Who loads your truck in the morning?

[crcarey]

The company I work for is trying to save time crews spend in the barn. With that in mind, they are looking to have non linemen unload and load line trucks. Does anyone do this currently or any thoughts on the subject? Also, what do you think the average time spent in the barn in the morning to load and the end of the day to unload is at your location?

[topgroove]

You'll find this in utilities all over. companies waste boatloads of money on these stupid time studies. My advise just go with it. Go to work in the morning. Gather your crew and leave the barn as soon as you can. If you start at 7:00AM be out the door at 7:02AM.Get everyone on board. When you get to the job and find out the non-lineman who stocked the truck stocked the wrong material call the shop and ask for the correct material to be delivered. I gaurantee everyday at least one truck will be asked to return to the barn because of something that just popped up. At the end of the day take some time to make a list of all the material you used and whatever your gonna need the next day. After a month all the trucks are gonna have so much useless crap on em there gonna weigh 20 tons:D

[LEAFMAN]

I've heard of utilities that have their mechanics get the trucks fueled and running in the mornings ready for the guys to head out, but not stocked. We have neither. It's hard for us to get the right stock to go out on the job sometimes because of engineering dept designing the job has trouble gettin their heads out of their asses!!! :p

[glover]

engineer designs job, including material he thinks will complete job, paperwork is sent to stores, via computer. Stores gathers all material and loads on pallets, then puts in yard under truck # that is assigned by dist supervisor.
crew comes to work picks up paperwork, goes to area where material for job is waiting for pick up by crew, crew loads material. Crew gets to job foreman, lineman, look over job, decide that material cannot work for job, back to yard to stores to order what they need to complete the job in a safe and fast manner. This scenario is multiplied by the # of crews in yard..some days you can load and get out in 20 minutes, some-days it can take hrs, depends on # of crews ahead of you. Unloading is usually done it about 30 minutes, which includes cleaning of truck. Next day same story different act..

[MI-Lineman]

They've tried to "preload" jobs in the evenings which was basically settin out the materials for each crew for you to grab the next mornin but every day the plans change when bad urd or car poles come in and stock just ends up piling up in the shop!:o

I don't agree with any one other than the crew assigned to a truck messin with it especially when out of date blankets seem to magically pop up on a vehicle audit! We can be discharged for "rubber goods infractions!":mad:

[AEE/linehand]

I believe in the early days, most every crew had something called a groundman. Cleaning off the trash @ the end of the day is always a pain when your usually whistle bit. I would also assume that these people were not just there doing nothing before they started loading so if they are creating jobs then A+. I would work with them to your advantage. I work on 2 & 3 man crews so I would welcome any help.

[Trbl639]

3man crew on a truck..foreman got the job...ape got the water/ice and everyday materials.........jl and foreman got the job material.........all loaded the wood............then thy kiited things...boss got the job, ape did the ice/water keg, aand the boss and jl checked the kit for the right stuff, and loaded the wood.............whenya got a 3man crew with a bucket and digger truck......takes longer to stock the 2 trucks and check the kit...........

[wtdoor67]

It seems all co's try a different method. They all have their drawbacks. I've messed with those kitted jobs put on a pallet out in the yard and then heavy rains raise hell with the cardboard containers. Some wrap them in shrink wrap to protect them.

PSO had not too bad a method of this. If the job could be placed on an enclosed dock. Large jobs with lots of material tho, just a hassle sometimes.

The crews where I last worked carried a large amount of truck stock. This saved the day many times.

The way the bean counters want to keep track of stuff the kitting or some form of it will always be the norm I guess.

I don't think I've ever seen them assign a special person to load the trucks. Used to have a warehouseman fuel up and ice the coolers.

[CPOPE]

These NY City folk have this preloading of stock down to a science. Their UG crews work 3 shifts around the clock. Material and tools are stocked in utility trailers and deposited at/near in the field location or manholes required. Some craft workers take public transportation to worksite. Others scoop vans or cable trucks and travel to site. The qualified workers work and unqualified stores, material handler individuals shag deliver and load stock and equipment as required.


Interesting discussion, different platforms handle it differently....What comes around goes around I guess.....

[crcarey]

All excellent comments, thank you!

[Highplains Drifter]

I have been in yards where the yard grunts will clean the trash out of the truck's belly or the pole trailer. Lots of yards don't issue each job but lots of things are prefabbed. Xarms framed and Tx banks are already built. We restocked our own truck stock.