LE SILLON

A John Deere Publication

Fall 2024

The Proud Few

Swamp logging is not for the faint of heart.

5 MIN READ

On a brisk morning at a logging site along the Pee Dee River north of Florence, South Carolina, a John Deere 903M Tracked Feller Buncher begins laying down logs to create a skid trail through unforgiving swampland. A shovel machine follows behind the feller buncher, building up the road as quickly as possible so it doesn't float away. It had rained three inches the night before, making an already difficult job nearly impossible.

Impossible isn't in Dustin Nolan's vocabulary. It's swamp logging after all. This is all in a day's work. As the road takes shape, a John Deere 748L-II Grapple Skidder begins trudging through the muck and mire, pulling loads of hardwood back to the landing. There Nolan and his crew work out the best routes for logging trucks so they won't get stuck. All the hard work means nothing if wood can't get to the mill.

GETTING A FOOTHOLD

It goes without saying that swamp logging is not an easy gig. There's an expression about martial arts that goes something like this: "How long does it take the average person to earn a black belt? Answer: The average person doesn't get a black belt."

The average person doesn't swamp log either. "There's a handful of us in our region," says Nolan, owner of Dustin C. Nolan Logging. "It's generational, and it takes millions of dollars of capital. If you're not born into it, it's almost impossible to get into. I'm one of the few whose father wasn't doing this. It's very difficult, but if you are willing to work hard, it can be done."

Nolan grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina, about a three-hour drive from Pender County where the Discovery Channel show "Swamp Loggers" was filmed. "I watched Bobby Goodson and that show for years," he says. "I was eating, sleeping, and breathing swamp logging. And then I got what I wanted."

Be careful what you wish for. "Sometimes I wonder," he reflects. "It's tough, but I love it. Some call me crazy, but that's just part of who I am."

NO SHORTCUTS

It's been a long, hard road, and Nolan didn't take any shortcuts along the way. When he started out, he worked long hours, even by loggers' standards.

"I came from nothing and didn't want the opportunity to slip through my fingers," he says. "I wanted to leave future generations with a foothold in the industry."

Growing up, Nolan would ride along with his father who drove logging trucks. The truck broke down all the time, so that's how Nolan learned to turn wrenches.

"Long, hot days with no a/c," he remembers. "It was rough. We never had much. Dad would always tell me he didn't want me to become a trucker or logger, and we see how that worked out [laughs]."

Nolan did both. In 2005, he bought a truck and started hauling logs. A few years later he bought an old skidder, a HYDRO-AX Feller Buncher, and a loader and headed into the woods.

"The skidder was open cab," he recalls. "The exhaust was so bad one of the operators wore goggles and a scarf — he looked like a World War I fighter pilot."

Nolan began buying John Deere equipment in 2013, including an 843L Feller Buncher. "We had such success with that cutter that we just continued to go John Deere green," he says. "I was the first in the state with a 948L Grapple Skidder, which is just a beast. We've been highly productive with everything from John Deere."

Today Nolan operates two crews. The hardwood swamp crew runs 748L-II and 948L-II Grapple Skidders, two 903M Tracked Feller Bunchers, two shovel loaders, and a log loader. A conventional pine crew runs 748L-II and 948L-II Skidders, an 843L-II Wheeled Feller Buncher, and a log loader.

Nolan also runs 15 logging trucks and 25 trailers. So he truly didn't take his father's advice about becoming a logger or trucker. Nolan offered similar advice to his son Chandler, but he didn’t take it either.

"This life is a grind, and each generation it seems there are not that many grinders left," he says. "We were hoping our son would go to college. When he didn't, I gave him a chain saw thinking that would deter him. He only dug in, and here he is."

Two and a half years ago after Nolan had a stroke, Chandler had to temporarily take over the business at the young age of 20. "We probably would have lost everything if not for him," says Nolan. "He has a work ethic like no other. He's the first guy in the woods and the last to leave."

FORWARD MOMENTUM

Successful swamp logging starts with a plan. Nolan works closely with his buyer to get the lay of the land. They look over maps to find the best locations for skid trails and truck roads while determining how to optimize cutting passes. "If you just go out there and start whacking, I promise you that you'll pay the price later. It's best to get a plan together."

Reliable, durable equipment is also critical to success. "John Deere machines are phenomenal," says Nolan. "They are operator friendly and lead the pack in technology. I wouldn't be where I am today without John Deere."

Service and support from the local John Deere dealership keep Dustin C. Nolan Logging up and running. "Dobbs Equipment has taken really good care of us. I can't tip my hat enough to the service guys. They understand what swamp loggers do."

What swamp loggers do is keep on keeping on. "This industry has its ups and downs," says Nolan. "But we try to keep moving forward. I hope we can continue to grow, and everything continues to get better and better."

Nolan is excited to see his son follow in his footsteps. "I wish him nothing but success," he says. "I've always told him to outwork the next guy, and I promise at the end of the day, you'll be better. If you work hard, you can always make something of yourself. If you dig in and never give up, you will succeed. That's why I do what I do — to be better than I was yesterday."

Dustin C. Nolan Logging is serviced by Dobbs Equipment, Aynor, South Carolina