groundie utilization

[igetbisy]

there's always a time while you're climbing, that there's really nothing for the ground man to do but pay attention, what do you expect of them during this time.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Just paying attention is good enough for me. Watch my rope, listen for my saw, ect.
I don't believe in 'looking busy'... rest while you can, cause it won't last long!

 

[NeTree]

Detail the truck...

if he's got THAT much time!

 

[NickfromWI]

When I worked at the Care of Trees, we were taught that there is never time to do nothing. Fill a saw, sharpen it, coil a rope, rake something, check the oil in the truck, clean the cab of the truck....you get the idea.

But that's a business-minded idea. I am paying you to work so you better give me my monies worth. I guess that mentality has its values.

love
nick

 

[MasterBlaster]

You've groundman with IQ's over 80?

DAY-UMMMM!!!

 

[NickfromWI]

Originally posted by RockyJSquirrel
...If you were busy raking an area underneath a tree when I'm only halfway done trimming it, I'd think less of you for wasting energy and time.

I'm sure we all agree that the goal is to finish as quickly as possible. When I'm working the ground, if there's time to stand around and do nothing, that's a good time to rake the ground. 2 reasons...

1- The more little twigs on the ground, the more there is to trip on. A clean ground is a safe ground.

2- The more we rake now, the less we have to rake at the end. Doing a few rakings throughout a big removal can drastically (like 50-70%) reduce the final raking time. As long as you don't have a climber in the air waiting for you to grab the lowering line while you are "busy" raking!!!

I see the importance of doing those tasks that might not be important at the moment. If you're not doing anything now, the minute you take now might save a minute later.

Don't get me wrong, though....I do my fair share of standing around!

love
nick

 

[dbeck]

Good post Nick! You are on the same track I am...I get sick of watching ground men look at debris on the ground while I devise a new rig or make a big change in position. Sometimes, this could take five, maybe ten minutes. If they are raking and cleaning up, even if the job is half over, that is time not spent cleaning up later. I think "anything you can do now is something we don't have to do later" is a qoute to live by.

Too bad Rocky thinks less of us though. Maybe he will get to experience hitting the ground on a prune job and being able to get in the truck and leave!

 

[rborist1]

:Eye:

 

[Gypo Logger]

I think I would make a good groundie, in fact I would probably try to run the show given the chance.
Like say I was RJ's groundie and we met at the site and as RJ is gathering all the climbers paraphenalia to tool up, I grab my 088 and simply dump the stupid thing on the ground and block it up while everyone stands back and watches in awe. Then I sit back on a stump while the rest of the flunkies drag branches to the chipper. Then I would flirt with the husbands wife(tree owner) , just the right amount so her husband gives RJ a 100$ tip.
Anywho, I am for hire, but I don't come cheap.
John,
The Playboy Arborist

 

[JonnyHart]

Hi all, this is my first post, as I stumbled on this site last night and spent about four hours reading all the past threads, and I had to register. I look forward to learning everything I can from all of you. Many of you strike me as being well versed in the arts and science of the tree care industry, and I will be reading here everyday, and maybe add what I have to offer. I have been climbing for about four years, and will continue to do so until I am to old to do it anymore (or something else God forbid). Well, just wanted to greet everybody. Now as far as this thread goes, I just want to say as a climber or groundie, I HATE STICKS IN THE ROPES!. be safe

 

[Gypo Logger]

Hi Jonny, knock on wood and send me some lumber! In fact, send it over the Falls, I'm only 45 minutes away by the QEW on the good side of the tracks, so launch some of that Tulipwood on down the Niagara River and we'll gamble away the spoils at Casino Niagara.
John

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

i have a groundie who i am thinking or was thinking of sending on a training course to become a climber obviously i and my other climber would give him on the job training aswell....but i always beleive in starting at the bottom and working your way up..so at the moment hes a groudie learning knots and rigging learning how too use the chipper correctly.and hes doing a lot of clearing up etc ..but a few things annoy me about him and like he never asks questions ,he leaves tools on the job,unless i double check he wont make the clean up job that extra bit neater...and any chance he gets he will be on the phone to his girlfriend[3 or 4 time a day]..he is 19 years old i wonder if i expect too much out of him..or am i correct to moan..apart from that hes always on time..works hard ..and 65% of the time he shows potential..i cant stand crew standing aruond with there hands in there pockets!!!

somebody put something about a groundsman with an iq over 80...a good groundsman is as important as a climber..i wuldnt want to be up a tree knowing the guy lowering chunks ...talking too customers..my first port of call should there be an accident etc etc etc was a complete idiot...ive had climbers talk as though there god to groundies talking too them like there a peice of s*** i do not put up with that in my company

 

[Base]

Rollacosta, you have hit the nail on the head..... i experience the exact same thing..............dont get me started though.........i may explode.......as i have had to put up with him and his B.O for the past 4 days..................as i have had the pleasure of planting trees only another 3000 to go......

 

[OutOnaLimb]

I have a ground man that has a problem with trying to be to helpful. I know that sounds wierd, but he is constantly trying to increase productivity by doing some wierd stuff and it gets on my nerves some times. I can be on the job site for less than a minute and he is wanting to know where to park the truck and chipper before I even have a chance to talk to the customer. Most of the time I just have to block him out untill I get all my ducks in a row and establish a game plan. I guess I really cant complain, because as soon as branches start hitting the ground they are taken care of, I just really wish he would stop yanking on my tag line in an attempt to keep it out of the way while I am balencing out on a limb and about to make a cut with out letting me know about it first. Nothing like a crisp yank on the free end of your rope while your about 15 ft out on a limb thats over a house of power line to wake ya up in the morning. Is haveing an obsessive compulisive ground man really a good thing???


Kenn

:Monkey:

 

[Gypo Logger]

Hi Kenn, it sounds like your groundie is well meaning and although a bit over exuberant, it may be best to not get angry with him or it could fluster him and cause him to be worse.
Rather, tell him what an asset and hard worker he is and then in a nice way tell him to lay off the things that irratate you.
John

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Not to "lay off" but to more like "That's good, but here is how I would like it done".

Say, the first thing he should do on arrival is start getting saws ready, and staging the everyday tools.

Ask him to use a lighter hand on the ropes...

Don't use his name ore someone may steal him away from you...I would

 

[coydog]

I gotta agree with nick, very rarely do the groundies have nothing to do, if there is time to get some rakings into the truck while i'm repositioning, its going to get done. The 'why do i have to rake this area more than once?' reasoning doesn't last very long on my crew. Most of our groundies are also climbers or climber trainees, so we all know what it feels like to come down out of the tree and find a royal mess on the ground. whether we rake all at the end or make it an ongoing process there is still a finite amount of rakings on the ground which translates to a finite number of trips fromm below the tree to the truck to carry and dump bucket loads so i personally don't buy the compaction theory unless we were working on an especially sensitive landscape.( of course if i ever find myself on your crew, rborist1, you are the boss! )
of course there are the times when the groundie's job is to simply pay attention and assist the climber, and there are those occasional jobs with no or minimal cleanup, and in those cases they better be doing judt that. paying attention! no sitting down and daydreaming on my crew, it's undisciplined and it looks unprofessional.( i'm paying 70 bucks an hour for THIS guy?)

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

( i'm paying 70 bucks an hour for THIS guy?) [/B]

I had this deadwood job with 2 large black walnut. It was before I was throwballing and footlocking, so it took a while and the groundie did a lot of sitting around waiting for a branch to drop. Sitting in the client's lawnchairs smoking cig's.

Needless to say the client was underwhelmed. So was I, I think it was sold for around 125 or something like that.

"Deadwood walnuts in back" sold over the phone and about an hours drive from the shop. (elkhorn/Delavan for y'all from round'ere. I was working out of Pewaukee).

 

[MasterBlaster]

Rocky, why do you always have to overreact/freak-out?

Just curious!

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Geez! Chill out Brian...it's just a conversation???

Why get all torqued up over such little stuff?