A tree care equipment manager keeps the yard's saws, ropes, climbing gear, chippers, stump grinders and trucks safe and ready each morning. They run repairs and inspections, track every piece of gear, order parts and supplies, and supervise the yard staff who load, clean and store it all.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, landscaping and tree care companies · BLS, May 2025
Arborist / Tree Care - Warehouse / Equipment Manager
Company Name:
[INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE]
Department:
Operations
Reports to:
[Operations Manager]
Location:
[INSERT LOCATION HERE]
1. Position Summary
This role is crucial to ensuring that all tree care equipment is properly maintained and available for field personnel. As the Warehouse/Equipment Manager, you will be responsible for keeping all tools, chainsaws, ropes, and specialized climbing gear in top working condition. Your expertise helps ensure the safety and productivity of our teams, directly contributing to our commitment to excellent customer service.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Oversee the day-to-day operations of the warehouse, ensuring all equipment is properly maintained and ready for use.
Manage the repair and maintenance of tools, chainsaws, ropes, and specialized climbing gear.
Conduct regular inspections of all equipment to ensure safety and compliance with industry standards.
Maintain an inventory of all equipment, and ensure that all equipment is stored securely when not in use.
Order new equipment and supplies as needed.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Monitor and manage all equipment repairs and maintenance.
Conduct inventory checks and update inventory records.
Interact with suppliers for equipment purchase and repair services.
Train warehouse staff on proper equipment handling and storage procedures.
Supervise warehouse staff to ensure all tasks are performed efficiently and safely.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Equipment downtime: <5%
Equipment repair turnaround time: <24 hours
Accuracy of inventory records: >99%
Safety incidents: Zero
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent.
Minimum 3 years of experience in equipment management or a related field.
Knowledge of arborist equipment and its maintenance.
Strong organizational and leadership skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience in the tree care industry is preferred.
Experience with inventory management software.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift and move heavy equipment (up to 50 lbs).
Comfortable working in a warehouse environment.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
Occasional weekend work may be required during peak seasons.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $45,000 - $55,000 per year.
Health, Dental, and Vision benefits.
401k retirement plan.
Paid time off.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we believe in growth, both for our business and our employees. We are a team of professionals dedicated to providing top-notch tree care services to our customers. We foster a culture of learning, where every team member is encouraged to develop and improve their skills.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
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What makes equipment management different at a tree company
Most warehouse managers track boxes on shelves. At a tree company, the gear holds people in the air and cuts wood, so a missed inspection is a safety problem before it's a cost problem.
Fall protection gear is checked every shift
OSHA requires personal fall protection, such as the harness and lanyard worn in a bucket, to be looked over before its first use on every shift for mildew, wear, damage and other deterioration. Anything defective comes out of service. Climbers check their own gear on site, but the equipment manager sets the system: numbered ropes and harnesses, the maker's retirement rules, and a locked bin for anything pulled. Source: 29 CFR 1910.140: Personal fall protection systems (Cornell LII).
Bucket trucks get a daily controls test
OSHA's aerial lift rule requires a test of the lift controls every day before the truck goes to work. It also bars any change to the insulated section of a boom that could lower its insulating value. The equipment manager makes sure the daily tests happen and get logged, and sends boom and insulation repairs to a shop qualified for that equipment. Source: 29 CFR 1910.67: Vehicle-mounted elevating and rotating work platforms (Cornell LII).
Chippers have their own checklist
For line-clearance work, OSHA's power line rule sets chipper requirements. The ignition needs a locking device, and access panels stay secured while it runs. A chipper without a mechanical infeed needs a hopper long enough to keep hands off the knives, and a trailer chipper unhooked from its truck gets chocked. For homeowner jobs too, that list makes a sound daily check. Source: 29 CFR 1910.269(r): Line-clearance tree trimming, brush chippers (Cornell LII).
Heavy trucks bring federal paperwork
Federal rules treat a truck rated at 10,001 pounds or more and used in interstate commerce as a commercial motor vehicle. Each one must pass a documented inspection at least once every 12 months, with proof kept on the vehicle. Drivers who need a CDL also fall under federal drug and alcohol testing. Put the equipment manager in charge of these files, and check your state's rules for trucks that never leave the state. Source: 49 CFR 396.17: Periodic inspection (Cornell LII).
Loud gear needs hearing protection on hand
OSHA requires a hearing conservation program when a worker's noise exposure averages 85 decibels or more over an eight-hour day. Employers must then offer hearing protectors at no cost and replace them as needed. With chain saws, chippers and stump grinders running all day, the equipment manager keeps plugs and muffs stocked on every truck and swaps out worn helmet muffs. Source: 29 CFR 1910.95: Occupational noise exposure (Cornell LII).
How much tree care equipment managers make
The closest BLS group for tree care equipment managers is First-Line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers. First-Line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers who work for landscaping companies earned a median of $29.33 an hour ($61,000 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $79,860 median for First-Line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers in all industries. About 1,600 of the 617,500 First-Line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers in that survey work for landscaping and tree care companies.
Salaried in the template, with paid time off. BLS has no occupation for a tree company's equipment manager, so pay here comes from first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers and repairers, the closest match for a job built around keeping machines running and leading the people who do it.
Landscaping and tree care companies
$61,000$61,000 median Middle half $52,710–$72,590 10th–90th $47,080–$87,820
All industries
$79,860$79,860 median Middle half $62,690–$101,360 10th–90th $49,600–$126,790
$25k$50k$75k$100k$125k$150k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Landscaping and tree care companies
$47,080
$52,710
$61,000
$72,590
$87,820
All industries
$49,600
$62,690
$79,860
$101,360
$126,790
BLS doesn’t publish pay for tree care companies on their own. These figures cover landscaping services, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Services chain saws and keeps small engines running
Knows climbing gear well enough to pull a frayed rope or a cracked carabiner
Keeps clean records of inspections, repairs and who has which gear
Plans repairs so no crew is short a truck in the busy season
Leads and trains yard staff
Teach these on the job
Your inventory or fleet software and gear tagging system
Service schedules for your chippers, grinders and lifts
Federal truck inspection and driver file rules, if they're new to them
Your dealer and parts vendor accounts
Storm prep: what gets fueled, sharpened and staged before a forecast storm
Expect a sharpening station for saw chains and chipper knives, a parts room, numbered tags or barcodes on ropes and harnesses, and inventory software or a spreadsheet. Listing your fleet, from chain saws and stump grinders to bucket trucks, chippers and any crane or loader, tells applicants what they'll keep running.
Tree care equipment manager interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Chipper knives
A crew returns a chipper with knives that feel dull. What do you do?
A strong answer: Locks it out, inspects, sharpens or replaces knives and sets the gap per the manufacturer before it goes back out.
Behavioral · Training staff
Tell me about a time you trained crew members on handling or caring for saws, ropes or chippers.
A strong answer: Explains what they taught, the hands-on check and fewer damaged items afterward.
Start from the template's targets. Track a full season of downtime and repair times, machine by machine, before you set your own.
Equipment downtime
Hours each truck, chipper, grinder and lift sat out of service during scheduled work time, divided by its scheduled hours. Pull it from repair tickets each month.
Equipment repair turnaround time
Time from when a crew reports a problem to when the machine is back in service. Track repairs done in-house apart from those sent to a dealer.
Accuracy of inventory records
Monthly spot counts of ropes, harnesses, saws and parts, matched against the records. Treat a mismatch on life-safety gear as a serious miss.
Safety incidents
Injuries, near misses and equipment failures tied to gear condition or the yard, logged when they happen. Review each one with the operations manager.
Should a tree care equipment manager be a former climber or a mechanic?
Either can work. A former climber knows what failing gear looks like up in a tree and has the crew's trust. A mechanic brings engine and hydraulic skills for chippers, grinders and booms. Hire for the skill your shop lacks most and train the other. If you hire a mechanic, have a senior climber teach them how to inspect rope and hardware.
How much does a tree care equipment manager make?
First-Line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers who work for landscaping companies earned a median of $29.33 an hour ($61,000 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $52,710 and $72,590 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
What records should a tree care equipment manager keep?
Keep a file for each machine with daily lift checks, repair tickets, parts used and hours. For trucks that count as commercial vehicles, keep the yearly inspection report and maintenance records. For ropes and harnesses, log the date each went into service, each inspection and the date it was retired. Good records also show which machines cost the most to keep running.
How does storm season change the equipment manager's job?
Before a forecast storm, fuel every truck and saw, sharpen spare chains, stage extra rope and rigging, and check lights and generators. After it hits, crews put in long days, so the shop turns repairs around fast and keeps a spare saw or two ready to hand out. Decide ahead of time who covers the yard on weekends.
How is this job different from an inventory specialist?
An inventory specialist counts, orders and receives parts, fuel and supplies. The equipment manager owns the condition of the gear: inspections, repairs, retirement of worn ropes and harnesses, and the yard staff who handle it. In a yard this size, the inventory specialist may report to the equipment manager or work beside them in the yard.
