so im looking for some advice. im pretty much fed up with working for asplundh in southwest Colorado. i got two years in the industry, but i really want to earn my arborist licence in the next year, and hopefully work for a company somewhere that pays me what im worth (which i know depends on experience), and has a genuine care for trees and there health. i know i probably wont find this in the line clearance industry. so what im asking is once i get my arborist license (which seems like my last year is gonna drag forever). where should i go from there. any suggestions are helpful. i just want to work hard and learn all i can.
need career advice ...badly
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DavdH
ArboristSite Operative
asplundh Lake Co,CA
asplundh Lake Co,CA
asplundh Lake Co,CA
um is that a company, or do you mean asplundh in lake county, california?
Kottonwood
ArboristSite Operative
do you climb already? Isn't there any other outfit in town that does residential work? If you're good it is usually not hard to find a job in this business.
PassionForTrees
ArboristSite Operative
You should look up all the different Tree companies out there and call them up, ask questions, and dont be afraid to lay it on the line. Tell them the truth about your abilities and were you want to be. Someone will value that and give you a try. Just make sure you can see that there will be training involved not just slave driving work. Although the job is hard work, you can still learn a lot from the right people. Be more than what you see out there, ask more , search more and study more. learn your knots good, get in the trees as much as you can, both climbing and bucket work. Become a master at the throwball and set lines in those trees. involve yourself at any seminars available, check with Vermeer and Sherrill on classes. Stay safe ! Practice often!
Thank you so much for the advice and encouragement. its very very helpful
Ya I love climbing honestly since my first couple times in a tree I'm kind ta of addicted its my passion. I've talked to a local res-trimmer but he doesn't like that my trainning is in line clearance but I'm in the process of buying my own gear. Hopefully this will let him know I'm seriouse
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TreeToronto
ArboristSite Lurker
Contact a good arborist
you should contact an arborist if you are facing any kind of problems related to trees and tree care first steep you should contact an arborist as fast as possible
you should contact an arborist if you are facing any kind of problems related to trees and tree care first steep you should contact an arborist as fast as possible
Iustinian
ArboristSite Operative
Line clearance has its pro's and con's
In this area, the bigger line clearance contracts usually get awarded to either Wright's or Asplundh. Asplundh started putting GPS units in their trucks (AVMS) so they can track their crews. My experience with line clearance wasn't bad; they had a union IBEW, with several positions you could work through as you advanced. Foremen were making about $20 an hour, not including their health insurance and retirement. The retirement wasn't much, but it was better than nothing, but the Lineco insurance didn't cover us if we were injured in a treework related accident that wasn't on the job -- so for sidework, we were at our own risk, but we could do sidework without getting in trouble, as long as it was not during work hours and not using company equipment.
We had regular hours 7am-330pm Monday-Friday, which was nice, and rarely, if ever worked fewer than 40 hours per week.
I've worked for other companies doing residential, and it's not as easy to find a place that offered benefits of any kind, you never knew what time you would going to be done each night, and the hours were never stable -- seemed like either 20 hours a week or 70. Harder to get raises and seniority at smaller residential companies as well.
Asplundh is a very large company with lots of opportunity for advancement -- if you are willing to move, that is.
I also sub-contract climbed for several small companies for a couple years, and that was usually fun, I was usually the highest paid man on the job, didn't have to participate in any of the cleanup, and still got my write-offs for fuel, insurance, etc. It stopped being fun when companies started draggin arse writing the checks, and constantly trying to negotiate my fee down.
Having my own company, I can walk away from the trees I don't want to do, and obviously make much more overall, but it's non-stop being on the phone all hours of the day and night, constant emails, taxes, payments; some days (not many, but some) the guys on the payroll make more than I do. There are people out there that will take something we love doing, and turn it into something that we can no longer stand. Good days and bad days.
There's pro's and con's to being a climber in every part of this industry.
If money and a somewhat regular schedule, and stable work is important to you, and you don't have much to invest for your own, I would stick with line clearance for at least a while longer. Leave on good terms so that you can go back -- try out residential on the weekends and see how you like working for another place. It may take a few years to get that foreman position with line clearance, but $20 is much better than what alot of the residential companies will pay even a really skilled and talented climber. The right company will be willing to pay you, you just have to find them at the right time.
The thing about residential is: if you are absolutely indispensible to that company -- you will get treated better, and you will be able to get that extra bacon. A large company like Asplundh can replace any one of us and keep going. I wouldn't leave the line clearance if I were you until you have all of these things: your own climb saw, all the climb gear that's on your wish list, a CDL, a pesticide license, and better than average climbing skill and the confidence to ask for the money that your worth -- and the experience and knowledge to know exactly where that puts you $hr in the area where you live.
In this area, the bigger line clearance contracts usually get awarded to either Wright's or Asplundh. Asplundh started putting GPS units in their trucks (AVMS) so they can track their crews. My experience with line clearance wasn't bad; they had a union IBEW, with several positions you could work through as you advanced. Foremen were making about $20 an hour, not including their health insurance and retirement. The retirement wasn't much, but it was better than nothing, but the Lineco insurance didn't cover us if we were injured in a treework related accident that wasn't on the job -- so for sidework, we were at our own risk, but we could do sidework without getting in trouble, as long as it was not during work hours and not using company equipment.
We had regular hours 7am-330pm Monday-Friday, which was nice, and rarely, if ever worked fewer than 40 hours per week.
I've worked for other companies doing residential, and it's not as easy to find a place that offered benefits of any kind, you never knew what time you would going to be done each night, and the hours were never stable -- seemed like either 20 hours a week or 70. Harder to get raises and seniority at smaller residential companies as well.
Asplundh is a very large company with lots of opportunity for advancement -- if you are willing to move, that is.
I also sub-contract climbed for several small companies for a couple years, and that was usually fun, I was usually the highest paid man on the job, didn't have to participate in any of the cleanup, and still got my write-offs for fuel, insurance, etc. It stopped being fun when companies started draggin arse writing the checks, and constantly trying to negotiate my fee down.
Having my own company, I can walk away from the trees I don't want to do, and obviously make much more overall, but it's non-stop being on the phone all hours of the day and night, constant emails, taxes, payments; some days (not many, but some) the guys on the payroll make more than I do. There are people out there that will take something we love doing, and turn it into something that we can no longer stand. Good days and bad days.
There's pro's and con's to being a climber in every part of this industry.
If money and a somewhat regular schedule, and stable work is important to you, and you don't have much to invest for your own, I would stick with line clearance for at least a while longer. Leave on good terms so that you can go back -- try out residential on the weekends and see how you like working for another place. It may take a few years to get that foreman position with line clearance, but $20 is much better than what alot of the residential companies will pay even a really skilled and talented climber. The right company will be willing to pay you, you just have to find them at the right time.
The thing about residential is: if you are absolutely indispensible to that company -- you will get treated better, and you will be able to get that extra bacon. A large company like Asplundh can replace any one of us and keep going. I wouldn't leave the line clearance if I were you until you have all of these things: your own climb saw, all the climb gear that's on your wish list, a CDL, a pesticide license, and better than average climbing skill and the confidence to ask for the money that your worth -- and the experience and knowledge to know exactly where that puts you $hr in the area where you live.
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PassionForTrees
ArboristSite Operative
Sometimes you have to make your own path and go against the norm and find your own way. Do your best and stick with it, there you will find success!
