How do they stay in business...?

[BlackenedTimber]

Today on my way into town, I passed an Asplundh Chip truck on the side of the road. There were two "climbers" in an old oak tree, attempting to remove a 6" leader that was about 20' from the (what looked like) 2400V distribution line in front of someone's house. There were also two "groundies" standing directly under the climbers. A foreman had his pickup parked half-way in the road, standing with his arms crossed, watching the debacle.

An hour and a half later, on my way back from town, I see TWO Asplundh bucket trucks pulled into the front yard, one with the boom up (the leader was about 15 feet off the ground) and the other sitting idle. Apparently the "Climbers" hadn't been able to get the leader down. A bull rope and tip-tie, one cut, and it would have been a 5-minute job.

I counted the Chip truck, Foreman's pickup, two Bucket trucks, 3 chippers, and 9 men. To remove one 6" leader.

So the questions remains: How the :censored: do these fellas stay profitable?

 

[lego1970]

Lots of buying power, good steady all year contracts, and in some places, non-union cheap labor. When I worked in (won't say where) we would try to hustle Monday thru Thursday, then go arrowhead hunting on Friday. Throw on a hardhat and none of the farmers really questioned what we were doing in their fields or streams as long as a poweline was nearby. In Kansas City we couldn't get away with that because you were being paid $18.35 an hour but in (won't say where) a crew foreman only made $10.50 an hour so moral was low.

 

[Sunrise Guy]

The majors are involved in sweetheart contracts all over the US and, I'm sure, other places. By the use of lots of "inducements" and a network of a closed circle of properly placed elitist upper-management types, these companies keep a stranglehold on the biggest jobs out there. I have personally experienced how, even with all other things being equal, a city will give special privileges to these guys while throwing up roadblock after roadblock for all others when it comes to bidding jobs, working jobs, etc. It is politics at its most disgusting, and it is all-pervasive.

 

[a_lopa]

They came into the state in from in Australia and said they were taking over brought out plenty of outfits for big $$$ now there all gone.

 

[KRP]

The utility company's will hire the big guys and pay big bucks, because they (both) have the resources to pay and do the job. Kind of like the US govt and their contractors. How it is done and how long it takes is questionable. But as a laborer while doing the job, you like the hours and pay, but you feel a little dirty at the end of the day. How do they stay in business? Very few small company's can bid on the large jobs without huge bonds and multi million dollar liability insurance.

 

[MonkeyMan_812]

City, County, and State Money. Working by the hour. Contracts. Enough said.

 

[Blakesmaster]

I actually met a few guys from asplundh today. They were taking a break from working on the trees in the neighbor's lines. Nice guys, we chatted for awhile, gave them some cards...etc. They didn't seem all that anxious to get back to work so I poked my nose around their chipper and truck for a bit. They admitted to doing some side work for cash while on the clock but after hours work was off limits 'cause of the GPS and computers they now had on their new truck.

 

[BlackenedTimber]

I have talked with/drank with many an Asplundh employee.

It just boggles my mind that any business owner would allow such slack attitudes in regard to productivity and profitability.

I deal with alot of major players in the power industry, and atleast in transmission and renewable energy, they try to make sure everything is by the book, within budget, and on schedule. I guess Asplundh has gotten so big that maintaining real profit margins aren't a priority, or maybe they are so well hooked-in, as some have suggested, that they can afford to have thier men stroll around leisurely and take their sweet time and still make money on the contract.

From alot of the horror stories I have heard first hand from Asplundh employees, it's amazing that they can remain bonded and insured. I have personally been climbing a tree on one side of the road, while Asplundh is cutting ROW on the other, and seen a guy in the bucket break out a little baggy and take a sniff. Hey then dropped the top out of a b-e-a-utiful black cherry, barely missing the house that it was infront of... Of course, he left the rest of the tree standing, which I eventually got the contract to remove. It was a shame.

I guess I am just annoyed seeing these guys in my town, taking their sweet time. Their innefficiency is ultimately reflected in my power bill.

T

 

[Rftreeman]

Asplundh is like the mafia, they are padding peoples pockets to get what they want if ya know what I mean....

 

[lego1970]

I have talked with/drank with many an Asplundh employee.

It just boggles my mind that any business owner would allow such slack attitudes in regard to productivity and profitability.

I deal with alot of major players in the power industry, and atleast in transmission and renewable energy, they try to make sure everything is by the book, within budget, and on schedule. I guess Asplundh has gotten so big that maintaining real profit margins aren't a priority, or maybe they are so well hooked-in, as some have suggested, that they can afford to have thier men stroll around leisurely and take their sweet time and still make money on the contract.

From alot of the horror stories I have heard first hand from Asplundh employees, it's amazing that they can remain bonded and insured. I have personally been climbing a tree on one side of the road, while Asplundh is cutting ROW on the other, and seen a guy in the bucket break out a little baggy and take a sniff. Hey then dropped the top out of a b-e-a-utiful black cherry, barely missing the house that it was infront of... Of course, he left the rest of the tree standing, which I eventually got the contract to remove. It was a shame.

I guess I am just annoyed seeing these guys in my town, taking their sweet time. Their innefficiency is ultimately reflected in my power bill.

T

One winter three days before Christmas the local Police Dept did a sting and arrested 12 out of our 18-20 guys for drugs, although most of it was just pot. Each one of those trucks had resin turds all up in the vents, ashtrays, floorboards, etc, etc. Those K-9 dogs were going crazy. We had a few crew foreman that couldn't operate the trucks just because they had so many DUIs under their belts. About half the crews I was ever on puffed all day long. When I had my crew, I kept it clean but I'm about 100% sure there were times when they smoked when I wasn't looking. I never cared if guys smoke on their time and I hated seeing some of freinds/coworkers get busted a couple days before Christmas, but during work is a whole different thing and it shouldn't be tolerated.

 

[BlackenedTimber]

I have zero tolerance for drugs on the job, and hard drugs in general.

I will not allow weed (or anything else, for that matter) on my jobsite, if you wanna toke, do it on your own time.

My best friend exploded his heart, running a power project in Bridgeport CT while I was running a project in Tampa/St. Pete FL. Apparently while I was on the road, he decided that snorting rails of coke was a good idea. I talked to the guy 10 times a day (we were friends before I hooked him up with the job...) and I never noticed anything in his voice.

One night, after getting into an 8-ball, someone offered him some heroin, or so the cops said. Stopped his heart. The maids found him face up in his hotel room bed, dead as a rock.

It broke my heart, and I will not let anyone on my crews that cannot pass a drug test. Like I said, if someone wants to smoke a bowl, they can do it on their own time, and they oughtta be able to clean up long enough to pass a piss test.

My $.02

T