Spring Rush

**Goldenboy** · February 19th, 2009, 05:36 PM

Well for us locators working in the midwest we've been locked down to 40 hours since December. Normally sometime in mid-March to early April the hour restrictions are lifted. I can forsee this year the spring rush being early. I'm already getting in sign tickets, stump tickets, and homeowner landscaping tickets. I can't wait to start making some money again.

With all the planning tickets and the known projects coming in for this year I think it's going to be a very busy year even with the economy in a slump. What's everyone else's outlook on this upcoming dig season.

Everyone pray to the ticket gods for me. I'm ready to buckle down and start working some overtime.

**Wag** · February 19th, 2009, 06:34 PM

I just finished a work week where I got over 40hrs, for the first time since probably early November. My town is the busiest in the county, with several projects already getting started.

**yahoo** · February 19th, 2009, 06:55 PM

hope things pick up for you Golden!!!!!!!!!! am bowing down to the utility gods now!!!! hahhahaahahhah

**flagsrme** · February 19th, 2009, 07:38 PM

On my team we have only four locators out of 10 working and only get about 15 hrs a week. But this is the norm for us until mid of April.

**6feetunder** · February 19th, 2009, 08:18 PM

We just had a few warm days in a row last week where it got around 50 degrees and our ticket volume doubled during that period. Me thinks that's a good indicator that people are eager to dig. I already know of a number of projects that will be starting as soon as the weather breaks so we should be cranking up here pretty soon.

**locatethis** · February 19th, 2009, 09:15 PM

Down here in S. Fl there are no dig seasons. They dig all year long. Plenty of long road jobs to use up a case of paint a day! Boring crews tripping over each other, shooting in every direction with direct conflicts everywhere. The fun never stops!

**big boots mcghee** · February 20th, 2009, 10:05 PM

In the midwest this year, things were slower than normal, even by slow winter standards. Things are steadily picking up, and it seems like contractors are eager to get going, but there's still not enough work to get our whole crew back in the field yet. Normally by the third week of February I'm getting some overtime in, and by mid-March the kid gloves come off and my dig season begins. My only hope is that this year I'm still able to do what I've always done and make decent money during dig season. If they take that away it's definitely time to pursue other things.

**TBONE** · February 20th, 2009, 11:39 PM

Well if the bottom hasn't dropped out here we are finally busy.....weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!

**sprayandpray** · February 21st, 2009, 06:35 AM

1st week-end off for the entire crew since last March! Hallelujah!!

**Wingfoot** · April 15th, 2009, 06:51 AM

Every day here is cold, wet & windy. I'm wading in mud and still wearing my winter work clothes. To add to the woe, Kansas City is back to restricted hours...... Ticket loads are down 20% from a year ago.

I work in a Kansas City suburb of 90,000 population, the sixth-largest city in Missouri, with only 2.8% population that live below the poverty line. Those upper, middle-class wannabes, that are honest to what they can afford, move to my part of the world. And they have been building new houses ($225,000 and up) for the last 15 years. Housing starts was ferocious up to the bursting mortgage bubble. And when the bubble busted, the construction busted and my unlimited overtime got busted.

Last month (March 2009) only one new construction permit was issued. This month already has a 400% increase of new construction permits issued over last month, and the month is only half over! Woo Hoo! I guess the stimulus package is really working........ Yah - Right.

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**Hurricane9** · April 15th, 2009, 07:28 AM

Golden, I don't think we are going to see a very busy spring for projects. With the stimulus package money getting to the state recently, I think we are going to have a busy fall.

With any luck, there will be alot of people working overtime in the fall into early winter.

**Goldenboy** · April 15th, 2009, 07:19 PM

We definately are getting busy. Over 100 tickets in my ticket load. New home work is definately down but the utility upgrades are definately going on. Plus the cities are calling in tickets to replace all the signs that got knocked down by the snow plows over the winter(I swear they replace the exact same signs year after year). And the CATV drop tickets are rolling in also.

**sprayandpray** · April 15th, 2009, 09:28 PM

Why don't they use taller signs?

**Goldenboy** · April 15th, 2009, 10:22 PM

The signs get hit by either the snow plow itself or the wieght of the snow hitting the sign knocks it over. They are normally broke off right at the bottom. The snow plows are also very good at knocking over a ton of mailboxes each winter.

**Unclebeastis** · April 15th, 2009, 10:28 PM

I had 64 hours last week , would of had more, but had to leave early on friday, only worked 10.5 hrs. to go skiing on last time for the year. It was great !! So far this week I have 43.5 hours, with 133 tickets on my screen, and I will have to work saturday on a sign project !!