Ticket loads this year

[TheCableVine]

I'm pretty sure my ticket loads are down this year about 20%. Just guessing on that but that is what it feels like.

Anyone else seeing this?

[underground quester]

Steve:

I cannot say for certain but I really do believe we are down. Could not say the percentage.

Whats peculiar is that our economy is moving along really well, but houses are not selling due I believe to overpricing.

Not as much new subdivision grading leveling this year either which would make sense if houses are not selling.

Road work is down as well as there was too much activity last year which lead to substantial gouging on prices.

[Mr810]

Well ours in northern Indiana are up.... some of our areas seem to be up by 30 or 40% if i had to guess a percentage........

[sprayandpray]

The load has remained about the same here in N.Tx. The housing starts are down but with all the other activity going on ie: Verizon still installing several hundred drops per day and expanding into ATT territory; 100,000 gas line repairs, and cities and counties getting a chance to play catch-up with developers gives us all of the work we want or need. But, if the rest of the country is slowing, that might be what USIC is seeing and why they instituted this hiring freeze.

[Goldenboy]

It's hard to say weather we are above or below average. I know as far as ticket counts I have had more than ever this year. This is just my area but I think as a district we are about on course for a typical year.

I do know this is the first year we don't have to ask if we can work OT on the weekends. It is pretty much expected that we all work most every weekend. The extra hours seem to be coming from losing some experienced guys and gaining a ton of trainees. Once the trainees come up to speed we should be doing quite well out here.

[USIC1]

About the same load... Just more shortcuts so seems less...


:cool:

[beyond help]

In this one state recession, we are way down, but we were severely understaffed, and had to hire a few locators

[yahoo]

in north louisiana it's up about 20% but down south the numbers are down .....this is very odd to say the least if any of you know anything about my state..... more ot for me so i m ok with our situation

[TBONE]

We started off a little slow now we are slowly picking up the tickets counts are down but the tickets sizes are up lots of big locates :censored:

[Goldenboy]

We haven't slowed down a bit this year. It seems like it's never gonna end. I don't know if the ticket load is up or if it's just because our office has sent quite a few locators out of state too help. All I know is there is still plenty of OT to go around and it's the heat of summer.

[yahoo]

still getting it here in la.......................hasn't slowed a bit with the gas prices.....up to 405 a gallon.....going to work in a little while upstate......heading to the hotel....at least the family and i will get to see the fireworks on the river tonight.....

[gypsygirl]

Not sure about the difference in ticket loads this year.. as I spent most of last summer on the road... but it seems to be down a bit from what I remember. New housing market still seems to be going strong though.

[Goldenboy]

Is the summer slow down ever gonna get here?

It's going to be fall rush soon and we haven't had our summer slow down.

[Hurricane9]

Sorry to hear that Golden. I know I look forward to the couple weeks at the end of August when tickets drop just enough where I can get home in time for dinner. Hopefully the fall rush hits later, and lasts a little longer into December. If that happens, maybe the lull will hit a little later for you

[gypsygirl]

Now last year we were slowing down quite a bit at this time... haven't seen much of that yet.... fall push is coming just around the corner...

[underground quester]

Well, I do have to say I truly have a NEW FOUND appreciation for all of you out there that work long weeks w/o days off, etc.

Man, we are losing people faster than any year in the past and already are in real trouble. I have been busier than hell working really late ( up to 4:30 pm....JUST FRIKIN KIDDING!!!!!!) Tonite I walked in the door just past 8 pm and we are now starting at 06:30AM. Even worked Saturday.

Holy Crap, if I wanted a real job where I really had to work, I'd have joined a road paving crew!!!

Add to that the fact that most days have been in the high 90's for weeks now. The combination of long days and the heat has me dragging my sorry butt.

I really do have to say though that management truly recognizes our situation and our accomplishments. Last Saturday morning, they had a surprise breakfast of ham and eggs, on the grill when we walked in the office, with toast and a really great choice of juices, etc. Told us to take our time with breakfast, on their dime!

Plus, I got handed a $50.00 gift certificate AND had a $100.00 BONE-US (hah...see I remembered SPRAY) on my paycheque.
Overall, I was pretty pleased.

[gypsygirl]

Congrats UGQ & kudos to your employer! It is good to hear about the positives around here also... griping just promotes griping and unhappy locators... and we all know what happens when locators aren't happy... (errr... maybe a better word is content)... anyway... Thanks UGQ for sharing that! I hope things at least cool off for you soon... we finally got a break in the weather... now I am fighting off depression of the cold winter to come... I'll just pretend I am Scarlet O'hara... "I won't think about that today....." I'll worry about that later!

[sprayandpray]

It's nice to see some of us work for a company, or DM, that appreciates the locators. We feel extremely privileged when our DM shows up with 2 doz regular glazed donuts! Also, another mandatory week-end:puke:

[USIC1]

Congrats UGQ & kudos to your employer! It is good to hear about the positives around here also... griping just promotes griping and unhappy locators... and we all know what happens when locators aren't happy... (errr... maybe a better word is content)... anyway... Thanks UGQ for sharing that! I hope things at least cool off for you soon... we finally got a break in the weather... now I am fighting off depression of the cold winter to come... I'll just pretend I am Scarlet O'hara... "I won't think about that today....." I'll worry about that later!



Its not just about griping it could be more about whos in the forum trying to play suck up...

Dont think that sucking up done in the field only stays in the field...

Its rampant on this forum...

All that rhetoric is a follow the herd - who can get the most points with all the shadow lurking upper management-

herds

cow pies

shrooms

Crispy Kremes

texas

Theres a lot of talking in tongues

goin on around here...

And you dont need to indulge in a blunt to see whos stirring the pot this time...


:hammer:

[yahoo]

usic1 i feel you have proven to be innocent this time.....if that makes u feel any better

[sprayandpray]

usic1 i feel you have proven to be innocent this time.....if that makes u feel any better

Yeah , maybe this time, but I bet it doesn't last for long! Now if I could just understand his last post:confused::confused:

[USIC1]

Think of it this way-

Its so far beyond...(5000th paint can level)

All reason and comprehension was left in the dust...

Now thats a lot of residual fumes...

SO READ THAT SAFETY DATA SHEET THAT SEEEMS TO HAVE CONVENIENTLY DISAPPEARED FROM THE INDIVIDUAL CASES OF PAINT...

That s the NEXT lawsuit in the pipeline...

Lack of precaution taken and long term health effects of locators...


:applause:

Now what was this thread again???

[sprayandpray]

What's this new malady to be called. "Orange Lung"? :confused: If a Class Action suit is filed, Count Me In! I like those free $$$:greenapple:

[Goldenboy]

It's funny because contractors and homeowners alway ask how I can stand the smell of the paint. I honestly rarely ever even notice it. On a very calm morning when I spray a line and then bend over to put a flag in I'll notice it. It definately can't be good for us.

[alphabeyotch]

Ha!
I remember one year, very early in my time locating, the company accidentally ordered a shipment of lead paint.

Yeah, they do still make it apparently.

Actually, I doled out one case over a couple of years - if we REALLY needed hard marks to stick, I brought out the "special paint" LOL


Then there was the solvent-based paint that would appear once in a while by mistake...

What I have noticed now that I am out of locating a couple of years...my sense of smell is returning...

[sprayandpray]

Ha!
I remember one year, very early in my time locating, the company accidentally ordered a shipment of lead paint.

Yeah, they do still make it apparently.

Actually, I doled out one case over a couple of years - if we REALLY needed hard marks to stick, I brought out the "special paint" LOL


Then there was the solvent-based paint that would appear once in a while by mistake...

What I have noticed now that I am out of locating a couple of years...my sense of smell is returning...

Watch out Sic1, you're going to be in closed quarters soon and if your sense of smell returns...well, it might not be pleasant:puke:

[Goldenboy]

Well it still continues to get even busier but then I ran across these pictures and I'm not sure that I'm ready for winter yet.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/predrunner/PhotoImage.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/predrunner/handhole.jpg

[MidnightElectric]

Here in non Chicago N. IL. we seem to be on par with last season. New home const. is down but road/bridge reconstruction and general infrastructure projects are going full bore. I don't think I've gone a week this season without having at least one ROW to ROW several block/mile long ticket.:smash:

[yahoo]

Well it still continues to get even busier but then I ran across these pictures and I'm not sure that I'm ready for winter yet.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/predrunner/PhotoImage.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/predrunner/handhole.jpg



nope!!!!!!!!!!! thats it!! it's settled...i'll never locate in the snow!!!!!!!!

[BratPrince]

At the start of the busy season here in Kansas, from the middle of March to the middle of April we received over 10,000 more tickets than we did during that time last year. Plus the addition of a new utility. I haven't kept up with the numbers since. Been too busy.

[TheCableVine]

Our ticket loads are still down. I'm getting off anywhere from 1:00 to 4:00. Its kinda nice but it kinda sucks money wise.

[yahoo]

maybe you could do some moonlighting in maybe........................uh..............nazi dictatorship night classes????? hahhahhahhah

[Goldenboy]

It's finally starting to slow down here in WI. I'm sure we'll still get one strong push before the frost gets here but for right now the ticket volume is definately down. I'm taking advantage of it and cutting out a little early each day and trying to get some crap done around the yard before winter.

[yahoo]

the hurricane's have created a little bit extra for us for the rest of this year....all good....won't believe this worked 79 hours last week.........

[sprayandpray]

We are still blowing and going down here - mandatory Sat OT again this week for some crews. The only industry really in a funk here is car , RV sales and new homes. Existing home sales are on the rise again.

[USIC1]

All I could think of was Spray killin the comany on OT in the big speech today!!!!

:hammer:

[sprayandpray]

All I could think of was Spray killin the comany on OT in the big speech today!!!!

:hammer:

Hey, Stayton said there was plenty of overtime budgeted, it just needed to be used in the proper places and by the 'efficient' locators. I don't know about the rest of you SM&P locators, but that description was written just for me!:D