Storm Chassing

[John Paul Sanborn]

very good info like i said i was just wondering what everybodys take on storm chaising was and ive learned a lot thanks!!!

In lue of my fee, donate a few flats of canned corn to your local food pantry

 

[tree md]

When we had our big storm our main business phone line was out for two weeks. What I did was go though my entire client list and called to see if they could get out to get groceries and had firewood to stay warm as power was out for weeks around here. I didn't have the luxury of answering the phone, I just made contact with EVERYONE of my previous clients.

I was overwhelmed. I contracted 3 out of state tree services to handle my overflow. I made sure I contracted professionals and let them help me service my existing customer base, then the new client overflow. We set up "triage" as JPS mentioned. We first made sure that people could get out to get food and groceries then started taking trees off of houses and mitigating hazards. The lesser damage went to the contracted companies once hazard mitigation slowed down.

Most insurance companies were paying up to $500 for clearing the driveway. But that was just my experience.

 

[Mass tree guy]

I work for a corporate tree company, and my boss claims these are the problems with storm tree work..We have prune,removal,cabling, IPM , you name it tree accounts everywhere across the states and country.


1.Everyone wants the work done all at once
2.When everyone doesn't get they go to the "other guy"
3.Cost of the Overtime, Per diem (food money for workers mine=35$ a day), Hotels can kill you,flying in workers im sure costly was expensive..


I think we were bidding 120 an hour storm work...But there were def right now prices for right now work...

People and equipment break faster/more often in storms.

But at the time when no OT was around I was more than happy to pack my bags with work clothes 1 pair of shot Chippewa's and good attitude to Worcester...

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I think we were bidding 120 an hour storm work...But there were def right now prices for right now work...

That is the idea of having a time decay on the "going rate" time balances out the curve. After a few weeks the competition eats up the high value work, then you are left with the ugly work, the piddly work, and the dirt poor owner work.

The local players will still be there when all the carpet baggers are gone, then they will have work for a year or so. While they wait for crown restoration jobs to mature.

 

[jefflovstrom]

That is the idea of having a time decay on the "going rate" time balances out the curve. After a few weeks the competition eats up the high value work, then you are left with the ugly work, the piddly work, and the dirt poor owner work.

The local players will still be there when all the carpet baggers are gone, then they will have work for a year or so. While they wait for crown restoration jobs to mature.

Good post- JPS
Jeff

 

[abetterworld]

Had a major ice storm in my are last year jeff.No Way I could have kept up or any of my competition.Hired outside help,which was not a money making venture.But people were helped.In a major storm there Is no way so called locals can keep up.And most outside contractors are only there for a short period of time just to get the worst out of the way.I,M not looking to relocate.

major storms pass through here All the time.

Us locals in this small community HANDLE it.

Two crews came out 4 or 5 yrs ago, and my neighbor and I put em to shame. Customer refused to pay them because of it. Only tree services that get work around here are the ones that get the long BS government contracts, and they require local help all the time. Companies don't send their crews out here storm chasing. We never go chasing storms either.

For me, that's a waste of time. For other people its a different story, and can be very profitable (my uncle is a full time storm chaser and profits 20 times more than I). It all depends....

 

[ozarktreeman]

major storms pass through here All the time.

Us locals in this small community HANDLE it.

Two crews came out 4 or 5 yrs ago, and my neighbor and I put em to shame. Customer refused to pay them because of it. Only tree services that get work around here are the ones that get the long BS government contracts, and they require local help all the time. Companies don't send their crews out here storm chasing. We never go chasing storms either.

For me, that's a waste of time. For other people its a different story, and can be very profitable (my uncle is a full time storm chaser and profits 20 times more than I). It all depends....

Well all I can say somebody sent the wrong two crews.Because I have always been very profitable when out of town.And as far as the BS contracts well I guess you told on yourself.

 

[abetterworld]

Well all I can say somebody sent the wrong two crews.Because I have always been very profitable when out of town.And as far as the BS contracts well I guess you told on yourself.

What was implied was that people around here handle most of their own trees. and that there is always plenty of work for those willing to work, so I don't need to go out of town to find it. I don't advertise either. I don't do government contracts, never have and never will. I know very well how well the government screws our people over.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

What was implied was that people around here handle most of their own trees. and that there is always plenty of work for those willing to work, so I don't need to go out of town to find it. I don't advertise either. I don't do government contracts, never have and never will. I know very well how well the government screws our people over.

Which plays into my point of checking the demographics of the area you want to travel to. There needs to be money and a population large enough to generate a demand far greater then the local industry can handle. Otherwise the there is no demand curve that will support a carpetbagger crew.

 

[treeslayer]

major storms pass through here All the time.

Us locals in this small community HANDLE it.

.

Cmon man, California? what "major" storms do you guys get?

local tree companies in a real storm can't even handle the phone backlog.
JPS and I rolled a big crane from sunup to sundown for a month, 5 years ago, and I did a big oak leaner from the same storm yesterday, never ends.

listen to him, that was gospel.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Cmon man, California? what "major" storms do you guys get?

local tree companies in a real storm can't even handle the phone backlog.
JPS and I rolled a big crane from sunup to sundown for a month, 5 years ago, and I did a big oak leaner from the same storm yesterday, never ends.

listen to him, that was gospel.

Hey! We had some serious drizzle last nite!
Jeff

 

[treeslayer]

Hey! We had some serious drizzle last nite!
Jeff

thats because you refuse to have your prostate checked, Jeff.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Ouch!
Jeff

 

[ozarktreeman]

thats because you refuse to have your prostate checked, Jeff.

Now that's funny.I dont care who you are!
Ts I would have gladly welcome you and jps here last winter.
Hell I would have lined the work up for you.But those high dollar gigs are hard to come by here.But busy you would have stayed.Took a few pounds off rope that winter.lol

 

[treeslayer]

how, by removing his colostomy bag?:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[treeslayer]

Took a few pounds off rope that winter.lol

how, by removing his colostomy bag?:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[ozarktreeman]

how, by removing his colostomy bag?:hmm3grin2orange:

You have seen that too! Well that's what I thought it was also,but that actually a camelbak that he keeps full of geritol,which gets lighter with every cut he makes.:jawdrop:

 

[treeslayer]

You have seen that too! Well that's what I thought it was also,but that actually a camelbak that he keeps full of geritol,which gets lighter with every cut he makes.:jawdrop:

The ROPE just can't get a break on here...........course he's on break all day at work.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Dang Slayer! I am good to go!
Opps, i think i peed a little--HA!
Jeff