A few things i don't agree with here. The first week on the job, you need to see how your crew works and follow their lead. Every crew is different. For example, my crew doesn't take a lunch. You can bring a lunch, but if you are sitting down when the rest of us are working, it's not gonna earn you any brownie points. And stay away from my chipper with the grease gun until i teach you how to do it. I'm actually a bigger fan of someone who on their first week asks "what needs to be done next?" You have no idea-it's a waste of time to just pick up a rake and go to town when we are still going to be dragging brush over the area. Ask, odds are i'll have something for you to do-initiative is great but you need to know what actually needs to be done first. Of course, after the first week, i'll start expecting you to know enough to start showing some initiative. Here are some things i expect or tell guys their first couple weeks with me-like i said, every crew is different.
Show up on time or even a little early-mega brownie points with me.
Show up dressed to work-shorts and sneakers will get you sent home.
Bring extra gloves, coat, hoodie, etc. I'll be glad to let you borrow my gloves now and then, but don't make a habit of it. The rest of my stuff won't fit you-you get wet 9am and you're gonna stay wet the rest of the day.
Bring a pair of tinted safety glasses-you are gonna be doing alot of looking up.
Keep the whining to a minimum. A couple "it's a cold one today, isn't it?" in the yard at the start of the day is fine. If you keep bringing up the temp, by 3pm, i'm gonna kick your ass-i know it's cold, i'm out in it with you, and frankly i'm tired of being reminded that i'm an idiot for being out in the cold.
And if i hear any variation of the "climbing looks easy, can I do it to get of ground work?" and you'll be on the ground the rest of your career on my crew. Of course, whining is fine if you just ripped off a fingernail, or one of your brand new gloves just went through the chipper. Just don't keep harping on it.
Don't touch my saws till i deem you worthy. After a few weeks, if you seem to have a brain cell or two, i'll let you fill the gas and oil.
Make sure you know how the stihl caps work.
Learn and practice the proper way to tie a pole or a saw onto a rope for a climber to haul up. The knot come undone at 30 feet and you are not gonna like my reaction.
Click the locks closed on my poles when putting them away.
Treat my equipment decently. Using it is fine, using it hard isn't even a problem. Abuse it though, and i will abuse you.
Asking how something is done is great. Asking how something is done to kill time and get out of a job i just gave you is not so great. Giving an opinion will get you lumped up.
Asking how something is done for the tenth time will cause me to start wondering if the boss is hiring out of the special ed classes.
Until you prove to me differently, my grcs is more valuable than you. If you see a limb headed for it, it's time to sacrifice your body. I'll let you know when you become more valuable than the grcs.
NO ROAD RAKINGS THROUGH MY CHIPPER. NO ROAD RAKINGS THROUGH MY CHIPPER. NO ROAD RAKINGS THROUGH MY CHIPPER.
Don't coil my ropes. Even if there are six of them lying around and you want to help, trust me, don't. The rat's nest most newbs end up with can become a headache.
I yell headache, don't just stand there looking up at me. MOVE. Odds are something big is gonna land right where you are standing.
Keep walking under a tree when my saw is running, and i will drop something on you. It will start small, but i once had a groundie who didn't learn till i topped a skinny little maple out on top of him. (He was fine, the top was all bush and leaves. But he learned his lesson.)
If i see your foot off the ground anywhere in the vicinity of the chipper feed chute (i.e. pushing something into the feed wheels with your foot) you will be fired.
If you have to take a dump, be prepared to bare your butt in the chip box. I'll supply toilet paper, but i ain't gonna run you to the nearest store to use the bathroom.
Be prepared to work odd hours. You are not gonna get back to the yard every day at 3. You'll get back to the yard when the job is done or it's too dark.
Start slow-master dragging brush and i'll move you on. I'm not gonna teach you to run a rope your first day on the job so don't even ask. You gotta prove yourself.
Learn how to spot hangers, especially on trim jobs.
Hope this helps a bit. Remember, you are low man on the totem pole. Every other guy on the crew knows more than you, so don't show up with a chip on your shoulder or the job will be hell. Good luck.
