Residental tree company wanting to do line clearance

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kevin davis tree inc

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I've been doing tree work for 11 years I started when I was 18 opened my own biz on July 5 2010 I've came a long way ins workers comp 2 60ft lifts dump trucks chippers skid steers grinders city contracts billboard contracts and doing about $500,000 a year with one crew and I want to get in to line clearance any guidance would be great
 
Chances are you won't be able to compete. We have a large municipal contractor in my area that bids so low most guys with a saw and a pickup can't beat the price. Volume, volume, volume is what keeps utility contractors in business.

+1 on the EHAP if you do decide to go down that road. I recommend CTSP as well. Keep in mind that majority of fatalities are electrical hazard related.
 
Good luck learning how to bid those contracts. Attempting to do that outta the blue, with no experience, is going to be quite the magic trick. I'd stick with the residential stuff since you seem to be doing that successfully already.
 
Good luck learning how to bid those contracts. Attempting to do that outta the blue, with no experience, is going to be quite the magic trick. I'd stick with the residential stuff since you seem to be doing that successfully already.
Line clearance is where I started in the biz at I'm one of the few that has converted to residental tree care and can do it I've found finding good employees are harder to find in residental tree care the line clearance those employees come dime a dozen the ones that can rope climb and trim back to natural laterals and use all the advance climbing tech are hard to find in my area the ones that know it's not a 9-5 job it's a get er done job
 
Chances are you won't be able to compete. We have a large municipal contractor in my area that bids so low most guys with a saw and a pickup can't beat the price. Volume, volume, volume is what keeps utility contractors in business.

+1 on the EHAP if you do decide to go down that road. I recommend CTSP as well. Keep in mind that majority of fatalities are electrical hazard related.
I know I've been through the line clearance classes I think what is going to work in my favor is that I'm young I'm only 29 and I've worked really hard to get where I'm at with no help and bad credit
 
Why not pursue more commercial and the hell with clearance . It's a tough expensive business , we used to clear the intersections and switches for conrail and then assholeplunger came in and cut me out by 3/4 and stacked all brand new equipment and blew me right out of the water . I went from about 1500.00 a day for 2 guys to what they bid 400.00 and change joke actually
 
I've been doing tree work for 11 years I started when I was 18 opened my own biz on July 5 2010 I've came a long way ins workers comp 2 60ft lifts dump trucks chippers skid steers grinders city contracts billboard contracts and doing about $500,000 a year with one crew and I want to get in to line clearance any guidance would be great

Dream big, keep us up dated,,,:popcorn:
Jeff
 
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Line Clearance Co. came through my place recently. Only the foreman spoke enough broken English that I could make out what he was asking. They all acted like they were getting On-The-Job-Training. Just by looking, I assumed their pay was very low.
 
Line Clearance Co. came through my place recently. Only the foreman spoke enough broken English that I could make out what he was asking. They all acted like they were getting On-The-Job-Training. Just by looking, I assumed their pay was very low.

Utility crews in our area always make more than the res/comm crews because they have to be union certified.

Don't know about the OP's area, but around here, the utility crews seldom are home every night. Usually they work out of town staying in some fleabag motel while they work on some rural contract. One of the demotivating reasons to work on a utility crew.
 
The asplundh thing is funny but I really don't call them climbers very few are real I've hired one or two and handed them my climbing gear and they couldent even put my saddle on much less begin to use a friction saver or a lockjack or micro pulley the list goes on portawrap etc
 

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