# Hurricane Relief



## FARMBOSS (Jul 22, 2006)

For those of you who travel south for Hurricane relief I need some help, I'm new starting my own business and want to know exactly what I need to go down for hurricanes, I live in Michigan, thanks


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## TreeJunkie (Jul 23, 2006)

What exact type of work are you looking to do? What kind of budget do you have for starting this new venture? What kind of equip do you currently have? 

In general i'd say to save your money... Too unpredictable to wager your business on it and if you had planned on home base being in Michigan then you also would be way too far away. I think it would make for one hell of a long/expensive trip down. Then once you are down it's not guaranteed you'll be making money.. It's a crap shoot......


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## kkottemann (Jul 23, 2006)

too many more years like the last one and there will be no need for tree services in the south.


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## ASD (Jul 23, 2006)

get

BOBCAT T300 (3)
BANDIT 2680 BEAST GRINDER (1)
BANDIT 1890 ON TRACKS (2)
BANDIT 1890 (1)
BANDIT 250 (1)
KOBELCO ED190 (1)
CAT 320 (1)
INT. BUCKIT TRUCK (2)
HOOK LIFT TRUCKS (6)
MEN (32)

but you will need 2.5mill to buy the kit and $480k to cover pay roll for the first 40 days of work and $64k for logeing and thats only if your first cheak shows up on time :hmm3grin2orange: but in 40 days you could bill them $1,932,000.68 so if you can get a contract for 80 days you might make something:biggrinbounce2: but on a real note get on with some one that is doing it and just go make some $$


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## ASD (Jul 23, 2006)

kkottemann said:


> too many more years like the last one and there will be no need for tree services in the south.



your right but people will keep building their :bang:  so some one has to go clean up the messes


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## TreeJunkie (Jul 25, 2006)

I have an opening for several internships. If your interested work will start soon.


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## LightningLoader (Jul 28, 2006)

*how much $$$$*

How much are you planning on investing is the question I guess. It's not cheap living in motels or buying travel trailers, and I think your answers will vary depending on how much you can invest in equipment. 

Are you thinking of doing freelance stuff like get this tree off my house, or do you want to contract with FEMA?


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## buff (Jul 28, 2006)

If you are chasing hurricanes you must wait until the electricty comes back on in an area because all of the home owners will have left. This will take from two to four weeks. More in some areas. You must plan on having a self contained camper because there will be no motel rooms available for a five hundred mile radius. You will need and dual wheel pick up to pull the camper and to haul a huge amount of fuel too. Whatever fuel is available will be rationed in hours long lines. Food will be scarce too along with water. Buy equipment with the idea in mind that you will specialize in only part of the tree work to be done. You will not be able to equip yourself to do it all or to bring enough labor with you. Perpaps you could just bring a tractor with a stump grinder on the back and grabbers on the front. Much of the tree work will simply require stumps to be ground and trees cut up and pushed to the road for FEMA to pick up. This kind of operation will require only yourself and a couple of helpers. You can buy tents at Walmart for the helpers. Prepare to stay for four to six weeks. After that most of the best paying work will be over and you will be wore out.


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## boo (Jul 29, 2006)

fully self contained camper or Rv is the only way to go.
I don't think I could stand to be working or riding with a bunch of stinky guys working in 100 degree weather without showers daily.
make sure your ducks are in a row, the "tree patrol" issue big fines for the ones not up to snuff.


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## FARMBOSS (Jul 30, 2006)

what kind of liscence do you have to get down in Florida


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## ASD (Jul 30, 2006)

TreeCo said:


> For profitable hurricane work all you need is a license to steal.



DON'T BA SUCH AN A$$

how much hurricane / emergency work do you do?????????????

I give all my costumers my hr. / daily / weekly / monthly rates up front if they don't like them they are free to get some other CO. 

Costumers have to pay more for emergency work because we are working in hazardous conditions ! sometimes 7 days a week from sun up till sun down and some times in the dark and we are paying are men hazard pay + over time + housing + feeding them + travel time to get their . if they want it done ASAP then they have to pay a little more !! or they can Waite for someone to get them into their work load


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## clearance (Jul 30, 2006)

ASD said:


> DON'T BA SUCH AN A$$
> 
> how much hurricane / emergency work do you do?????????????
> 
> ...


You are right ASD, Treeco insulted hard working guys who do storm work, basically called you all crooks. Now you called him an A$$, he may complian to the mods and try to have you banned, he's done it before. Even though he clearly violated the rules himself, I can't say what I think cause I'll get banned. Pathetic.


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## ASD (Jul 30, 2006)

clearance said:


> You are right ASD, Treeco insulted hard working guys who do storm work, basically called you all crooks. Now you called him an A$$, he may complian to the mods and try to have you banned, he's done it before. Even though he clearly violated the rules himself, I can't say what I think cause I'll get banned. Pathetic.



any one that calls someone a crook for going above and beyond the call of duty needs to rethink their way of thinking !! 

if the Ph. rings at 2am and we respond to a call u bet it will cost a little more then if the customer called during bis. hr. and wanted to get an est. some time that week and have us put them in line.


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## buff (Jul 30, 2006)

The eye of Rita passed right through my area. My town was smothered by out of town Tree companys and contractors. The contractors all did shoddy work for outrageous pay and the Tree companies skinned people right and left. It was a real feeding frenzy.


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## ASD (Jul 30, 2006)

buff said:


> The contractors all did shoddy work for outrageous Pay/QUOTE]
> 
> that's a pretty broad statement ! to say all out of town contractors do shoddy work but i gess that u are the only one that dose good tree work in your town


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## ASD (Jul 30, 2006)

FARMBOSS said:


> what kind of liscence do you have to get down in Florida



i don't know about FL. but most city's / states want a bis. lic. but more important is to make sure that you workmen's comp. and ins. is good in that state !!


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## buff (Jul 30, 2006)

I have never done tree work. I do not own a tree company. I have only one stump grinder. But I saw first hand what kind of work was done after hurricane Rita and what was charged. I ground stumps after the storm but not for $300 to $500 per. I did not run into any of those honest, hard working out of town tree guys who only charged a little bit more for quality work. All I saw was grand larceny on a large scale.


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## ASD (Jul 30, 2006)

buff said:


> I have never done tree work. I do not own a tree company. I have only one stump grinder.



so grinding stumps is a side job ? but i am sure u have a lic. ins. wc.and the like ? or are one of those other type (fly by night) that work 4 cheap only on Saturdays 4 cash and give us above board co. a bad name ? not to bust your balls but am i to believe all the people on this site that were doing storm work are hacks?????? and all the people that live in a storm damaged town would rather have us stay home in are nice worm houses and watch them fix their own mess on tv.?? i think not!


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## buff (Jul 30, 2006)

ASD...I am sensing some hostility in you...Why do you so personally attack me for my personal observations? About you "above board" company types...I know every stump and tree guy in my city. Every one is full of drugs and cheats customers. And it is not just here. One poster told me it was the same up north.


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## clearance (Jul 31, 2006)

buff said:


> ASD...I am sensing some hostility in you...Why do you so personally attack me for my personal observations? About you "above board" company types...I know every stump and tree guy in my city. Every one is full of drugs and cheats customers. And it is not just here. One poster told me it was the same up north.


 Every one is full of drugs and cheats customers, o.k., you know your self do you Buff? Know what you believe and what kind of guy you are? So you cheat people and are full of drugs then, if as you say you know every stump and tree guy in your city, including yourself. Stop cheating people and go to Narcotics Anon. Good luck to you.


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## buff (Jul 31, 2006)

I think you have falled out of one tree too many. Get a real job...if you can pass a drug test.


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## l2edneck (Jul 31, 2006)

*WoWser*



> Get a real job


:hmm3grin2orange:


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## LightningLoader (Aug 1, 2006)

are we going to help this guy or sit around and make snide remarks at eachother?

I still want some budget numbers, but I guess I'm not going to get them. I agree though that no matter what, a travel trailer or camper of some sort is a good idea. The motels fill up fast. If you're planning to work by yourself, with just a few guys then I actually would recommend avoiding FEMA. I think they are focusing more on cultivating the big contractors nowadays. 

I've always wondered of tree guys could maybe get a contract with insurance companies. Homeowners insurance actually covers removing trees from houses, so I don't see why an insurer wouldn't consider saving some money and putting you under contract for storm clean-up situations. 

When you get to the hurricane area it's best to aim for neighborhoods full of elderly people (preferably rich yankees). They aren't going to get out there with a chainsaw themselves, and they're usually willing to pay whatever it takes to make the toppled tree go away. I'm not sure that so many people are concerned with stump grinding at the time of the storms so much as just getting the trees off their lawns. Around here most people called the stump grinders in later.


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## buff (Aug 1, 2006)

LightningLoader said:


> When you get to the hurricane area it's best to aim for neighborhoods full of elderly people (preferably rich yankees). They aren't going to get out there with a chainsaw themselves, and they're usually willing to pay whatever it takes to make the toppled tree go away.



Thanks for helping me make my case.


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## freemanruss (Aug 1, 2006)

Hey guys, thanks for the tips on how to make money after a storm. I first want to say that until Katrina, I had never chased a storm. On Sept5 2005, the company I worked for Action Tree rervice in Warren, Nj bought me a plane ticket to Jackson, Mississippi. From there I took A bus to Meridian, MS. I wasn't allowed to bring a chainsaw on the plane, so I just loaded my saddle, a large block, some climbing lines, a 5/8" rigging line, helmet, etc...into a vietnam era military sea bag along with a water purifier, some clothes and a hammock.
My intent was to volunteer my services for 1 week, give something back, you know? I had no lodging, a little cash and no food. Furthermore, I hadn't coordinated hooking up with any organizations, but found one as soon as I got there.
I went to the North Carolina Baptist Men, they put me up and put me to work. I had an army of seventy year old men and women carrying brush and wood to the curb, for free!!! I met some amazing people, I stayed for 2 weeks my life is forever changed.
When I went back to Jersey, back to pruning trees for rich folks who were completely oblivious to the plight of the peoples of Mississippi, I was annoyed that I wasn't cutting trees off of houses. In December when things in Jersey got slow for lack of frost, I asked to be laid off so that I could return to Mississippi, only this time, I would drive down with appropriate saws and more rope. I loaded my 1988 Honda Accord with An 020T, an 066 some fatter rope, more blocks and an 8to1. I took a tent this time, and my dog, Alice. We left Jersey at 10am Christmas eve and got to Gulfport, Mississippi just after dark on the 28th. I spent Christmas with some folks in North Carolina, we had roast leg of venison....wow.
I got to work right away, finishing the work the volunteers couldn't get, stuff I knew people would've had to pay big money for, big trees, multiple busted tree jams on roofs, huge hangers balanced on limbs over cars...you know, storm damage. After a few weeks, with the help of student volunteers from KAnsas and Wisconsin, we had worked through everything that I could get without a crane. By this time, I had sought out more work, soliciting other relief organizations, Lutheran Disaster reponse, Salvation Army, a few others that I don't recall. My biggest frustration was having to retrain a new volunteer every week to run ropes when rigging limbs from storm compromised trees. It was also frustrating to see FEMA contracted ROE companies with bucket trucks and bobcats, and no qualified personnell destroy lawns unneccessarily digging up wide rooted pine stumps while the bucket operator wasted enormous amounts of time fine pruning another pine with a 12' power pole saw. I, on the other hand, could've used the same truck and with 1 set, removed 4 nasty snapped off pines over a house across the street, two others in the neighbor's yard and pruned alarge snapped off limb over yet another house. Instead I had to manually climb and remove the above listed trees with spikes and a saddle. 
I found an organization in Biloxi, Mississippi called Hands on USA. They had a large core of long term volunteers and a small John DEERE 250 skidsteer. I pitched my tent in the back of church lot with a hundred or so other volunteers from all walks of life, and there I stayed and worked, removing storm damaged trees from people's houses and yards so they could be elgible for free roofs so that their sea ravaged houses and memories could possily be salvaged, with my dog, until the end of April. 
At one point, I think it was the end of January, I was approched by demolition company rep and comissioned to remove stainless steel sinks and counters, shelving units pots pans and other miscellaneous kitchen accoutrements using a zip line I rigged up from the top of a listing casino barge to be donated to local soup kitchens in the area. 
The first day took some 2-3 hours of setup, luckily I had the help of four Lockheed-Martin engineers to help me work through the bugs. They were down from Virginia for like 4 days, flew in, flew out. In five hours of funtional and constantly evolving operation, we had sent 100 tables and many chairs down to the concrete below, over wrecked steel and water 120 or so feet from top to bottom. We kept the line up for a couple of weeks and worked, with a team of 10-30 volunteers bringing items to zip down on the friction controlled zipline. We got a lot of stuff, and lost nothing off our line. We did, however, choose to throw a few items down onto the steel below, just for fun.
I was eventually evicted from my apartment in JERSEY, my car broke down and had to be left there and my dog started nipping people when they tried to pet her. I hooked up a ride back to Jersey on Craig'slist with a guy driving to Vermont, who incidentally was also a volunteer. I am now in New York state getting regrouped, and when the big storm comes, I'll be ready to have at her again. Not that I would change a minute, but I think things would've been easier if I had gone to the less affected areas and tried to put a few dollars in my pocket. It would be nice to have contacts for work opportunities after future storms a few days or a week of paid work here and there. [email protected]


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## LightningLoader (Aug 2, 2006)

man, you could prrobibly write short stories for a living. That was suprisingly well written. kudos to you for helping people out.


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