Anyone Having Trouble Finding Climbers?

[Terry Warlick]

Down here in the south the climbers don't have teeth or a drivers license or equipment. That usually tells you something

 

[zogger]

I am not a tree guy, just cruising the saite and saw this thread..... I have done non technical recreational climbing, some rock climbing, and some steel work and rigging. I would like to learn tree work even now, but sorta getting long in the tooth and not as spry as I used to be..

with that said, my experience with Atlanta and tree work, quite limited.

So, I lived around metro area for a long time, twice I was offered to come in on the ground floor for arborists, regular deal, groundie, learn to climb eventually. fine, sounds like fun, offered pay better than what I was making..... I show up, the tree is saturated in poison ivy. Told the guys, no thanks man, can't pay me enough to soak in poison ivy all day. Once in awhile, sure, stuff happens, but not every day day in and day out. Nasty stuff. I guess it makes me a wuss of sorts, but...ain't worth it, even 500 bucks a day wouldn't be worth it to me to have PI constantly.

Weird post, huh? Maybe not even thought about, but..you look at the trees in Atlanta, you either got to be immune or "chemically enhanced" and nuts to do that all the time, so that might be a reason why a lack of climbers in Atlanta. Certainly isn't lack of work there, so..must be other reasons.

 

[jefflovstrom]

other reason's,
Jeff

 

[treevet]

The basic income the average tree company, like mine, makes wouldn't be worth staying in the game, I agree...but the big pokes that come in unexpectedly and welcomely, are what does it for me...A tree stuck in a roof, an EAB infestation, huge tree over wires and roof, tree in the process of falling down or apart , ice storm, wind storm, very rich person that wants the work done right now when you are backed up, etc etc...

Many many things that I do during the year are WAY spiked up costs for the buyer. Supply and demand. I am gonna nail em and do it with grace and a smile and they are going to think they are getting the best thing they ever bought and will call me back...but they got nailed, it makes business bearable...even exiting aaaand...most of all...very profitable and worth perpetuating.

re imagineero

 

[treevet]

# 7,000, I'm comin after ya Jeffy

 

[treevet]

I am not a tree guy, just cruising the saite and saw this thread..... I have done non technical recreational climbing, some rock climbing, and some steel work and rigging. I would like to learn tree work even now, but sorta getting long in the tooth and not as spry as I used to be..

with that said, my experience with Atlanta and tree work, quite limited.

So, I lived around metro area for a long time, twice I was offered to come in on the ground floor for arborists, regular deal, groundie, learn to climb eventually. fine, sounds like fun, offered pay better than what I was making..... I show up, the tree is saturated in poison ivy. Told the guys, no thanks man, can't pay me enough to soak in poison ivy all day. Once in awhile, sure, stuff happens, but not every day day in and day out. Nasty stuff. I guess it makes me a wuss of sorts, but...ain't worth it, even 500 bucks a day wouldn't be worth it to me to have PI constantly.

Weird post, huh? Maybe not even thought about, but..you look at the trees in Atlanta, you either got to be immune or "chemically enhanced" and nuts to do that all the time, so that might be a reason why a lack of climbers in Atlanta. Certainly isn't lack of work there, so..must be other reasons.

Sure you're not mixing up with English ivy?

 

[zogger]

Sure you're not mixing up with English ivy?

I know there is a lot of english ivy and like virginia creeper and so on around, I recognize a lot of plants, just the two different jbsites and companies I went to go look at the offer, the trees were crawling with it. I wanted to learn the work, love climbing and cutting, but I get it too severe to not be able to turn down this job or that if it was too nasty.

One job I looked at was in grant park, the other one in avondale estates.

The cutting I do here on this farm, for example, I am couple hundred trees behind (my pay is fixed, I get no more or no less fromt doing the trees, just when I feel like it..), half of them marked in the woods, I go around a year or more ahead of time, hatchet off the PI vines (they are hairy and quite distinctive as you know), then come back after dried as they can get, and rip them out of the trees, as much as possible. I can cut then.

You just can't do that commercial cutting.

Just came in from felling a 49 inch oak stub in my yard, standing dead, semi rotten. I killed the PI a few years ago and have stripped the vines off of it. Just felt like doing some close by cutting today. PI is long gone, vines off the tree for the most part, and sprayed around the base.

I am not razzing you guys or anything, just thought I would throw in one more possible reason why you might not be able to get climbers. Besides so-so pay except for the best, cost of living in atlanta, urban areas in general not as nice as rural areas to live and work, the job is *hard* and dangerous, and etc. and bennies, how many companies have bennies?

All of the above and more.

 

[Sunrise Guy]

Pffft. Already positioned for the next cut.



Get your back checked.

LMAO, and you know why: You changed the pic, or cropped the one you had up, so your back-breaking, incorrect stance, is no longer shown.

 

[Sunrise Guy]

Don't want you picking up bad habits.

I appreciate it, my brother. Stay safe!

 

[GlenWimpy]

I have trouble finding climbers! Lots of guys that can take 30 mins to get a limb 20 ft high! Then they need to rest for an hour! Most of the good climbers are old, by Noon they want to go home.......Most of the good Mexican climbers have gone back south of the Border! Good Climbers make $350 a day in Memphis! Groundmen make 100/125 a day......Bucket guy can make 200 a day.........but you can't find workers.......Americans want work, most of the Mexicans have left!

 

[lxt]

I have trouble finding climbers! Lots of guys that can take 30 mins to get a limb 20 ft high! Then they need to rest for an hour! Most of the good climbers are old, by Noon they want to go home.......Most of the good Mexican climbers have gone back south of the Border! Good Climbers make $350 a day in Memphis! Groundmen make 100/125 a day......Bucket guy can make 200 a day.........but you can't find workers.......Americans want work, most of the Mexicans have left!

I agree....BUT most mexicans I have seen climb are dangerous & their lack of english puts them in a position of not understanding, the new generation is a product of new rules & Guidelines.... & they sure as hell know them & will bring them to your attention, as was said earlier good climbers are not hard to find theyre impossible to find.

The tree biz has become a game of how low can ya go & most want their help to work harder/faster for 1990 wages, you train a guy & he becomes good he also becomes your competition, I still do tree work as a sideline cause people cant find a good reputable company or individual that knows what theyre doing , you cant bring on a future prospect for your biz, abuse him & pay the guy $125-$150 a day on a 95deg day or 10 degree day, he can make that at lowes or enough that he dont have to work hard & sweat!

This is one of the reasons I went to work full time for the local electric utility, After my heart surgery I tried to work on the biz instead of working in it, I found out real quick what the future of tree work would be & I figured it would be better to downsize & pick N choose what I want to do, I have lost a step here n There from the surgery but I am still better than those who suround me claiming to be the best, as long as I make it home every night.....Im good! & I hope my competition along with those entering this trade do the same!


Be Safe

LXT.....

 

[GlenWimpy]

I agree....BUT most mexicans I have seen climb are dangerous & their lack of english puts them in a position of not understanding, the new generation is a product of new rules & Guidelines.... & they sure as hell know them & will bring them to your attention, as was said earlier good climbers are not hard to find theyre impossible to find.

The tree biz has become a game of how low can ya go & most want their help to work harder/faster for 1990 wages, you train a guy & he becomes good he also becomes your competition, I still do tree work as a sideline cause people cant find a good reputable company or individual that knows what theyre doing , you cant bring on a future prospect for your biz, abuse him & pay the guy $125-$150 a day on a 95deg day or 10 degree day, he can make that at lowes or enough that he dont have to work hard & sweat!

This is one of the reasons I went to work full time for the local electric utility, After my heart surgery I tried to work on the biz instead of working in it, I found out real quick what the future of tree work would be & I figured it would be better to downsize & pick N choose what I want to do, I have lost a step here n There from the surgery but I am still better than those who suround me claiming to be the best, as long as I make it home every night.....Im good! & I hope my competition along with those entering this trade do the same!


Be Safe

LXT.....

True, but I have some good Mexicans, who are legal, speak perfect english, know lots of fancy knots and tricks who are GREAT CLIMBERS!

 

[mckeetree]

The tree biz has become a game of how low can ya go

And that's the fundamental problem ALL of the other problems in this business trickle down from. There has been a good many conversations launched on here from time to time concerning the subject with some members cranking out some pretty ridiculous comments but you called it right...it's a game of how low can you go.

 

[sgreanbeans]

If it takes some one 30 minutes to get up 20ft, they are no climber.

 

[crotchclimber]

how many companies have bennies?

Can anyone answer this? I was wondering the same.

 

[zogger]

Can anyone answer this? I was wondering the same.

I can't answer that. Bennies in general are falling by the wayside all over.

What I can say is if was a top notch climber, I would be hard pressed to work for someone else when I could be self employed, run the business, and make all the (net) money myself.

 

[zapblam]

Can you make a living off your employees wage? If your losing good employees, they cant. If you cant find good employees, they wont.

 

[404 in the ATL]

Can you make a living off your employees wage? If your losing good employees, they cant. If you cant find good employees, they wont.

I'm the operations manager and the Climbers make a good bit more then me.

 

[adronetree]

Here in Atlanta I've been having a horrible time trying to find good climbers. It has gotten so bad I've thought about trying to recruit guys from up north to move to Atlanta. Anyone else having this problem?

Yeah Bob please dont bring any more northerners down here. I think my 4 hours a day in traffic with all the wack jobs in Atlanta is about all I can handle. Lets not make it 5 hours.

 

[zogger]

Yeah Bob please dont bring any more northerners down here. I think my 4 hours a day in traffic with all the wack jobs in Atlanta is about all I can handle. Lets not make it 5 hours.

That's another probable reason, the traffic in atlanta sucks..along with the "ambiance".

I don't miss Atlanta one teeny iota.