have you ever been a traveling climber???

[climber338]

Hello everybody. Im in school for arboriculture and my TA was telling me about when he was a (traveling climber). He traveled around with climbing and rigging gear and did jobs around the country for landscaping and tree care companies. It sounds like this would be a lot of fun considering i really like to travel. Have any of you guys ever been a traveling climber and if so how can i get into this?

 

[treeslayer]

Hello everybody. Im in school for arboriculture and my TA was telling me about when he was a (traveling climber). He traveled around with climbing and rigging gear and did jobs around the country for landscaping and tree care companies. It sounds like this would be a lot of fun considering i really like to travel. Have any of you guys ever been a traveling climber and if so how can i get into this?

I am, have been for the last 6 years, and no you can't.

 

[Slvrmple72]

treeslayer hit it right on the head, you gotta put your time in with a company and build your treework skills before you can even entertain being a traveling climber.

 

[beowulf343]

Yep, you have to have referrals backing you up.

 

[pdqdl]

While I have never done it, I imagine it is not really that tough to make a living climbing trees and travelling, too. Even a decent tree climber will get hired pretty quickly in our area. Most of the time.

If you just wanted to float from town to town, I will bet it is fairly easy [in good economic conditions] to get a job anywhere you go. Right now, you might start to death, fighting for lunch at the soup kitchens with all the other tree service workers that aren't working either.

Now if you just want to be the hotshot tree climber, working "on-call" for the big buck$, then you had better be impressively qualified. Most local services figure out a way to do it themselves, or they bid a high enough price to hire some other tree service who can do it for them. Regardless of how many references he had, I would be very unlikely to hire a hotshot tree climber. I would presume that if he was so good that I had to have him to do a job, that either my groundies or other support would be inadequate, and I wouldn't bother to hire them.

I suppose that it might work out differently for other operators or bigger companies.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I would presume that if he was so good that I had to have him to do a job, that either my groundies or other support would be inadequate, and I wouldn't bother to hire them.

Those of us worth our metal can work with low skilled ground crews. Sometimes it makes it difficult, true.

The way I make it is that i have set myself up to be a floating top climber as well as a consultant for several small companies in the Metro area. Before I got married I traveled around, out of state, for storm work. That is where most companies need an extra top-climber for a few weeks.

The best way to get in on these is to have contacts around the country, some-one always knows someone who knows a guy in a county that was hit.

The key is to know how to situate your fee to your skills and the type of work available.

A semi-skilled climber may be able to work as a tree bum at a lower rate then I would need.

The worst thing you can do is over sell yourself, and let the guy hiring you down. I've done it once or twice; where I was out of shape from doing a big consult, or clearing gig, then walk into big tree-storm work all fat and happy....... It is difficult going from feller-limber to climbing 8-10 big trees a day

One day I will post some pics of me at Jerry B's treehouse party. Seuuuuu-eeeee, man i was fat!

 

[treeseer]

One day I will post some pics of me at Jerry B's treehouse party. Seuuuuu-eeeee, man i was fat!

Spare us--marriage has really put you into shape!

In the (19)80's I was a traveling climber, picking up tree gigs to do during the week between marathon runs on the weekend. Low overhead permitted survival; not much else to say. Now I'm a traveling climber again but with solid qualifications and contacts I stay as busy as I want.

Great concept for a single man--happy trails! But these days maybe ISA CA or TW or CTSP would be a great way to better acceptance, and better pay.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Hello everybody. Im in school for arboriculture and my TA was telling me about when he was a (traveling climber). He traveled around with climbing and rigging gear and did jobs around the country for landscaping and tree care companies. It sounds like this would be a lot of fun considering i really like to travel. Have any of you guys ever been a traveling climber and if so how can i get into this?

Depends on your age and situation. I did, and never wanted to quit. Started in 1977 climbing and the more I did the more I liked it and the more I got paid. Kinda like a drug! Then, one day, you are 35 years old or older, you meet a pretty lady and start having babies and realize that with all that experience, it might be a good idea to hook up with a good company and take care of your family. I will be 50 in February, my girls are 7,9, and 16. Like I said, it's a drug and you should think if you want a family. Well, hope I cheered you up!
Jeff

 

[tree md]

I used to travel to storms and work when I was younger. Pay is great but it gets old. I have hired a few traveling climbers (storm troopers). Payed them well too. One was bringing in around 4k a week with room and board during peak business but he had his own groundie and took care of him on his end. He was an excellent climber though and made me lots of money.

I think it's great for a young climber to travel around and work. Lets you see how different outfits do things and allows you to look at problems from different angles as you mature and take on more responsibility. In other words, you have an advantage over the guy who has worked for the same outfit his whole life and has become a one way Charlie.

 

[treeslayer]

I used to travel to storms and work when I was younger. Pay is great but it gets old. I have hired a few traveling climbers (storm troopers). Payed them well too. One was bringing in around 4k a week with room and board during peak business but he had his own groundie and took care of him on his end. He was an excellent climber though and made me lots of money.

I think it's great for a young climber to travel around and work. Lets you see how different outfits do things and allows you to look at problems from different angles as you mature and take on more responsibility. In other words, you have an advantage over the guy who has worked for the same outfit his whole life and has become a one way Charlie.

well said. :agree2:

 

[lxt]

Great concept for a single man--happy trails! But these days maybe ISA CA or TW or CTSP would be a great way to better acceptance, and better pay.

First off......I have been outta state on storm work & bla, bla bla. Like Jeff said it might be nice for a single guy but I married young & had my daughter shortly after, so the "drug" like climbing addiction was served only local.

Not too mention I never felt that it paid all that good, you might as well be a truck driver!! How much would you want to make & are you worth it? as far as the above quote: If you are a good climber!!! no one will care about if you have Certs or not & thats a fact!! I climbed for companies with Cert. GF`s, permit people, etc. etc...funny how they would say "you wont see me up there....why? cause they cant do it!! tis why I was there!"

Just get the much needed hands on Experience from a good teacher, much more valuable than any Cert.


LXT.........

 

[treeslayer]

it's only half climbing, the other half is willing to deal with adversity and the unknown variables.

plus climbing trees that all the young-uns and wanna-bes yell crane job at.:hmm3grin2orange:
A 80' broken tree, comprimised rootball, and leaning into other broken trees, AND over structure? If I look at it, and decide 95% of the the time to go up, then it gets done safely. and insured with or without a crane or bucket. and I never spike live trees, even in a hurricane. that a personal thing, and proffessional self respect.

A man can only climb what HE can climb. what do YOU know about hazardous trees? thats storm work, you can't get there and say no thanks.....
otherwise, I have flown in to help with big projects and workload amd help set up systematic operations. but more often than not, just to travel and meet people.

I've seen hundreds and hundreds of different operations over the years, everybody has their way, if they're paying.

 

[lxt]

Half climbing my Azz.....! those variables are just a given! anyone who goes outta town on storm work & accesses all their work with a bucket is spoiled for sure!!

When I worked the ice storm that hit the east BG&E had easements & all kinds of trees that were compromised.....we didnt use buckets or minifoots...we climbed everything & things that prolly shouldnt of been climbed!!

I remember having to get a tree off the CEO of BG&E`s house at 1am, that was fun!! however he did send a written commendation!

its these instances that climbing skills are needed & you better know what you`re doing!



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

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

And no matter how good you are, you learn something every day.

 

[lxt]

And no matter how good you are, you learn something every day.

Absolutely, even if its not tree related!! always something new to learn.


LXT..........

 

[treemandan]

it's only half climbing, the other half is willing to deal with adversity and the unknown variables.

plus climbing trees that all the young-uns and wanna-bes yell crane job at.:hmm3grin2orange:
A 80' broken tree, comprimised rootball, and leaning into other broken trees, AND over structure? If I look at it, and decide 95% of the the time to go up, then it gets done safely. and insured with or without a crane or bucket. and I never spike live trees, even in a hurricane. that a personal thing, and proffessional self respect.

A man can only climb what HE can climb. what do YOU know about hazardous trees? thats storm work, you can't get there and say no thanks.....
otherwise, I have flown in to help with big projects and workload amd help set up systematic operations. but more often than not, just to travel and meet people.

I've seen hundreds and hundreds of different operations over the years, everybody has their way, if they're paying.

The closest I came to traveling is knowing the 4 or 5 surrounding counties. Working for larger companies like " Mistress OD does" it was usuall to get around from time to time. Some of these outfits cover mega territory and storm calls at night were common and it was nice to either know you could leave the house now as know you could handle a whole lot or have the equipment to pull it off. It was nice to be able to come home at the end of the job.
I have worked in traveling construction and its no way to live unless you really want to spend all the money. After 2 weeks yer done! And even if they pay for food and lodging you blow through money trying to keep occupied at night. Sometimes we would get these gigs that went on triple time so we worked for days straight but they did really try to keep ahold of that kind of ####.
So the best I boast is 5 counties and that does warm my cockels, and of course we went out of state a good bit doing trees. I like to go back to places I have worked before long ago either passing through or doing more work. It one of the reasons I do this but I won't go to far that is for sure. I make all my traveling time out of rush hour and that will effect anybody no matter what unless you live in the shop which I have seen but did not like.
But you could call guys further out or even in another state if you really wanted to try. The timing is wrong but you can build a plan from the people you talk to and I think that everybody else will think this would be a great idea.
One idea for a established arborist to do if he is seeking work is to call a big outdoorsy kinda place somewhere and say" i am an arborist, can I come do some work work for you while you put me up for a spell?" Maybe a campsite might be interested or some kind of park or arboreteum. In fact Longwood has dorms for the students, ya know the flakes they train to work for the big landscape comapanies that do all the malls and such. Don't sound fun but I dunno, put a bong on the dashboard maybe I will go.
Maybe I will call a campsite and see if they will give me a cabin for a few weeks. It will take a few calls and I think i know one guy but last time we went to a large family campsite we got smoked out by the campfires in the middle of sept.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

With my last few years of itinerant tree work I would figure $100-130/day to live on the road. Nights were not bad, I usually read some and hit the rack. like - I never went to the strip clubs with Dave to blow a few hundred more on the skanks.

 

[treeslayer]

With my last few years of itinerant tree work I would figure $100-130/day to live on the road. Nights were not bad, I usually read some and hit the rack. like - I never went to the strip clubs with Dave to blow a few hundred more on the skanks.

they weren't that skanky.....and we were grossing over $10,000 every day for a month with that big crane.

I blew $100 a day feeding you, big boy........:hmm3grin2orange:

money well spent, best crew I ever had.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

money well spent, best crew I ever had.

With Billy on the crane!