looking for lead climber/ crew leader

[squisher]

five eight to tens we'll pull the odd really long day too, escpescially if it's a drive and a bigger job. So 4 tens would leave one full day for doing your own personal business, plenty of time imo.

I just don't think it's unreasonable, maybe I'll have to re-consider at some point. But for now that's how I run.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Fair enough. You know what works in your situation.

 

[SkwerI]

I don't understand people who have a timed work day. How can you say you work an 8 or 10 hour day? If it's quitting time and you have another 30 minutes of work plus drive time home, do you quit and come back the next day? If you finish the job an hour before quitting time, do you start another job or create 'busy work' in order to fill out the schedule? In my world you aim for a day's worth of work but you work until the job is done.

I agree with Skwishey's rule in principal but I think I would probably delegate cell phones to the truck in your lunch bag or someplace out of the way where it could be checked during non work times. Some guys can't work 5 minutes without checking in with their girlfriend, and the girlfriends are just as bad, calling the guy every 5 minutes. If you let him answer it, then you might as well take him off the job.

 

[squisher]

Well that's what I mean 8-10, maybe the odd time we've gone 12 that's the longest so far this year. If we get the day done and get back to my place with a 1/2hr left we'll service to make eight.

I work eight production hrs a day plus all the books and quotes. I'm up at quarter to five every day. 1st three day weekend since we've been rolling this spring for me. Winters are another story but my plan is to keep my new guy going full-time and still run a plow side.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I'm with Brian

 

[Rborist1]

In my world you aim for a day's worth of work but you work until the job is done.

That's how this "old school" dog rolls too.

 

[PCTREE]

My guys leave their phones in their lunch bags in the truck, text at lunch / break. Last week we worked till dark to get a crane job finished, first time this year we worked so late. I kept noticing this 1 number calling my phone so eventually answered it, my groundies GF had gone into labour and needed to get to the hospital...

 

[FJR]

Don't you guys just love when the guy running ropes is texting.

That would never fly with me.

 

[Cobleskill]

Having something to fly at the groundie might put a stop to it.

 

[FJR]

 

[thattreeguy]

That would never fly with me.

funny it must be a midwest thing, i had a foreman answer the phone and walk away in the middle of a rope down, no big deal, just a log on a rope now un attended

just a whole in a roof

i had i here texting when pulling a top for me, rope went slack, looked he's 1 handing the phone and 1 handing the rope....he heard me.

 

[thattreeguy]

i learned to just work a little harder and a little longer than the crew each day
an hour b4 an hour after, and sometimes alternate lunches

 

[woodworkingboy]

Just to mention a different angle on the thing, not that it helps Dave out....

The people that I work with, they all have enough experience in the work environment or somewhere else, to have common sense about the way they handle themselves in relation to the on the job responsibilities, that coupled with other interests and concerns of a more personal nature. Everybody just busts ass and pays attention to what is going on, no wtf ever. Might be hard to believe, but in twenty years of doing tree work in Japan, I have never seen one person reprimanded for some behavioral inadequacy, and that includes a number of young guys that have come and gone in the crews as well. Basically, there are no rules about anything, except starting time for a job, other than that, people just seem to have an inherent understanding about what the deal is, or observe and learn fast. If you need to attend to some personal business during work time, nobody looks at you askew for violating anything, and it is a given that such isn't done when it would be hazardous or inconveniencing anybody else. Nobody has to be reminded about that. Must be a certain social consciousness going on, and a different form of education. Sure not saying that the culture is a perfect world by any means, a number of aspects of it I will probably never be inclined to accept, and surely there are misfits out there, but basically, when it comes to working, at least tree working, effort and getting back for it via mutual respect, takes priority over anything else. Maybe that is what is meant by a free world?

I have spoken to the people I work with about tree work being done in other places, usually what I am reading in the Treehouse, and a lot of what I tell them is complimentary and suggesting that we could be doing certain things in a similar way as well, to our benefit. They are really interested, but when I tell them of the issue with employee problems, the guys look at me incredulously. They can't picture it. Just something different going on culturally, is my guess.

 

[MasterBlaster]

The Japanese have an outstanding work ethic, for sure.

 

[Bodean]

One Guy dumps the truck, while the boss man Takes Care of Cash Money on the Job.

Never trust a crew to finish, unless they are proven.

Dump runs are for the one clean lazy driver every tree crew has.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Well said Deva, now if Dave has one with a valid drivers license










Messing with ya Dave

 

[treebogan]

Like alot of places,its really hard to find hard or even decent workers here in Norway.I pay a solid eight hours a day,normally we are done under that,so if thats the case you go home unless there is a bit of maintainance to do.The idea is that the harder you work the earlier you go home,instead is all to often a case of the groundstaff shuffling around for eight hours and me running around like mad.Here in Scandinavia work is an idea of participation,not really somthing you give your guts to.New Zealand/USA/Canada/Germany/Baltic and former Soviet Satellites are societies that seem to produce hard workers,the young people of Scandinavia just seem to be a bunch of limp Wristed Pussies.Sounds harsh but its just my experiance.

 

[Thor's Hammer]

.New Zealand/USA/Canada/Germany/Baltic and former Soviet Satellites are societies that seem to produce hard workers,the young people of Scandinavia just seem to be a bunch of limp Wristed Pussies.Sounds harsh but its just my experiance.

I dunno Mike, I've met hard workers and Lazy Bastards in most countries. I do remember the Swedes being very unhappy if they could'nt put a machine on the job, and I hear plenty of our American friends complaining that they cant get hard workers. Usually, you find that the people of a country that go off travelling tend to be hard working, and countries where life is harder tend to produce hard workers.
If You took a forestry / logging worker from virtually any country you'd find they would work hard, but take the average youth from any western country and you'll struggle to find half an ounce of graft in them.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Lazy people abound everywhere, nowadays. The average work ethic sucks.

 

[treebogan]

countries where life is harder tend to produce hard workers.
If You took a forestry / logging worker from virtually any country you'd find they would work hard, but take the average youth from any western country and you'll struggle to find half an ounce of graft in them.

I agree with that.
Alot of young people lack work ethic and respect.Shame really,its themselves they are letting down.

 

[stig]

Good thing that I'm not a YOUNG Scandinavian, or I might take offense.

Actually I think you've nailed it.

Which is why I bypass the system whenever I look for an apprentice.
Out of the 135 young people who are right now trying to get into the Danish forestry school, about 5 may make decent loggers.
I know some of the teachers and have them give my number to any promising kids they come across.

We are looking for one right now, but it may take us a while to find one with the right qualifications: A feel for the job, a sense of humour and the willingness to work like a horse untill they have proved their mettle.

Then after 3 years with me, they can get a job with any logging outfit in Denmark.

I'm a tough teacher, but the ones who make it through, can log next to any man.

 

[thattreeguy]

One Guy dumps the truck, while the boss man Takes Care of Cash Money on the Job.

Never trust a crew to finish, unless they are proven.

Dump runs are for the one clean lazy driver every tree crew has.

if the lazy guy can find the dump and not let the cows out when doing it,
thats why i dump, the old farmers let me dump anytime of day or night,
as long as i dont screw anything up, if i do , pretty much can kiss all the farmers spots good bye
they are great though, dump at 8 at night 6 in the morning, doesnt matter....that is convenient

i should be there to push them thru the day until i get a right hand man again

 

[woodworkingboy]

Old style apprenticeships were done a certain way for a reason. Give a person the less desirable tasks for a long enough period of having had to invest themselves, break down their rough spirits to be more yielding to what they are doing and what lies ahead. Once a person does get to the point of learning more advanced skills, they can look back at all that they have invested, and not be so inclined to give it up easily, then there is the chance to get propelled to onward and upward. The early grunt stuff also sorts out the 'chiff' from the 'chaff'. Just getting a person who can walk in and have an understanding right off the bat, it seems like rare luck. Unfortunately, school education doesn't really prepare one with a good work attitude, in most places.

A lot of people that you guys describe as lazy or uncooperative, I want to believe that they have a greater potential, but are just still lost in the wilderness, so to speak. You can talk to them and try to inform, but molding their spirits is a difficult task. I have heard it said that before you can turn someone into a worker, you have to first turn them into someone who knows what work is, and then wants to do it.

 

[bill22]

I don't get it with a lot of different crews I've worked with, always whining and bitching about how hard everything is. I've been known to get done in a tree, and start chipping and raking/blowing and yelling the whole time "come on ladies, this is the easy stuff". Just shut up and get it done, yeah some days just drag on but complaining won't get it done any faster.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Mandatory sticker for hard hats, got one on mine, courtesy of a kindly Treehouse member.