Important Question regarding Lineman Career!!

[evanlepage09]

Hello everyone I start my power line school in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2 weeks and i was wondering if anyone could help me out with a few questions. First off, as of right now i know absolutely nothing about anything a power lineman does or electricity for that matter. However my mind is a sponge and I am a quick learn so i am very excited to try and learn everything i possibly can. I was wondering 1. What the everyday life of a power lineman is like such as, start time, end time, m-f. Also i was wondering how many vacation days you get a year and how that works. 2. I wanted to know what was better a contractor or a union utility job. 3. What is the average base salary on a yearly basis for a contractor/union lineman. 3a. How much do you make in overtime on a yearly basis contractor/union. 4. How many weeks a year can you expect to work more than 40 hours? 5. How long is the average contract last for a contractor and how hard is it to stay with 1 contractor for a long period of time? 6. How long could you stay with a union utility, whole career??

If anyone could try and answer these questions for me it will be much appreciated. I always have been and always will be a hard worker and I admire anyone who is a Lineman. I myself, I'm 20 years old i want to have a good job and be a hard worker in this career path. I am however, tied down and will probably end up marrying the girl I am with right now. So i wanted to see if it was even possible in this career to stay in one location for a long period of time because i don't think it would be good for me and my future wife/family to relocate a lot or be away from them a lot.

[T-Man]

1. What the everyday life of a power lineman is like such as, start time, end time, m-f. Also i was wondering how many vacation days you get a year and how that works.
[COLOR="#0000CD"]Start and stop time depends on the outfit you work for and what the Union contract says about hours of work. Typical is start at 0700 one break aound 1000, lunch at 1200 and quit at 0330 Lunch is not always paid. Some utilities tried to have afternoon shifts and I say good luck to that
Vacation is also a union agreement usually you get 2 weeks then after some time another week is added and by the time you have 20 years in you may be getting 6 weeks of vacation so you do have to earn it

2. I wanted to know what was better a contractor or a union utility job.
Most on here will say Union utility I bet but if you can't get in there working for a contractor is a good way to build your resume so when you apply at a Utility you have an edge to start.


3. What is the average base salary on a yearly basis for a contractor/union lineman.
This depends on Union contracts but I would say between 20 and 30 bucks an hour

3a. How much do you make in overtime on a yearly basis contractor/union.
Don't count your chickens before they hatch. . .You will be required to work overtime and I recommend you do your fair share. I also recommend you weasel sack that money and not use it to base your life style on, because when that dries up your boned.


4. How many weeks a year can you expect to work more than 40 hours? This depends on the economy and how building is going, how many storms roll thru and how big of an outfit you work for and the size of the territory


5. How long is the average contract last for a contractor and how hard is it to stay with 1 contractor for a long period of time? Usually a contractor works for a Utility and if there is enough work for the Utility crews to where it spills over then the contractors stay on their contract, but when things dry up in one place the contractor moves to the next water hole and so on.



6. How long could you stay with a union utility, whole career??
I managed to stick around for 40.6 years. . .that should be enough. Not sure that is the case nowadays.

Don't worry about how much you are going to make, worry about how well you make it. Learn the trade, work safe and the rest will happen the way it's supposed to.
Good Luck

[Highplains Drifter]

Hello everyone I start my power line school in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2 weeks and i was wondering if anyone could help me out with a few questions. First off, as of right now i know absolutely nothing about anything a power lineman does or electricity for that matter. However my mind is a sponge and I am a quick learn so i am very excited to try and learn everything i possibly can. I was wondering 1. What the everyday life of a power lineman is like such as, start time, end time, m-f. Also i was wondering how many vacation days you get a year and how that works.
We are like farmers and work sun up to sundown, Normal jobs are 5/10 hour days from 6:30am to 5:00pm working through lunch.


2. I wanted to know what was better a contractor or a union utility job.
That depends on your career goals, what ever side you start an apprenticeship, finish it before going to the other side.


3. What is the average base salary on a yearly basis for a contractor/union lineman.

That depends on location, the cost of living varies through out the country.

3a. How much do you make in overtime on a yearly basis contractor/union.
That depends on storms, dead line dates of projects and each individual’s desires.



4. How many weeks a year can you expect to work more than 40 hours?
I like to work 44 weeks of more then 40 so I can take and have some quality time off.

5. How long is the average contract last for a contractor and how hard is it to stay with 1 contractor for a long period of time?
Depends on the project for a length of time. Why do you want to marry yourself to one employer? A good year is at least six W-2s from different contractors.


6. How long could you stay with a union utility, whole career??
I will like to hear what others say about this, myself.




If anyone could try and answer these questions for me it will be much appreciated. I always have been and always will be a hard worker and I admire anyone who is a Lineman. I myself, I'm 20 years old i want to have a good job and be a hard worker in this career path. I am however, tied down and will probably end up marrying the girl I am with right now. So i wanted to see if it was even possible in this career to stay in one location for a long period of time because i don't think it would be good for me and my future wife/family to relocate a lot or be away from them a lot.

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[bren guzzi]

Read as many posts on here as you can...... There is no difinitive answer to what your asking. You will get a good idea from reading as much on this forum as ya can. Every firm is different and even within firms there are different crews.... I work away from home for ten days and then get home for four. But every outfit is dfferent... You stick with it though.... I'm doing this job well over thirty years and it has enabled me to travel the world. And met some great people.... Keep your head down and you will soon know if its for you. Or not. You will either love it or hate it there's no inbetween........ Wish ya all the best ...


NoW start going through the threads. You won't understand a lot of what is being talked about now. But if ya throw enough "chite at a wall" some of it would STICK.... !!!!! . BE LUCKY. !

[rcdallas]

Don't plan on being in your home town or a fixed area. Plan to relocate anywhere. Overtime comes and goes. Base your life on 40 hours.

Take the time to read whats on here.

[evanlepage09]

I will def. be reading up on this forum and others alike. I want to know everything i possibly can about a power lineman and the industry. From The way things run to the way things work, etc... I want to be the best lineman i can possibly while also being the best person and best future husband/father i can be simultaneously. I chose to do pursue this trade/career to try and be something different and go down a different path from all of my college friends and deadbeat friends. So excited for the challenge, thanks again for the feedback!

[jozmo]

Hello everyone I start my power line school in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2 weeks and i was wondering if anyone could help me out with a few questions. First off, as of right now i know absolutely nothing about anything a power lineman does or electricity for that matter. However my mind is a sponge and I am a quick learn so i am very excited to try and learn everything i possibly can. I was wondering 1. What the everyday life of a power lineman is like such as, start time, end time, m-f. Also i was wondering how many vacation days you get a year and how that works. 2. I wanted to know what was better a contractor or a union utility job. 3. What is the average base salary on a yearly basis for a contractor/union lineman. 3a. How much do you make in overtime on a yearly basis contractor/union. 4. How many weeks a year can you expect to work more than 40 hours? 5. How long is the average contract last for a contractor and how hard is it to stay with 1 contractor for a long period of time? 6. How long could you stay with a union utility, whole career??

If anyone could try and answer these questions for me it will be much appreciated. I always have been and always will be a hard worker and I admire anyone who is a Lineman. I myself, I'm 20 years old i want to have a good job and be a hard worker in this career path. I am however, tied down and will probably end up marrying the girl I am with right now. So i wanted to see if it was even possible in this career to stay in one location for a long period of time because i don't think it would be good for me and my future wife/family to relocate a lot or be away from them a lot.

What made you choose this vocation?

[evanlepage09]

My girlfriend saw it on the news that they were advertising for a lineman school in Cincinnati so i took it upon myself to do some research and decide to pursue a career as a lineman. I tried the whole college thing twice and it didn't work out, i didn't know and still dont know what i want to do with my life. I just know that I'm a hard worker and i want a good job that i can be proud of and that can support my future family. I played football my whole life so i know what it's like to push yourself and be around a bunch of guys and in a team-like atmosphere. I just know that any trade job these days is just as good if not better than a 4 year degree. Most kids graduating aren't even finding jobs out there, trade jobs are good for job security and have great benefits.