RE:RE:RE:who will budge first .sure they have sorters auto grading optimizers...scanners...new computer for lumber racking etc.
You just listed some of the automation that has already taken place and has reduced the labour force. Much more to come yet. You forgot to list lumber grading which used to be done by a people. Edgers are controlled by scanners now which never used to be. Cars and trucks are becoming self driving. I just went for a highway ride in a Tesla. Over 30 miles in mountainous terain and the driver never touched the steering wheel or any other controls Brakes. throttle ect. Operating off GPS it kept the speed limit and slowed for cornering where necessary. The only driver intervention was when we caught up to another vehicle It slowed to follow the vehicle in front and had to be promped to pass.
Teck mining company has just purchased giant driverless electric haul trucks at one of their mines. They travel from pit to mill, are self dumping, Programed to stop at shift end and even plug themselves in for recharge They operate without drivers. And you think a forklift cannot be programed to move a sling of lumber ?
Most anything human labour can do a computer controlled robot can be programed to do. The difference is robots are tireless, do the job faster and consistantly accurate. They are not subject to opinions, stress or emotions which cause variables.
Automation of the world has only began. Even in the logging, It used to be a guy and a helper with a tape to measure and cut logs . that should be within six or 7 inches for trim. Then the front end loader had to run around picking up individual logs to pile them. Then rehandle to load them on a truck. They would produce 5 loads a day +-
Now 1 person in a Processor picks up a whole tree, Limbs, Measures and bucks them into logs, accuracy within an inch and drop them into a neat pile beside the road, ready to be loaded onto trucks. Production average around 1 load per hour. Double shifting means 2 men now produce 20 loads + pre day.
Automation ,Increased production and less workforce is the future like it or not.