Morning MADNESS!

Paul Biester

Paul Biester

Location
under grace
I am just trying to get some feedback on how everyone handles their morning madness? we are a small company w 5 field people.Sometimes we split up and equipment goes in different directions.Other times not all gear is needed,or we need the tractor but not log truck etc.We are not always as efficient as i would like getting out of the yard! at times we must switch gear and saws and such from one truck to another.Things are occasionally forgotten.Now I understand that I need to take the lead on this and come up with some kind of system to reduce the MADNESS!
I am hoping to get some good banter going about this topic .I am also looking for some specific ways that people work through this .Some folks strip trucks down each night w tools going in the shop.some have a set of tools on each truck.Do your sales people list equipment needs on the work orders,and is it the foreman's responsibility to get those tools and equipment ready? yada yada yada!!
Hopefully we are not the only company on the planet working through these issues?
I am eagerly anticipating some feedback!! thanks!!!
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Shoot Paul I'm a solo operator and even I can relate!

They problem with tons of equipment is loading, unloading forgetting stuff, taking more than you need, loosing gear, yada,yada,yada... it's seems when ever I load for a job I forget something. I sometimes envy the truck, chipper and ball cart set-ups for the sake of simplicity.

I'm switching things up a bit to a cargo trailer that hauls everything. Just hook up and go. It'll kind of double as a portable shop as well. I should have it in a few weeks.

I know sales guys that "try" to list equipment needed for the job but you know how that can go.
 
For cabling jobs, I try to write down the approximate diameter of the leaders to be used, length between them, and other notes about size of hardware, etc. Saves me from dragging my whole shedful of stuff with me!

-Tom
 
For a few years I had a one ton cube van that was the gear depot. My ATV was in there all of the time and the baby stump grinder would fit too but we wouldn't have that all of the time.

there were roll out cabinets with five gallon buckets or shelves for all of the gear. Racks for saws and polesaws. At a glance it was easy to see if anything was missing. Everything that was needed for any job was in the cube. We didn't carry steel cabling but we did have dynamic along at all times. A number of spare parts were in file cabinet drawers for repairs too.
 
I have in the past considered a fully enclosed landscape trailer.Complete w a working shop.Work table ,tools,chain grinder,etc.Everything on there one would need to do any job!Not to mention the company colors and logo would look great that big!Fine for one crew!!! Then what do you do when you wanna split the team?we have the same issue w splitting gear !who gets what,and what gets left behind?etc!
 
you should have enough gear for both crews. rigging, saws, pole gear, ropes, bucket gear (scabbard, harness etc), blowers, rakes, barrels, bolt cutters, shovels (spade and grain), small toolbox with basic tools and small socket set, peavey, maul, wedges, etc etc.

stump grinding and log truck are seperTe crews IMO. tree crew leaves for next job, logs and stumps are done within the next few days by a whole separate crew. this way your not paying guys to watch, or paying big money to climbers to grind stumps, load logs, or shovel grindings!
 
alturnamats and a log dolly for each crew as well.

better to have too much gear than not enough.

each crew should be set up to complete ANY job. if an emergency call comes in do you run the needed gear across town and shut your job down?
 
Each crew leader is responsible to review the work orders for the day with me, then make sure they have what they need. Some days all the guys go together, some days they split up. Limited space on the trucks causes us to leave the cabling gear, shears, and other specialty tools at the shop unless their jobs for the day call for it. All the guys have their own climbing gear etc. they are responsible for, and every day we do the shuffle between trucks as needed. For the most part, the guys rarely forget to bring what they need, although sometimes they have been known to leave their hardhat or trim saw in the wrong truck. (I have threatened to put a pink hardhat in each truck for this occasion!) I don't think there is a perfect system for this, other than each crew member being responsible for a specific group of gear or equipment checks in the mornings.
 
I stand in your situation every morning Paul, and feel your pain. Usually different equipment is going out every day. Even more stressfull when we send out two crews sometimes on Saturday. I also often forget my PPE in the last truck I was in. I did by a trailer back in March/April and have yet to get it together and lettered. Got as far as getting proofs for the lettering and painted the inside of the trailer. Even the Lettering guy has called me a half dozen times wondering what was going on. Just been way to busy, not that thats a bad thing. Even things arn't getting done around the house now too. My wife will certainly agree with that
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Here's a couple of pics of the trailer.
 

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You can even see the cleveland pears in the backround are starting to flower.
 

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P.S Paul sorry we couldn't get together on Saturday, we didn't get finished til six. Now that seems to be my real madness lately is always getting done between five and six everday for a while now. Glad I'm going vacation after the 4th for a few days.
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work orders with list of spec gear needed (log dolly, shears, ect) Each truck has it's own basic gear (saws, ropes,) Each climber has his own personal gear he buys or collects in FT's case.
 
It is far easier to do ALL the transferring/fueling/dumping of chips at DAYS END! Saves so much time. We are generally leaving shop by 7:05-7:15, on site by 7:30, set up with saws going by 8:00 at the latest! A great morning start makes you far more money than bouncing around in a.m. Our guys get antsy waiting in the morning if someone is late, its funny to watch! But its a culture that is taught, the guys arent going to teach themselves.

If the job requires special gear, cabling/shears/more mats/ extra rigging etc etc it should be discussed, planned, and switched over at night, then your ready to roll out on time at 7:00.
 
I am encouraged by what Im hearing.I am not alone,but also some of these ideas are things i am thinking of. Believe me I have done alot of different things . Like outfitting each truck and then listing that trucks equipment on a laminated card . Over time things changed and the cards went Out of "fashion". I am ultimatly looking to delegate this duty to the crew foreman.I just want to equip this individual with the best most efficient ideas possible.
I am liking the input so far thanks!!
Yo Cam Im sorry we missed each other as well! well get to it one of these days !! I did have some beverages on ice in case you and the fellas showed up!!!
 
By the way Bull I love preping the trucks the night before!!! The only time that is hard to sell is on a l o n g day!! But i fully agree with that early jump thing!! It gives you good momentum!!
 
I'm proud to say I worked for Tod Kramer for a while and they were like a well oiled machine. The fleet was huge. The sales team was always there early figuring out what guys were taking what. They were on top of it. And There was little, if any, bickering among foreman. Quite a pleasant work atmosphere. I don't know what made it work though. Ha. Experience?
 
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each crew should be set up to complete ANY job. if an emergency call comes in do you run the needed gear across town and shut your job down?

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This is wise advice. We have about four different tree crews going out every day and each rig is it's own unit equipped to handle pretty much anything we come across. Works pretty smooth until someone starts snagging gear from a different crew
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jp
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