There is hope for the Next Generation

I dragged my 19 yr old son away from his gaming system today to help pick up some rounds. While driving home he was asking if he could get a pick up truck and start doing wood on his own. He is looking for summer job and part time in the fall when college starts back up. I normally pull a 6×12 trailer with a Yukon XL. He's afraid to pull a trailer...but its a start.

 

The good news is that it looks like you have a few months to try and talk him out of it.

 

Nice, I expect demand to increase as the economy decreases. Might be a good gig for him.

 

Turn in your man card, effective 3 years ago!

At 15 my dad made me go get a learners permit so he could sleep while I drove across 2 states, at 15.5 went on vacation with grandparents. Last words out of dads mouth “you are not allowed to pull the 35’ 5th wheel” this lasted about 3-4 hours until we stopped for gas my grandpa said “get in you are driving” I said nope dad said I couldn’t, his reply was “your dads not here, I’m teaching you how to drive in case something happens to me you can get us home!” And that is how I learned to pull an RV through Denver rush hour traffic!

 

We barely trust him to drive the Yukon much less with a trailer

 

He'll get there.

 

Hopefully you don't have to pay for the truck. Does he already know how to run a splitter and chain saw? Looks like you will have some teaching to do. Good for him.

 

Splitter yes saw no. But he said he is going to do it with maul/splitting ax

 

So he is going to have to learn ppe and how to run the saw. Well sounds like you got a helper for a while then.

 

Honestly if he wants to make money at it you might as well teach him about business at the same time. Splitting by hand might be the cheapest option but also gives you the lowest pay per hour. The most profitable way to do it is get a load of logs and rent a processor for a day. If you have the space to do it that is the way I would go.

 

He showing a willingness to Learn and sweat thats

 

It’s good your son is cautious about things like pulling trailers and running saws. Just provide him good instructions and let him learn the safety systems and procedures.

I’m like him. I’d rather have Bubba call me a p***y than lose an arm or hurt someone else. I know I’m in the minority but I still have all of my fingers, teeth, eyes, and toes.

 

I still have all of those things as well but some of them may have been shortened or reshaped over the years.

 

Ohio dave hang in there, some people learn by Seeing, others by Hearing and others by Doing! I’m a doer what worked for me could have terrorized many others! I haven’t figured my son (12) out yet but it’s a work in progress. He is way smarter than me he is solving rubix cubes in under 35 seconds all day long! His current ambition in life is to be a YouTube star on Rubix cubes and Minecraft! Haven’t been able to convince him that doesn’t put food on the table very well.

Like me once he decides to do something nothing will change his mind, this will serve him well but also cause many heartaches over the years!

I hope and pray you may be able to use this opportunity to encourage and guide your son.

 

Any kid that's willing to work will do ok or better. Just a matter of teaching them. Start him out gently if he's timid. I got broke in the hard way too, on a farm. That's not for everybody, but I learned to respect & operate equipment real quick.

 

take him to any big parking lot and have him practice backing the trailer up until he's sick of it.....then do it some more. That's what my dad did with me. And he made me use the Ford work van that had no windows and 3 on the tree.

 

You must be very grateful for those experiences!

 

No one calls him p*****. 2nd degree black belt, also trains in medieval hand to hand weapons. But when it comes to anything with a engine or motor he's lacking