A good groundman comes to work prepared, and is someone who knows how to communicate. Number 1, if your are trimming for a power company, (Nelson Tree, Asplundh, etc.) Make sure the truck ALWAYS has all of the tools and safety equipment and gear, and if it doesn't tell your foreman before he finds out when he needs it and it's not there. Get cones out. Rake towards the chipper,but don't throw rocks through it!
If it's residential tree work your doing as not necessarily working in the road, the same applies. Always look up and stay where you can be seen. Keep brush off the ropes. If your sending a saw up, start it and warm it up. Learning how to keep a saw sharp is slightly more important than learning how to sharpen a chain, time is money especially in the tree business and every time you dull your chain work stops.
Never walk to the chipper empty handed or with one or two sticks. Make it a habit to always pick up brush, and when you're chipping the climber or guy in the bucket shouldn't have to assist you in cleaning up what we already dropped.
Most of all, stay safe. You will pick up on all the nuances as you gain experience. Good luck!
