Anyone had the ACRT Utility Line Clearance Arborist class?

[Sunrise Guy]

I'm thinking of flying up to Ohio to take it. With an outlay of about $1500 for air, room, car and class, and forty hours of instruction, I want to know more about what I'm getting into. They have told me you have to pass a written test with a 75, identify trees, tie ten knots and rescue the dummy in 4 minutes. I have done all of the above, but four minutes to do the dummy at 35' seems just about impossible. They did say that you can use their bucket, so maybe I'm thinking about it wrong. With ISA, it took me about five minutes just to hip-thrust up to the dummy and get everything secure for the bring-down. Anyway, if you've had the class, let me know what you thought of it and the tests. Thanks!

 

[lxt]

Its a joke!!! Fellow tree guy (competitor/friend) took this class, basically a waste of time & money!!

He knew I was Line clearance certified so asked if I would fill him in on some things......rescues (bucket/climb), line identification, voltage ID, minimum approach distances...etc..

He told me he would have been better off if I trained him!!




LXT.............

 

[Sunrise Guy]

Its a joke!!! Fellow tree guy (competitor/friend) took this class, basically a waste of time & money!!

He knew I was Line clearance certified so asked if I would fill him in on some things......rescues (bucket/climb), line identification, voltage ID, minimum approach distances...etc..

He told me he would have been better off if I trained him!!

LXT.............

I would like specifics concerning your friend's negative input on the course. It runs five, eight-hour days, with time spent split between the classroom and outside. How can that be a waste of time/joke?

-Miles

 

[Sunrise Guy]

Better yet, pm me your friend's e-mail address and I'll drop him a line.

 

[lxt]

I will see if he minds me giving out his email....????

What I gathered from his time there was that he really didnt learn as much as what he thought he should have.....for the money!!!

The curriculum verses the costs was a complaint of his, basically he learned just as much from me as he did going there, not to mention when he was hired by big orange......this class didnt mean squat to them!! he still had to apprenticeship for the required time frame, He received no credit for the ACRT class!!! which in his words after the fact were: "acrt...its a joke"

Most Line clearance companies have their own methods of training, where I live utilities use ACRT for permit positions or production time studies...thats it!

I would say if you`re set on taking this class & think it will help you....take it! Its your money!!!!!!



LXT.......................

 

[lxt]

Sunrise, with the credentials you have why would you want to take the ACRT class....your already ahead of what they teach, By far!!!! this at best would be a remedial refresher for you!!!



LXT......................

 

[Sunrise Guy]

Sunrise, with the credentials you have why would you want to take the ACRT class....your already ahead of what they teach, By far!!!! this at best would be a remedial refresher for you!!!



LXT......................

I guess I just want a challenge and/or a learning experience. Every class can teach me a thing or two, so I like taking them. Then again, I'll be heading up to my old home town, Chicago, in July, to take a ton of classes at the ISA convention, so I know I'll get some learning done, and then some. It's interesting that you mention that the class counted for zip, for your buddy, when he went to big A. Down here, Austin simply blocks anyone from doing any line clearance that isn't employed by A or D no matter what certification they may have. It gets frustrating when you don't have the $$ to get into the sweetheart contracts that the big boys have. Yeah, you got me thinking that it probably isn't worth forking out my $1500 to add a meaningless certification.

 

[Sunrise Guy]

Check out arbormaster, I think they are ahead of ACRT 10 fold!!
ACRT is a locating company!

I did the ArborMaster classes long ago, via their tapes. They do not offer line clearance as a class, unfortunately. ACRT actually has a pretty extensive course offering along with their own certification program. Their manual, that goes along with their line clearance class, is far superior to ISA's Utility Specialist Exam manual, FWIW.

 

[lxt]

I guess I just want a challenge and/or a learning experience. Every class can teach me a thing or two, so I like taking them. Then again, I'll be heading up to my old home town, Chicago, in July, to take a ton of classes at the ISA convention, so I know I'll get some learning done, and then some. It's interesting that you mention that the class counted for zip, for your buddy, when he went to big A. Down here, Austin simply blocks anyone from doing any line clearance that isn't employed by A or D no matter what certification they may have. It gets frustrating when you don't have the $$ to get into the sweetheart contracts that the big boys have. Yeah, you got me thinking that it probably isn't worth forking out my $1500 to add a meaningless certification.

I hear ya on the sweetheart contracts!!! Im getting ready to bid a state job next week, they`re having a site tour, it`ll be my first!! should be neat to see what big companies show up...

the one thing that bums me out about state bidding is they dont care about what certifications you have, I mentioned mine...they simply told me as long as the specifications are adhered to!!!

then the other side of the coin is what you`re going through, you want some form of training...but will it muster what the powers to be want or will the big guys ad stipulations in the insurance end, surety bonds, etc.. to keep out the smaller biz`s who want to break into line clearance?

I checked into the line gig in my area.....WOW, if I could meet their criteria money wise: 1 million dollars liquid money in a non touchable acct for duration of the signed contract........If I had what they wanted I wouldnt be doing tree work!! well maybe

Good luck!!


LXT....................

 

[Sunrise Guy]

I hear ya on the sweetheart contracts!!! Im getting ready to bid a state job next week, they`re having a site tour, it`ll be my first!! should be neat to see what big companies show up...

the one thing that bums me out about state bidding is they dont care about what certifications you have, I mentioned mine...they simply told me as long as the specifications are adhered to!!!

then the other side of the coin is what you`re going through, you want some form of training...but will it muster what the powers to be want or will the big guys ad stipulations in the insurance end, surety bonds, etc.. to keep out the smaller biz`s who want to break into line clearance?

I checked into the line gig in my area.....WOW, if I could meet their criteria money wise: 1 million dollars liquid money in a non touchable acct for duration of the signed contract........If I had what they wanted I wouldnt be doing tree work!! well maybe

Good luck!!


LXT....................

Good post. Yeah, the frustration is amazing. It's the old, "It takes money to make money," Catch 22. In the case of the big tree gigs, it's a matter of "It takes mega-millions to make mega-millions," deal. If we were to examine all of the dealings of the big boys, I would bet my left :censored: that there would be a pattern of barely legal to illegal activities seen on a regular basis. Almost every super rich :censored:er, except those who made their money on super-intelligence and/or a truly unique idea/product, has made his/her millions/billions because he/she was willing to risk getting arrested in order to score big. Nobody will ever convince me otherwise. Turn on the news on any day, and it's all there out in the open when these guys/gals get busted.