For Those Linemen Over 40.....

[dooghi]

46 years old here It is kind of off and on depends what we are doing. Somtimes though we hit 10 to 15 poles a day, if we wre stringing wire and then it might be a week or so of one or two a day if we are doing small jobs. then you have the underground days It is a little harder specialy with the bigger conducter and the ten foot crossarms.

[Genoin NW]

I just turned 56 in May. I'm very proud to say that I insist to climb everyday. I've been in the trade for 31 years now and love to climb! I have been a foreman for at least one third of those years and still rather climb than work in a bucket. That's how I stay fit and 'tuned up'. I teach climbing at Lineman Rodeos and at the local High Schools on career days.
During my apprenticeship, I had a journeyman that took me under his wing and taught me all he had. I have never forgot what he did for me and never will. I pass on his wisdom everyday and his passion for climbing.
I have a pole in mind for my last working day... It's a 90 footer located just outside our yard. Bring your camera!

[southernIndy]

Going on 53 years old. Still climb when I have too to get the job done.
I like to climb and do this work. 30 years at company in Jan.

[graybeard]

52 and was just up one on the 5th to cut a jumper open. We work hard on doing ALL our own work so if its needs climbing we do it. Only 2 of us right now so we take turns for the most part. We're kind of lucky that we only have one guy who hates to climb so if I get him with me I try to make him as much as possible. Climbing is part of the job and when it needs to be done its awsome when when you work with guys who all are still willing to GET YOUR SHIT ON.

[buzzit125]

I'm soon to be 51, in the trade 31 years.
Well; for me it's underground one day maybe two, then overhead the rest?
I have worked jobs that were nothing but easement work, all by hand. Dig, set climb. That job lasted almost 5 years. so glad to see that conversion job go away. That reminds me of a poem. Dig a hole, set a pole, hang a pot, make it hot, mess around, burn it down, hit the ground, to the foreman's frown, hire a man, fire a man, all in a days work. Oh the pole climbing thing.. "In the old days", (see I can say that). Lineman did the Over Head work, and the Under Ground men did all the URD work. Today everybody wants a cross-trained, multi-tasking, High voltage power lineman. So for me its all about the work to be performed that week. All I know is, we have a lot of easements out there. Like I tell all the cubs, they bring it in from overhead somewhere. the hooks are here to stay.

[LostArt]

Wow. I'm truly impressed guys.

So far:

9 do it every day

10 do it once a week

10 do it a few times a year

and 6 rarely do it unless trouble or storms


And it seems by your posts, that most of you are over 50. Very impressive.

[mscheuerer]

Buzz is right;

Here in Jersey (PSE&G) you more than likely have your hooks hanging in your truck. It's pretty much case specific depending on what type of area and/or urban terrain your dealing with. (always try the bucket first i'll admit) I also must agree also, it's bad enough your out by yourself and meet up with your 2-3 man crew (in seperate trucks i might add) when doing work. The days of full truck crew gangs are just about gone, at least here on the east coast. They definetly want a cross trained line hand capable of handling most tasks at hand now'a'days.

-M

[Swollen Tongue]

Yeah, they want to cross train the lineman for URD. Don't see em cross training the narowbacks to tool up and jin in a few pots.

[LostArt]

Refresh my memory please. Is a narrowback one that works trouble?

[Orgnizdlbr]

Refresh my memory please. Is a narrowback one that works trouble?

Its a Wireman, not a Lineman.....