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  1. #1

    Default Troubleman's pay more than a lineman?

    Our company is real close to creating a Troubleman's position and rumor has it that it will probably be 104% of lineman scale. Up untill this point we have had a "service truck" that the lineman would rotate on every two months or so. (some districts leave the servicemen on forever.) The servicemen handle small jobs like services, D to D lights, meets with electricians, etc. They also are called when there is a trouble call that comes in during business hours. (After hours we have a lineman on call). When they create the troubleman's position the person awarded the job will be doing the exact same thing. Why does he deserve more pay? Troublework is a lot easier than line work, and you rarely work hot primary. The district that keeps the service truck running with the same guy all the time is because he doesn't really work well with others and the forman would rather not have to deal with him on there crew anyway. So, the way I see it, they're giving the most worthless lineman a pay raise. The only change will be his start time. Rumor also has it that he will start at 9:00 and get off at 8:00 with an hour lunch. 4 tens, M thru Thurs. The other troubleman will work same hours Tues. thru Fri.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    South East Texas
    Posts
    3,278

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    There is more than a few variables in that equation. First off Remember that serviceman will be working alone most of the time and that kinda sucks both from a safety standpoint and a work load aspect. If the workload aint too bad and all he does is secondary work he can still get hung out to dry if sumpin goes amiss. Next is the amount of knowledge needed to actually be a decent troubleman. When one of em calls in a bad pot or wire down he should also be prepared to answer bout a million question from the super like what could we get by with or how can we acess it and how many folks need to be sent out to accomplish the job.Couple that with bad weather on a routine work day and while most of the linemen are sittin on their ass That service guy is gonna be bowed up.Not all customers are dumb and some of em can ask some pretty complex questions, Better be prepared to answer em. Some can be downright nasty when faced with being cut off. At most utilities a troublemans position usta be a preferred job......... But thats long since passed and now they cant hardly give a troublemans job away.From my perspective a good troubleman hasta be every bit as sharp as the linemen , and there is no one to spell him off when fatigue sets in, Unlike a linecrew. So 104 percent dont sound like much for the trade off to me.Been there done that and have the tee shirt.Trust me a linemans job is better and less stressful.

  3. #3

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Pootnaigle View Post
    There is more than a few variables in that equation. First off Remember that serviceman will be working alone most of the time and that kinda sucks both from a safety standpoint and a work load aspect. If the workload aint too bad and all he does is secondary work he can still get hung out to dry if sumpin goes amiss. Next is the amount of knowledge needed to actually be a decent troubleman. When one of em calls in a bad pot or wire down he should also be prepared to answer bout a million question from the super like what could we get by with or how can we acess it and how many folks need to be sent out to accomplish the job.Couple that with bad weather on a routine work day and while most of the linemen are sittin on their ass That service guy is gonna be bowed up.Not all customers are dumb and some of em can ask some pretty complex questions, Better be prepared to answer em. Some can be downright nasty when faced with being cut off. At most utilities a troublemans position usta be a preferred job......... But thats long since passed and now they cant hardly give a troublemans job away.From my perspective a good troubleman hasta be every bit as sharp as the linemen , and there is no one to spell him off when fatigue sets in, Unlike a linecrew. So 104 percent dont sound like much for the trade off to me.Been there done that and have the tee shirt.Trust me a linemans job is better and less stressful.
    As far as our servicemen go, (they don't have that Troubleman title yet) when they get an actuall trouble call they go and check it. If it's just a line fuse, or a bad neutral or hot leg, they handle it. Almost anything else they call a line crew for assistance. As far as storm work and talking with customers all of us take call on a rotation, and make decisions like access, manpower, equipment, etc. Like I said, I'm not sure what would be more difficult for a troubleman than a lineman does day to day. NO disrespect, just my observation in my little world.
    I know back in the day they would give a seasoned lineman a little bucket or pick up and give him easy street until he retired due to respect for the time with the company/work that he had put in. It erks me to see a guy that goes through an apprenticeship, puts in a year maybe with a linecrew and spends the rest of his career doing electrician type work for better pay. Again, this is just my observation at my place of work. I'm sure it's alot different at most utilities.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Chicago Illinois
    Posts
    237

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    Our Troubleshooters make 105% of Lineman's wage. He needs to know how to build it before he can shoot trouble on it,

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    N.E. Mass.
    Posts
    2,030

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    Poot just about said what I was gonna say word for word. But when I took the T-job in 86 it was a buck above crew leader. After a few years crew leaders caught up! Anyway when someone suggested the T-job was a tit I would tell em to "bid it then".
    National Grid = Retired! US Army vet. 68 - 70
    As of April of 2010 I quit smoking! It's been hard but so far no butts! I am now an X smoker!

  6. Default

    At my company the Troubleman used to be the same pay as a Lead Lineman. Then we got "benchmarked" and out pay was put below the Lead Lineman. They said it was because we worked alone and we didn't have other people to look after. When I first started Troublemen were like Gods. It rarely got below the most senior Lineman when an opening came up. I don't know how it is in other utilities, but all that has changed. No one wants a Troubleman's job now. In addition to the pay, it's weekend work, night work, when it's raining and the crews are inside, you're out working. But it's quite a bit of responsibility and it's just not a job that everyone is cut out for. Just my 2 cents.

  7. #7

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by hotwiretamer View Post
    Our company is real close to creating a Troubleman's position and rumor has it that it will probably be 104% of lineman scale. Up untill this point we have had a "service truck" that the lineman would rotate on every two months or so. (some districts leave the servicemen on forever.) The servicemen handle small jobs like services, D to D lights, meets with electricians, etc. They also are called when there is a trouble call that comes in during business hours. (After hours we have a lineman on call). When they create the troubleman's position the person awarded the job will be doing the exact same thing. Why does he deserve more pay? Troublework is a lot easier than line work, and you rarely work hot primary. The district that keeps the service truck running with the same guy all the time is because he doesn't really work well with others and the forman would rather not have to deal with him on there crew anyway. So, the way I see it, they're giving the most worthless lineman a pay raise. The only change will be his start time. Rumor also has it that he will start at 9:00 and get off at 8:00 with an hour lunch. 4 tens, M thru Thurs. The other troubleman will work same hours Tues. thru Fri.
    I am a troubleman and believe me, I wish I could go back to being a lineman. We work rotating swing shifts, work alone constantly, do all the switching for the crews who won't work anything hot anymore. I do agree that a troubleman deserves more pay. Even when I was a lineman, I was sometimes upgraded to T-man for a day at a time or even up to a couple of weeks. You run your ass off.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,343

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    It's typical for a Lineman to think a Troubleshooter has it easy, because the lineman is working every day and on the nice days when the system is running well and all the switching is handled the TS looks like he hasn't got anything to do which isn't the case. I was training Troubleshooters at my company before I retired and our guys get a very broad training on a wide variety of equipment and problems.
    We trainied on customer problems residential, and general secondary, We tained on Substations starting on one tr one buss stations all the way up to Transmission substations and all the relays and equipment in them. We trained on all manner of switch gear which includes the gear in the local hospitals and major sports facilities and the airport. We trained on the metropolitan underground system including manhole and network vault switching, Our guys got first rsponder taining and they brought their linework abilities to work all manner of storm work. They also had responsibility for streetlight repair which included area lighting for customers.Some are trained to specialize above and beyond the regular work like using thermal imaging or troubleshooting wind fields or photovoltaic displays and biogeneration They are indespensible in my opinion and this was the greatest job I ever had myself, So unless your company has real troubleshooters like I discribed you couldn't even get a handle on what they are worth.

  9. #9

    Default

    I believe the troublemen should make more as well. Most people dont understand the hours they put in. Working alone even in the worst neighborhoods. Maxing out on hours and having to take 8 and sometimes going past that. It takes a rare breed to do it 24/7 like they do, and most really bust their ass. Most linemen gripe on call but imagine doing it EVERY week instead of one weekend a month.

  10. #10

    Default we are all lineman,arent we?

    Quote Originally Posted by Fudd29 View Post
    I am a troubleman and believe me, I wish I could go back to being a lineman. We work rotating swing shifts, work alone constantly, do all the switching for the crews who won't work anything hot anymore. I do agree that a troubleman deserves more pay. Even when I was a lineman, I was sometimes upgraded to T-man for a day at a time or even up to a couple of weeks. You run your ass off.
    to me its not important,ive been exposed to both,line-crew,and troubleshooter,2 man crew,and so on,and i think a lineman that is capable of doing both is a well trained hand,i used to think that way,but most,thats the key-word,most trouble-shooters are pretty sharp,sure some are lazy,but some ,or most of the guys i know are pretty sharp,lineman on line-crews are the same way,some slower than others,some slow,personally,im not the kind to want to impress,im there to get paid,and make a living,and to do a good job,and safe job,its weather being a lineman on a crew or a troubleshooter,both are needed.as i got older,why would i want to build a line ,just to build another one,it gets old,on the trouble guys part,your working alone,maybe 3 am in the morning,up a 45 foot pole changing out bad clamps,ectone thing you learn is,its all you,nobody to ask,nobody to warn you of hazards,nobody to fetch,climbing at night,dont look around,its all you,so give these guys a break,i happen to like it,working alone,seems like 1 lazy troubleman ruins things for the good ones,but older hands have seen this,like i have,shooting trouble that the trouble-man missed,i can go on and on,but i wont,give the guys a break,like i said,its not about money,kind of like being in the service,either you go,or you stay home,its not about the money.

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