  
  

Qualifications

• Chokermen usually do not need any kind of education. The training is done on the job for the most part, though some states provide training programs. Chokermen acquire new skills overtime for when they have achieved enough seniority to be promoted to a higher position. They usually need some communication skills since they have to work alongside other loggers as a team. Having mechanical aptitude will be helpful for chokermen later on when they are promoted to more sophisticated positions.
  
  

Conditions

• Logging is a physically demanding profession that requires the movement of many heavy objects. Logging is potentially dangerous because falling trees can injure workers and because logging often involves climbing. However, some technological advancements have reduced the amount of exposure to danger of chokermen and other loggers. Logging is performed outdoors, exposing workers to potentially hazardous environmental conditions. Some of the areas where loggers harvest are isolated, leaving loggers without emergency services. Some loggers have to commute to the logging site, while other loggers live in bunkhouses.
  
  

Outlook

• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the logging industry is expected to grow by 6 percent between 2008 and 2018. Many forests are being thinned out in order to reduce the incidence of forest fires. However, the logging industry is experiencing fierce competition from foreign loggers. Mechanization is also reducing the need for loggers as technological advancements allow loggers to be more efficient.
  
  

Earnings

• The median hourly wage for logging workers in 2008 was $15.96, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.