Asplundh Side Jobs

[DDM]

Okay i bet we have all seen them done.My question is do the big companies condone there employees using there equipment for side jobs?

 

[treeman82]

Asplundh considers that grounds for immediate termination if you are caught.

 

[MasterBlaster]

When I worked for 'em we NEVER did any side jobs.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I never worked for them, but they parked up the road. We used to hotwire their bucket truck and chipper and go do side work.

 

[Lumberjack]

Around here it isn't. They normally don't care what they do because they don't get paid crap, according to my friend... a forman at Asplund who gets paid 12.50an hour.

From what I understand it varies across the county what their managers will let them do, around here they don't care, but it seems that up north they do.


Carl

 

[Joe]

I ran across a rogue Asplundh crew doing weekend work with the co. vehicle and equipment. I stopped to watch for awhile. It was a good thing I did stop to watch. They were doing some removals. They were pulling over some wood and nearly lost the load which was about to fall away from the intended direction. I ran over and helped them pull it over. Months later I had seen the foreman of the crew driving a delivery truck.

Joe

 

[DDM]

Hmmmmmmm my grandfathers neighbor has hired a rogue crew to take down a large oak over his house which there going to use a crane.They told him that the companies insurance would cover them if they broke anything and they are planning on swinging the tree over the house to get it in the front yard to haul it off.

 

[Lumberjack]

You (grand fathers neighbor) may want to get a certificate of insurance, and contact there supers to get verification that they will cover. I seriously doubt they will.


Carl


Thanks

Carl

 

[rborist1]

:Eye:

 

[Toddppm]

I'm sure the higher ups would frown on that as their liability wouldn't cover the work and they would be liable if anything happened.
I watched them do a couple jobs on my street not long ago , pulling the bucket truck into this guys yard and then did a neighbors across the street. I considered calling them in but figured it will come back to bite them eventually. F'em and the people who hired them.

 

[treeman82]

I know this doesn't count for much... but that company is self insured up to like $5,000,000 I think.

 

[topnotchtree]

20 years ago it was considered ok to take a bucket truck and chipper home on weekends. Of course this was before my time in the business, but that is what I have been told. Where I work you have to be a salaried employee or on the clock to drive company equipment. That is an insurance issue. It is unheard of in this day and age to do side work with company trucks or chippers. They will not let you take a truck home for any reason.(paint your barn, hang x-mas lights, etc) Taking saws and climbing gear home is not permitted but some people still do. I have known guys to be fired on the spot for removing a tree on their lunch break.

 

[kurtztree]

It is against asplundh policy here to take any equipment home. And you can not tell me that I do side jobs to cheap because the other tree companys underbid me most of the time that do it full time . I am the only tree climber that does it as a business in my town every body else uses bucket truck. I have liability and W/C insurance too. W/C is only for my employee. that is why I am so interested in learning modern day climbing without spikes to trim

 

[MasterBlaster]

Originally posted by kurtztree
... that is why I am so interested in learning modern day climbing without spikes to trim

Just get to the top of the tree.

From there, its all downhill.

REALLY!!!

 

[DDM]

 

[UNBforester]

When I worked for Davey tree in Detroit the management did not want you to do any sidework at all, even threating to fire you if you were caught. My foreman would get me to walk through the main office and carry the 084 Stihl past everyone and then put it into his truck for him just to prove the point that they really didn't care. On saturday during some trimming and removals for one of "his customers" he takes off and returns an hour later with a Davey truck and chipper.

My Davey foremen explained to me the "propagation" theory. When you break a willow branch off and stick it into the ground a new willow tree emerges. Same thing happens with Davey tree people. When he quit the following day his tree service was fully supplied with ropes, chainsaws, preformed wraps, cable, etc.

I guess it all depends on your management. Another buddy of mine who works for a very respectable tree service in the Metro Detroit area can take a truck and chipper home on the weekends if he gives the boss $100. They only catch - no company clients.

Wish I could have done that back in the day.

Dave

 

[TimberMcPherson]

side jobs

I contract climb for a company in which the guys do side jobs, as well as selling mulch under the table. They either get paid in beer which gets had by all the crews or the money goes into the companies social fund. I gotta say they get to do some pretty awesome stuff.
Actually at times the company can be over cruisy, although sometimes the guys just dont relise how good they have it there!

 

[NeTree]

Originally posted by Mike Maas
I never worked for them, but they parked up the road. We used to hotwire their bucket truck and chipper and go do side work.

Why? The spare keys are under the drivers' side fender.

 

[njarbor]

at davey there are some homeowners that you come across that may say how much for you to take this limb out .. or this tree out. my forreman said that its a dont ask dont tell type of deal and that we cant give a set price. they need to give us whatever they feel because technically thats not soliciting business , we are just "lending" a hand and they happen to swing us a tip.

 

[njarbor]

oh yeah some people give us tips for dumping chips too