The Mechanized Logging Operations and Forest Trucking (MLOFT) Program, a unique 20-week certificate course providing unmatched training
and preparation for careers in logging and forest
trucking, is now underway for its eighth straight year.
The program is an expanded version of the original
logging operations certificate program created in 2017
by the Professional Logging Contractors (PLC) of the
Northeast, the Maine Community College System, and
industry partners, that now includes Commercial
Driver’s License (CDL) training.
The MLOFT program is being hosted by Kennebec
Valley Community College (KVCC) at its Alfond
Campus on U.S. Route 201 but is administered by
Northern Maine Community College (NMCC) in
Presque Isle.
A dozen students began classwork and safety
training in late June at the Alfond Campus before
progressing to hands-on training with mechanized
logging machines at an active timber harvest on the
campus in late July.
“This remains the only program of its kind in our
region, and it is critical to addressing Maine’s shortage
of qualified logging operators and forest truckers in an
efficient and affordable way,” PLC Executive Director
Dana Doran said. “We could not offer this unique
opportunity to students without the support of Maine’s
Congressional delegation, which secured Congressional
Directed Spending (CDS) support for it, or our industry
partners, who ensure we have the equipment to offer a
top-notch training experience.”
The opportunity to earn a CDL-A permit and receive
preparation for the state driving exam was a significant
addition to the program in 2023 and has expanded
opportunities for graduates while increasing benefits
to Maine logging employers who need more mechanized logging operators and truck drivers.
Students enrolled in the post-secondary training
program harvest timber and operate trucks using
sophisticated state-of-the-art machines like those they
will encounter in the logging industry. The hands-on
experience students gain operating equipment is an
opportunity unavailable anywhere else in Maine and
neighboring states and will prepare them for in demand careers with logging contractors throughout
the state of Maine. A report released by the University
of Southern Maine in 2019 forecast up to 2,000 positions in timber harvesting and trucking will be available over the next decade.
The program includes a strong emphasis on safety
as well as giving students an understanding of the
variables of timber growth, tree species, and markets.
Students pay no tuition or fees, and the program
provides all personal protective equipment (PPE).
This project is funded 100% by a $1M grant from the
U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training
Administration.
