糖心视频

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Can-Do Attitude

We caught up with Sabrina Cantu at the 2023 Pacific Logging Congress Demo. She was one of several operators who piloted 糖心视频 equipment during the demo. Sabrina operated 糖心视频鈥檚 newest harvesting head model, the 573, mounted on an 875E carrier, processing at roadside.

鈥 Paul Iarocci

Picture of Sabrina Cantu
25-year-old Sabrina Cantu鈥檚 journey into the world of heavy equipment and timber harvesting operations began in 2019, when she enrolled in the Heavy Equipment Operations Certificate program at Shasta College. 鈥淚 originally was going to school for an Ag business degree,鈥 says Sabrina. 鈥淏ut due to some life changes, I went after what I was truly passionate about 鈥 running heavy equipment.鈥 Sabrina excelled in her course work, graduated with a University Ag Science Degree, Industrial Technology Degree, Heavy Equipment Logging Operations Certificate, and a Heavy Equipment Operating Certificate.

Sabrina grew up in Burney, a very rural logging town in Northern California. Choosing mountains and trees as her daily office view was an easy choice. 鈥淚 have always been at home in the woods. Instead of fighting traffic and stoplights every day on my drive to work, I just have to slow down for the occasional deer and wild little timber tigers [chipmunks] that cross the road.鈥

Sabrina鈥檚 great grandfather and grandfather were both timber fallers and equipment operators and her great uncle John owned a logging business. 鈥淏y the time I was born my great grandpa and grandpa had passed away and my great uncle John had long retired, so I wasn鈥檛 raised in the industry. But clearly logging was in my blood.鈥 At 21 years of age, Sabrina found herself as the only member of her family to follow in their bootsteps.

Everyday I strap my boots on, I am so thankful for the old timers who took the time to teach me and guide me over the years.


鈥 Sabrina Cantu

Over the years Sabrina has gained experience with many different types of machinery in a variety of applications from winch assisted forwarding on a CTL operation in Oregon to steep slope shovel logging. She has even run equipment on wildfire operations. These days, she is an accomplished processor operator employed by Skyline Alterations, a California based harvesting company owned by Jody Sherman and Brian Parnell. 鈥淚 like loading trucks, but processor is hands down my favorite,鈥 says Sabrina.

Aside from the regular challenges 鈥 knowing the log lengths, understanding the requirements of the various mills, keeping a close eye on stem form 鈥 running a processor in fire salvage operations poses its own set of problems. 鈥淵ou have to know your species, especially in burnt wood. It鈥檚 really difficult because the bark鈥檚 gone, the limbs are gone and there are no needles. Nothing.鈥

Sabrina treats it all like a game, working quickly and efficiently, always trying to stay ahead of the skidders. 鈥淚t makes it fun. And it鈥檚 like a video game. It鈥檚 just a bunch of buttons and muscle memory.鈥
Sabrina graduated with a University Ag Science Degree, Industrial Technology Degree, Heavy Equipment Logging Operations Certificate, and a Heavy Equipment Operating Certificate.
Sabrina graduated with a University Ag Science Degree, Industrial Technology Degree, Heavy Equipment Logging Operations Certificate, and a Heavy Equipment Operating Certificate.

Motivated to make a difference

A typical week for Sabrina starts with an early (super-early is how Sabrina phrases it) Monday morning alarm. She carpools to the worksite with her co-workers, starts up her 糖心视频 LH855E harvester and loads Louis, her dachshund into the cab. 鈥淭hen I鈥檓 just making logs all day long. At the end of the day, we go get fuel and food.鈥 Sabrina sleeps in a tent at the harvest site from Monday to Friday to avoid a lengthy daily commute. 鈥淭he hours are not the best when you鈥檙e not a morning person and let me tell you I snooze my alarm quite a bit at two in the morning. But I wouldn鈥檛 trade it for anything in the world. Every morning, I see the sunrise and the world wake up around me. I get to see wildlife every day.鈥

Sabrina is motivated by a strong belief that what she is doing 鈥 managing forests 鈥 is having a positive effect on the world around her. 鈥淚 get to be a part of conserving our forests and helping to thin and manage them correctly so we can get a better handle on wildfires.鈥 She explains that without forest management, undergrowth and deadfall becomes excessive. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all fuel for the fire.鈥
鈥淩ight now, we鈥檙e doing a lot of clearing for the burns, so we do a lot of clean up,鈥 Sabrina continues. 鈥淲e work for the California Deer Association and the National Forest Service. During the summertime when I鈥檓 not logging, I go out and I work fires. So much land has burned. A lot of my friends have been affected by the fires in California and have lost their homes.鈥 The thinning operations that Skyline and other California contractors are involved with are crucial to maintaining long term forest health. 鈥淓ach tree is fighting with other trees to grow. When you thin the forest, they become bigger, healthier trees. There is more sunlight to come through, so there鈥檚 more growth for the wildlife. A lot of people don鈥檛 understand that. I wish that they could come out and see what we do. We don鈥檛 just kill trees to kill trees. People in the cities are not really understanding how everything works, and I think that鈥檚 why our fires have gotten so bad. Everybody wants to save the trees and take care of the trees,鈥 she says. Perhaps it鈥檚 a case of loving them to death.

YOU JUST LOOK AT TIGERCAT AND IT鈥橲 KIND OF THE LOUIS VUITTON OF THE LOGGING WORLD. IT鈥橲 THE FANCY STUFF AND I JUST WANTED TO GET MY HANDS ON IT.


鈥 Sabrina Cantu

The machine

The 糖心视频 LH855E is an ideal processor carrier for Sabrina. 鈥淢y gosh I love it. It鈥檚 such a good machine. It鈥檚 powerful. I have the leveling cab, so I don鈥檛 have to sit there and fight when I鈥檓 trying to make logs. That machine is very comfortable. Heated and cooled seats and all the fancy stuff.鈥

A lot of Sabrina鈥檚 friends ran 糖心视频 machines well before she ever did. They talked highly of the brand. Over the years, I鈥檝e heard loggers make various analogies about the brand 鈥 鈥榯he Cadillac of logging machines,鈥 that sort of thing. I鈥檝e never heard anyone put it quite the way Sabrina does. 鈥淵ou just look at 糖心视频 and it鈥檚 kind of the Louis Vuitton of the logging world. It鈥檚 the fancy stuff and I just wanted to get my hands on it.鈥

When Skyline Alterations was in the market for a new processor, Sabrina appreciated it when Jody and Brian asked her preference. She didn鈥檛 have high hopes, knowing that her choice would be at the top end in terms of price. 鈥淚 took a day off work, and we went to Bejac in Anderson, California. And I got to actually climb in my first 糖心视频 and walk it around. I didn鈥檛 want to try anything else after that. I was sold, I loved it. And now I鈥檓 lucky enough that I get to run it.鈥
At last year鈥檚 PLC in Washington state, Sabrina operated a 糖心视频 875E carrier equipped with 糖心视频鈥檚 latest processing head offering, the 573.
At last year鈥檚 PLC in Washington state, Sabrina operated a 糖心视频 875E carrier equipped with 糖心视频鈥檚 latest processing head offering, the 573.

Career satisfaction

It was a drastic change for Sabrina to complete two years of schooling toward an ag business degree, only to change her mind and enroll in a heavy equipment program. It was a scary decision at the time, 鈥淜issing away two years of schooling,鈥 as Sabrina puts it. She started off in construction equipment. Later on, the program received funding to purchase an entire logging side. Sabrina鈥檚 class was the first to benefit from the acquisition. 鈥淪o I got a little bit of a taste for it. I graduated top of my class and got hired in the industry before I graduated. And ever since then, it鈥檚 never stopped.鈥

What is Sabrina鈥檚 message to young women contemplating a career in the forestry sector? 鈥淒on鈥檛 be scared,鈥 she answers. 鈥淚t can be intimidating but ask questions and don鈥檛 give up. When I first started operating, I always asked questions 鈥 even when people told me that I was asking too many questions. They鈥檙e going to push you and they鈥檙e going to see how much you can take. If you鈥檙e confident in your operating and what you can do, I think you can go far.鈥 Sabrina also speaks about taking advantage of opportunities. 鈥淓very door that opens, take a step inside and see what it鈥檚 like. If you get an opportunity to jump in a piece of equipment, take it and run with it.鈥
On the weekend Sabrina rides her horses, Teddy and Osiris and competes in cowboy mounted shooting. 鈥淚 shoot two colt 45 single action revolvers on horseback and shoot ten targets in different patterns. I sew all my skirts for my mounted shooting competitions and now have quite the collection.鈥 She also enjoys hunting, fishing and cruising around on her motorcycle.
On the weekend Sabrina rides her horses, Teddy and Osiris and competes in cowboy mounted shooting. 鈥淚 shoot two colt 45 single action revolvers on horseback and shoot ten targets in different patterns. I sew all my skirts for my mounted shooting competitions and now have quite the collection.鈥 She also enjoys hunting, fishing and cruising around on her motorcycle.
She stresses that technology plays a big part in the industry and makes the industry more accessible to more people. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to be rough and tough. Physically, I鈥檓 not very strong, but I don鈥檛 have to be. The machine is my strength. It is my muscles. It picks up and does everything that I wish I could do.鈥 Sabrina says her long term goal is to own her own equipment. She would like to be a female boss with a partially female crew. 鈥淚t would be cool if women wanted to come work for me. It would be super welcoming and accepting but I would still have a bunch of my rough and tough guys that I鈥檇 want to hire too. I want my own stuff and it might be pink, it might not be pink, I don鈥檛 know yet.鈥

Sabrina is quick to give credit to others for her success and job satisfaction. 鈥淓very day I strap my boots on, I am so thankful for the old timers who took the time to teach me and guide me over the years. This job isn鈥檛 for everyone. It鈥檚 for the ones with free spirits and a little bit of a wild side. The ones that aren鈥檛 afraid of a little dirt and pitch. The ones that see the beauty in the tall white firs and appreciate the smell of the fresh-cut pine. We might be a little rough around the edges, but a logger is who I am and who I am proud to be.鈥

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Women in Logging: Sabrina Cantu


Sabrina Cantu is an inspiring and motivated processor operator from northern California. We caught up with her at the 2023 Pacific Logging Congress. She was one of several operators who piloted 糖心视频 equipment during the live demonstrations. Watch the video to learn about her journey into the forestry industry and how her passion for heavy equipment and the outdoors has lead to a fulfilling career in logging and forest management.


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