Ground Guy Skills Checklist

NickfromWI

King of Splices
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So we hired a couple of ground guys a few months ago. Thought it might be time to streamline the doling out of raises. Me and the climbers put together this list showing things guys could do to get a raise. I have a feeling there is a lot of stuff missing that we just drew a blank on.

Wanted to throw it out there and see what you folks think. What should I add, remove, move, etc? It's a first draft- so it needs some work. (can the House handle PDFs? I think we are about to find out)

View attachment Ground Guy Responsibilities.pdf

love
nick
 
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  • #5
Not that I'm aware of. There is a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG document that shows how to be a ground guy. I should run through that and see what ideas I should adopt for this checklist.

I want to be able to hand this to a new guy and say, "ok- now you make $10/hr (or whatever it is) . As soon as you can do these things, we'll bump you up to $11/hr. As soon as you can do it all, you'll make $13/hr.

I want to give them the power to earn a raise instead of waiting for me to arbitrarily decide it's time.
 
Thing is with groundies, is generally they get rubbish money for a back breaking monotonous job, if they had many skills they wouldn't be doing the job in the first place.
Still, if they could sharpen a saw that would be nice....
 
I like the idea Nick.

Grease the chipper and change the knives
Check fuel and bar oil quantities at the end of the day - Make sure your good to go for the following day
Rake properly - everyone knows what a rake is, but not everyone knows how to use it
Show the ability to have etiquette and professionalism on a job site
 
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  • #9
MB- yeah I've seen that plenty of times. Good info in there.

FJR- good call. I'm going to add your ideas!


love
nick
 
Hey Nick for 2nd raise if they are going to be driving? I think you should add checking fluids, truck log, and most importantly walking around vehicle and chipper before driving double checking everything is tied down, no KIDS are decided to hide underneath, lights work. Thanks for posting I hope this helps!
 
If you can get groundmen to check fluids every other day, you have a good thing going. More engines blow up from low fluids then anything. Write oil change intervals on the filters and encourage groundmen to be diligent about checking on that in their spare time. They use these machines. Its nothing less then critical that they are observant of the fluids. For a long time, this task will seem useless. But one day, someone will say, "Hey, this oil is whiteish colored". On that day, he just saved you serious money.

My last groundman would get under the truck back at the yard now and again and drain fluids from rears and replace the fluids. By his own choosing. 10 minutes of work here and there at the end of the day. Saves big money on blown rears. Hauling chips and pulling chippers puts some serious work on those rears. A groundman keeping good oil in there when he gets downtime at the yard will save you a big mechanic/tow truck bill one day. Now, its mountainous here. We chew up rears and trannies in this turf like you wouldn't believe. Not so bad where you are. But stop and go driving with a load on and a chipper is abusive in itself.
 
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  • #15
Pay more, expect more. 13/hr would be a slap in the face on my crew

Unfortunately, there are too many people doing the work for minimum wage (or less) here in LA. So $13/hr here is pretty darn good.

Not good enough, and when I can, I'll go more. But for now I know that I'm paying well above market rates.


love
nick
 
Every market is different. Theres men taking home $13 an hour to raise a family around here. They struggle. But $13 around here will get plenty of attention from willing men. I have paid men less, and I have paid men more.
 
FJR's etiquette & professionalism is an area I have sometimes been disappointed with.
Outbursts of profanity, (within earshot of a client), worn out/torn shirts, track pants, surly attitudes, missing PPE.
One worker was responsible for most of that, and he packed it in last summer after figuring out that getting lippy with a really tired climber up a tree (who happened to be me) is not a career enhancing move.
 
Kids flipping burgers at McDonalds here earn over 10.00/hr!
minimum wage in Ontario is something like $10.25, so $13/hr will get you only an economy model sub compact no frills worker who will drive you bonkers.
 
A basic understanding of rigging, and knots, chain filing/gas/oil/chain tension/operation, knowing how to turn a wrench on basic repairs
 
$15 an hour here, provided you treat them with dignity and respect, and let them up for air on the job, will get you a guy that will saw his leg off if you ask him nicely.
 
Pay is relative to location. Up here everything is expensive. Including wages.

I'm hard to work for/with. But I pay well.

It's not that I'm an ass but I'm demanding. No more than I'd demand from myself though.
 
Interesting approach, nick.

I"ll pay you if you make my day easier. My current guy is a little slow on the uptake, though decent on rope and other things. He absolutely lacks in clean up techniques, memory, and keeping busy skills. I can climb the tree, come down, and stack the brush for the mini or winch before he gets back from his walk to the truck for a sip of water. Thats how i roll, lets rock and roll so we can get home. I pay for it at the end of the day, just the anxiety in me that cant press the pause button. But i expect you to try to keep up when I'm slaughtering the job myself.

I tell him future raises are based off current work practices. I even waved that new saddle in his face today to try to bribe him as he likes to get aloft. He says forgetfulness runs in the family. Lol

Oh well~
 
I pay my guy $20/hour and he's more than worth it. I throw him extra on the really good jobs. A good groundie is priceless! Starter, i will still pay $15.00/hour. But i would be looking for experience. I really don't want to hire a complete newb or guys i would get for offering 10.25/hour. Get what ya pay for around here. BUt wage is also market driven. Our economy is really good here so people will spend money on trees, in turn i make more, i make more my people make more.
 
Pay is relative to location. Up here everything is expensive. Including wages.
I'm hard to work for/with. But I pay well.
It's not that I'm an ass but I'm demanding. No more than I'd demand from myself though.

Your post describes me to a T.
Even $20/hr produces workers ranging from sublime to infuriating.
It is awesome when you buy them lunch sometimes, and the odd one will expect to also be paid for the time spent eating it!
 
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