How to rotate crews

[Dbearman]

I would like some info on how you fellow linemen rotate line crews . Is there a good system to use to enable a daily rotation schedule ? We seem to have alot of bickering when crews are set for more than a few weeks . I would like info on how to do a daily crew change to present to the boss . Seems this would help with the situation to me . Thanks for any info . Bear

[Stinger]

Bear- kind of a tricky problem to rotate daily. What is the size of the outfit? I know i hate jumping from truck to truck everyday. What is the variety of the jobs? is it straight distro maint, construction, URD, transmission? Try taking the whiners and swapping them around, the problem may not be the majority of the crews but the few whinners! Putting crews together to get the safe qaulity production bang for the buck is what we strive for and at the same time try to keep harmony within the crews. Does not always work out that way. Maybe it is time for a an all hands bitch session amongst yourselfs ( LIne crews only, no management ) to find the root of the problem. I whish you luck brother.

[billfoster67]

When you rotate crews thats fine. I was on a crew doing really well with my foreman. Then I got picked for another foreman- short fused, one way street guy. I hated it. Lead to me getting fired. He blamed all his shortcomings and poor planning on me. And he had 8 lineman fired during the summer- so no one was good enough.

What I notice when you rotate crews, the new foreman forgets time or put it on the time sheet correctly. I have been short- a foreman takes a day off- the guy that takes me doesn't make my time right. Then I am running all around who shorted me. Thats the GFs job.

Rotation is good. Our styles are all different towards linework- when you get a guy that has your style, you don't have to talk to eachother on moves or how to set up the job. Thats my problem when I work for a temp for a utility, there is so much rules and obstacles to get something done, I only could get harmonious with ex construction hands. Comradery and Communication needs to get established, if you don't have it, safety is compromised. Bitterness and yelling matches happen more, focus on the task is lost.

[Genoin NW]

Changing crews is a pain in the ass. As a foreman for a large utility, I had to change at least one guy out every six months. Sometimes that worked out well and most times it didn't work at all. The flow of the crew was lost as the more time the guys work together the better they understood each other's moves and abilities. I always let them 'spread their wings' to support each other. When I got a 'cull' placed on my crew, I made sure he knew where his boundries were until he fit in. I was constantly babysitting for the first month of working together. Just when all was working.... here comes the change again. Pain in the ass!
I now work for a utility that does not do crew changes! I have been on the same crew for the past two years! I love it. We all get along and even do stuff on the weekends with our families. Best of all.... we know each others moves doing hot work. I know exactly what they are thinking! I could retire with these guys on the crew.
I know it could be a disaster if one or more were pricks but we all had a talk when we were first placed together and had an understanding of how the work will be done. Problem solved!
I can't understand how crews can be changed everyday and the crew work effectively.
Take care brothers, work safe.

[JPSURF]

We work a 4 month rotation with the foreman drawing #'s to see who pics first. Right know i have 2 journeyman and 1 hot apprentice on my crew. If i get some good apprentice work we usually add an apprentice to the crew for training.

JP