messy trucks

[tonyou812]

The other day while i was leaving the supply house I walked passed a coulple of other contractors trucks and was shocked at what I saw in some of them.

One just had a big ole pile of stuff piled up to the ceiling, you couldnt even see the wind sheild from the back cause it was such a mess, two others

trucks didnt fair much better. If I had my name on those trucks I would be embarrased at not only the mess inside but the ratty condition of the

outside. I could imagine what some customers think when they are being charged thousands of dollars and this rolling pieces of crap pull up in their driveways.

I think this is an extremly inefficent way to work, and not only are you as the owner losing money because your guys spend time hunting for material but the homeowner is also being charged time for your guys playing "sea hunt" looking for crap.

My question is how do some of you combat a situation like this. Do you have mandatory cleaning time or do they do it on their time or what.

[mdshunk]

My question is how do some of you combat a situation like this. Do you have mandatory cleaning time or do they do it on their time or what.
Hire professionals. They don't work like that.

[satcom]

Hire professionals. They don't work like that.

Yup, If they let the truck pile up they are usually messy with all the work they do, Hire professionals, and you will not have that problem.

Many of our commercial accounts, check their vendors by inspecting the trucks, when they arrive, if they are messy, then they throw them off the list. and don't use them.

[mdshunk]

That's also a hiring secret. Figure out a way to peek in the guy's personal truck or car, or send someone out to do that for you.

[adamants]

i had an old employer whose van was always a pile of everything from one end to the other, and stuff would fall out of the doors when you opened them. i used to cringe when he would tell me to go clean it out.
can some of you guys post some pics of inside your vehicles, i am very keen to see how everyone sets up their vehicles. i am working on mine, but will post some pics for suggestions.

[mdshunk]

There have been some truck threads in the past, Adam. I suspect your query would yeild most of the same pics from before.

[adamants]

thanks, will look it up

[romexking]

That's also a hiring secret. Figure out a way to peek in the guy's personal truck or car, or send someone out to do that for you.

That IS a good trick! However, I don't think that just hiring a "professional" will get you to have clean trucks. A standard needs to be set by the owner, explained to each employee, and consequences set for a failure to keep the vehical clean EVERY day. The consequences don't have to be severe, but most importantly they must be enforced consistantly and equally.

I require, as a condition to take a vehicle home, that the truck is washed at least weekly, and the interior kept clean at all times. If my guys have time between calls, they are welcome to clean the truck at those times, but I won't pay them to come in early or stay after the last call to perform the cleaning.

[mdshunk]

I require, as a condition to take a vehicle home, that the truck is washed at least weekly, and the interior kept clean at all times.
That seems to be a popular provision. As "rent" for the ability to take the truck home, you clean and wash it on your own time, and fuel up on the way to work or on the way home. Seems reasonable, to me.

[mivey]

Hire professionals. They don't work like that.Pretty broad brush.
Two examples:
Very senior electrician. Well respected and well liked. Top notch work. Very neat work and left the site spic and span. Worked a lot in multi-million dollar homes with very picky people. Could get along with the most difficult customers. Was the go-to guy when you wanted it done right or couldn't figure out how in the world to get it done. Hard to find something he didn't know. Truck looked like Fred Sanford.

This was related to me. New building. Drove a pile through a huge trunk line affecting multiple states. The only two people the phone companies would allow in the hole over the next several days to make the patch were the two guys who had stuff cascading out of the back of the van when they opened the back door.

Just because your truck is messy does not mean you can't do a professional job.

[mivey]

I could imagine what some customers think when they are being charged thousands of dollars and this rolling pieces of crap pull up in their driveways.In one case, I'll tell you: "I'm sure glad he was able to come because he is the only one we trust to get it done right. We have used many electricians over the years because we have hundreds of rental homes and properties. When we want work done on our personal home, he is the one we call."

[electricmanscott]

Sure saying "Hire proffesionals" and the truck will be clean is simplifying the answer for the most part but like ALL stereotypes it is based on reality and fact. It does not always apply but it is a good genral rule to go by. From what I see in the field, not just applying to electricians, it is mostly true.

[JohnJ0906]

That's also a hiring secret. Figure out a way to peek in the guy's personal truck or car, or send someone out to do that for you.

I hope I am an exception to this. My personal vehicle is a mess, but I always keep my work truck organized.

[hardworkingstiff]

I guess it's official, I must be a hack.

I'm a messy person. You see, it doesn't matter to me. I don't mind messes (with my stuff). If you are paying me to do work, that's a different story. Your stuff will be looking good and work correctly and installed per code.

My stuff, I just don't care.

(except food messes, no food messes and keep the kitchen clean!)

[stickboy1375]

That seems to be a popular provision. As "rent" for the ability to take the truck home, you clean and wash it on your own time, and fuel up on the way to work or on the way home. Seems reasonable, to me.

I do take a truck home, so I will wash and clean it on my own time but I buy the cleaning products on my boss's account, and I fuel up on the way to the job, never coming home...

[hockeyoligist2]

Pretty broad brush.
Just because your truck is messy does not mean you can't do a professional job.


I Agree, I am shuffling from job to job on a minutes notice, since I am a maintenance electrician. My work is neat and professional. My truck is a mess. I can't take time to clean it on the job because as soon as you start cleaning an emergency will come up. I clean it when I am on call every 6th week, weather permitting, the only time I take it home.

[walkerj]

I fuel mine up, clean it, and do the routine maintenance on it on the weekends(oil, wiper blades, fluids).

For me, living 25 miles from the shop, I have no problem doing these things on my time in return for not having to buy gas to get to the city everyday.

I try to keep it organized, but I am often working on two or three jobs at a time and by Friday there's just a big pile of material and ladders in the bed:grin:

1345
1346

[iwire]

No crime, no rain?

[walkerj]

I knew I should have thrown something over that romex!:grin:

Caught red handed:roll:

[stickboy1375]

I'd be more worried about that propane tank...

[walkerj]

May I ask why?

[stickboy1375]

May I ask why?

For one its not secured and if you ever got into an accident... crazy stuff just happens.

[walkerj]

Actually it is secured, just can't tell from the pic, and it's empty.

What about all those trucks that carry that stuff around all over the country?:confused:
... crazy stuff just happens.
Small price to pay to stay warm

[hockeyoligist2]

walkerj, I know where to find some romex at a 5 finger discount, we have your tag number. ;)

[emahler]

Actually it is secured, just can't tell from the pic, and it's empty.

What about all those trucks that carry that stuff around all over the country?:confused:

Small price to pay to stay warm

you mean the trucks with the big placards all over them that say "Flammable"?

[emahler]

walkerj, I know where to find some romex at a 5 finger discount, we have your tag number. ;)

romex isn't expensive enough for me to travel from NJ to LA to get 3 rolls....yet

[walkerj]

HD here had 250' roll for for $36 on friday

[hockeyoligist2]

Guy at the supply house told me Thursday that they are going up 6% on all wire this Monday. SC to LA, well, not worth the trip yet! I only use romex for an emergency temp when something has to run while we pull in new THHN anyway.

[walkerj]

Guy at the supply house told me Thursday that they are going up 6% on all wire this Monday. SC to LA, well, not worth the trip yet! I only use romex for an emergency temp when something has to run while we pull in new THHN anyway.

That's the same thing they told me! It must be true

[augie47]

although it probably should not be this way, I can't help but say how much affect it has on me as I walk onto an inspection to see an organized truck and a painted backboard (other thread).
I can't help but think a lot of customers think likewise.

[hardworkingstiff]

That's the same thing they told me! It must be true

1347

It's getting wild again.

[emahler]

although it probably should not be this way, I can't help but say how much affect it has on me as I walk onto an inspection to see an organized truck and a painted backboard (other thread).
I can't help but think a lot of customers think likewise.

there is a reason that the saying 'Neat and Complete' is so popular...

[tonyou812]

Come on dudes you cant tell me that if your trucks are a big mess your as efficient as a truck that is neat and organized. I mean what does it really take to keep it neat? Ive been there, Ive worked with mechanics that were slobs, and you couldnt find anything when you needed it because it was hidden under a crusty old pizza box. And my favorite was when they would spit their dip on the floor and later expect me to clean their mess. I had no problem telling them to kiss my butt. If you want to be a pig fine but im not your maid. Get your mom to clean your mess, cause when it comes down to it its a direct reflection of how they were raised. You can tell a mamas boy when you see one.

[growler]

If you want to be a pig fine but im not your maid.

You may merely be "anal retentive" or have a more serious "obsessive-compulsive disorder". I think I would have that checked out.

I find that the neatness of my work vehicle is inversely proporional to the amount of work I'm doing at the time.

If I'm working lots of hours things are not going to be as neat as if I have lots of time on my hands. Monday morning things are much better than Friday afternoon.

I once knew a maintenance mechanic that always bragged about how clean and neat his tools looked ( as far as I know he never used them). :D

[hardworkingstiff]

I find that the neatness of my work vehicle is inversely proporional to the amount of work I'm doing at the time.

:D

Yea Yea, that's my story too! :rolleyes: :wink:

[LawnGuyLandSparky]

I fuel mine up, clean it, and do the routine maintenance on it on the weekends(oil, wiper blades, fluids).

For me, living 25 miles from the shop, I have no problem doing these things on my time in return for not having to buy gas to get to the city everyday.

I try to keep it organized, but I am often working on two or three jobs at a time and by Friday there's just a big pile of material and ladders in the bed:grin:

1345
1346

Green extention cord? Propane tank? All you're missing is the gun rack, tick dog and NASCAR sticker! :grin:

[tonyou812]

Im not anal retentive just efficient. Everything has it place. What can I say its the one thing that has really stayed with me since my time in the Marines.
My last year in was spent working with the supply chief and when I was in the restaurant buisness it was the same deal. All the French chefs wanted everything Neat and Clean. What can I say Im the "Felix Unger" of the electrical world.:)

[emahler]

here is a thought...take a look at trucks when you are in supply houses...notice the difference in employee run trucks between the companies that pay hourly and the companies that flat-rate with some sort of commission...

i'd hazard to guess that the flat rate guys are neater in general...the hourly guys have no incentive to keep it clean...if they do it off the clock, they don't get paid...on the clock they are too busy working...and it doesn't matter to them if it takes 3 mins or 30 mins to find something, they are getting paid the entire time...

now this is a broad generalization...but do your own little survey...

it has to be employees...not owner operators...

[bkludecke]

Boy, I hope none of you guys ever get a look at my desk! Come to think of it, I haven't actually seen the desk top in quite some time.

Point is; I've seen very little connection between productivity and a messy or neat truck or desk. I've had all kinds working for me over the years. I've seen some spend so much of their time fussing with the truck that they had no time to do the actual work. But hey, they sure LOOKED the part.

[electricalperson]

its a fact that its easier to work out of a clean truck. why make more work for yourself when all you need to do is put stuff back in tool boxes and on the shelves at the end of the day

[hardworkingstiff]

it has to be employees...not owner operators...

Or, someone who is apathetic about it. I think it's a personality thing (disorder if you're not apathetic :rolleyes: ).

[mivey]

Come on dudes......he quietly closes the just opened door and tiptoes silently away, thinking "ISSUES".:grin:

[mivey]

Yea Yea, that's my story too! :rolleyes: :wink:Sign me up.

[tonyou812]

You may merely be "anal retentive" or have a more serious "obsessive-compulsive disorder". I think I would have that checked out.

I find that the neatness of my work vehicle is inversely proporional to the amount of work I'm doing at the time.

If I'm working lots of hours things are not going to be as neat as if I have lots of time on my hands. Monday morning things are much better than Friday afternoon.

I once knew a maintenance mechanic that always bragged about how clean and neat his tools looked ( as far as I know he never used them). :D
keep telling your self that, but really who cares I was just making conversation. What ever floats your boat, or in my case the starship Enter..... um I mean my van.

[bikeindy]

I may be somewhere in the middle here. Being in the Air Force and working on jets you had strict tool control and the most annal retentive guy in the world was best for the job. Things were kept neat and clean and organized and controlled it had to be that way. I find I am not so good at it anymore but my van is clean and organized, it is easier to work out of it that way, but on friday at 5 PM when your done and tired of the week the van doesn't look so hot.

[mivey]

keep telling your self that, but really who cares I was just making conversation. What ever floats your boat, or in my case the starship Enter..... um I mean my van.Scotty likes engineering spic and span. She's a fine ship... um van eh? Like me own mother she is.:)

[220/221]

This topic is close to me. 26 years ago I was installing lawn sprinklers for a living. We always had an electrician hook up the 120V to our timers. I remember the location of the job and the red pickup they were driving.

They were digging thru a bed full of materials and debris trying to find a fitting (3/4 x 1/2 reducing bushing). Even to a 20 year old kid who dug trenches for a living, they looked like idiots and that image stuck with me.

As soon as I did my first "contracting" job I realized that time is indeed money. Every minute I saved by being organized meant more money in my pocket.

This is the evolution of many, many truck designs from mini pick ups to the current 16foot box vans.


To answer the post, we dispatch from a shop/warehouse and the trucks are cleaned out and restocked first thing daily or last thing if they come in early.

The trucks look like this every day.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a8/JohnC1952/DSC01001-1.jpg


I can't help but say how much affect it has on me as I walk onto an inspection to see an organized truck

Oh yeah....there's that too. People generally look at the truck and just assume we know what we are doing. Sometimes they are right.

[480sparky]

Scotty likes engineering spic and span. She's a fine ship... um van eh? Like me own mother she is.:)

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc172/480sparky/Scotty.jpg

"Aye, Cap'n. I'm givin' 'er all she's got, but me
dilithium crystals, they won' hold out much longa'!"

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc172/480sparky/Scotty2.jpg

"Aye, Cap'n. I've foun' the problem, and she'll take 24 'ours to fix.
But since 'e don't 'ave 24 hours, I'll 'ave 'er running in two!"

[e57]

My van gets to eye level on occasion - but there is some order to it... :D Some....

[Karl H]

When I first started in this trade. I worked for a company that on every Friday we had to wash our trucks before we got our checks.This was at the shop and on our time.To this day I cannot stand a disorginized truck. In a service vehicle you have very limited space to stock an entire electrical supply house.Most electrical supply houses are very large buildings.Mine is a Chevy 3500 with side bins. lol Everything has it's place. A place where I can find it when I need it. Example; all you need is a 1 1/4 Meyers Hub to finish a job.....you dig...look...dig.... look....cuss..end up having to go to the supply house.Next week your running 3/4 EMT you open the box of 3/4 one hole straps and you find 10 3/4 one-hole straps and a 1 1/4 Meyers Hub. Drives me nuts!! My helpers know not to mis match my materials cause I will go off for days! lol I'm old and bitter I need Feng Shui not Sanford and Son. :grin:

[mdshunk]

Point is; I've seen very little connection between productivity and a messy or neat truck or desk.
Then you simply havn't tracked it.

I was looking at a truck "system" once upon a time in which the whole rear interior of the truck came out on a pallet and a new, restocked rear interior was replaced at the end of each day. This was a simple, 5 minute operation to refresh the whole truck, all except for any trash in the cab. I still think that was a slick system, and I'm sorry I lost track of it. Mario Maio, maybe?

[satcom]

This site points out some of the signs of a mess http://www.squalorsurvivors.com/

They point out how you can buy things you already have, not knowing you have them, do to a piled mess. The lost time looking for items, how can anyone say it does not make a difference, they ned to take a second look.

[mdshunk]

Anybody watch those two British ladies on the BBC show, "How Clean Is Your House"? They need a version of that on a tradesman's channel where they go through a guy's truck and organize it.

[tonyou812]

OMG Dont even get me started. I am so tempted to institute a "pack rat" fee for those people that cant seem to throw anything away. You know the type. They have everything (furniture,magazines,clothes,old cook ware, games, their babys first soiled diapers,) every freaking thing in their lives is stored in the basement,garage, attic, crawl space, shed outside,mothers house.Two months ago I went to a customers house to do a simple install of two scones and a new switch. The house was built in the late nineties so it seemed like it was going to be a pretty straight forward install untill I went in the basement and to the room under the room that was going to get the lights installed. to my horror this was the PACK RAT room that contained every piece of crap these people had been saving. It was physically impossible to even try to walk in there. I spent an hour of my time moving this crap around to do my work.

This is a clear example of why one should not charge say 55-75 bucks per light to install. My price was 150 per and right so.

[mdshunk]

Some of those 'pack rat' basements can be handy. You don't need a ladder. I've already body surfed on top of the junk to drill my holes and run my cables. You hear stuff beneath you creaking and cracking, but dollars to donuts, they won't get into any of that stuff in their lifetime.

[tonyou812]

your kidding right?

[tonyou812]

your kidding right?
this was ment for bkludecke

[480sparky]

Ya mean like this lady's basement?:

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc172/480sparky/DSC04596a.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc172/480sparky/DSC04594a.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc172/480sparky/DSC04592a.jpg

[mdshunk]

your kidding right?No, what makes you think that? Wait until you're in the next basement with boxes on top of boxes on top of God knows what. That stuff is packed together like building blocks. Just climb up on top and get to work. I'm not talking about your run of the mill junk in the basement. This is more like the once a year, bona fide packrat.

[tonyou812]

If there is one thing that Ive learned is If you havent used it in the last 3-4 years and its not a family airloom or a collectable you enjoy youll probably never use it, and the only person that is going to have to deal with it is some family member when their cleaning your house out for the estate sale after you pass on. Why live like oscar the grouch. Simplify your life. Ive seen people hold on to old radios, tvs, game systems, thinking that someday it will be on the Antiques road show and worth alot of money.

I love it when you ask people to clean out a certain walk in or hall closet because you are going to instal a light of something and when you get there theres usually more crap in their than the last week. And they just look at you with that dum look on their face, Ohh you want me to take everything out? ugh yea unless sheet rock dust is a nice look for your fur coat or your Prada purse. I really dont like touching other peoples stuff. God forbid they lose something and blame it on you. There goes your profit or even your payment.

[growler]

Some of those 'pack rat' basements can be handy. You don't need a ladder. I've already body surfed on top of the junk to drill my holes and run my cables. You hear stuff beneath you creaking and cracking, but dollars to donuts, they won't get into any of that stuff in their lifetime.

A neat freak can have just as many boxes of junk in your way as a pack rat but the boxes will all be organized and labeled. The good thing about a pack rat is that you don't have to worry about disturbing the order ( there isn't any).

[tonyou812]

Anybody watch those two British ladies on the BBC show, "How Clean Is Your House"? They need a version of that on a tradesman's channel where they go through a guy's truck and organize it.
The one good thing about having slobs working for you is you can usually track their movements by all the recipts they inevitably leave on the floor. Hmm a recipt from 7/11 at 7:15 then one on the same date at 845 and another at 11:25 same date hhhmmmmmm

[zdog]

you know the old saying"one mans junk is another mans treasure.'i keep a lot of old electrical stuff and have made money off it later.of all the things i started to throw away was some old fpe breakers and a old 200amp fpe panel.
had a remodel come up a old office being converted into a coffee shop.it had a 400amp fpe panel.tried to talk them into a new panel but no dice.needed a few breakers and had them.
the panel i thought what the heck and put it up on ebay.some guy from cal.paid me $200 plus shipping.

[mivey]

...This is the evolution of many, many truck designs from mini pick ups to the current 16foot box vans...Sweet! I have van envy!:)

[iwire]

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a8/JohnC1952/DSC01001-1.jpg

That really is a nice looking setup, I am definitely jealous. I work out of a standard wheelbase GMC van, it's a nice truck but not nearly enough room.

[peter d]

Some of those 'pack rat' basements can be handy. You don't need a ladder. I've already body surfed on top of the junk to drill my holes and run my cables. You hear stuff beneath you creaking and cracking, but dollars to donuts, they won't get into any of that stuff in their lifetime.

I had to do some work in one of those basements a while back, and it was nice because I didn't have to do any cleanup. ;)

[peter d]

I also like the way Romexking sets up his Sprinters. (He posted some nice pics a while back.)

[220/221]

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a8/JohnC1952/cablecleaner.jpg

:D

[bradleyelectric]

what do you use cable cleaner for? Do you do high volt splicing?

[peter d]

what do you use cable cleaner for? Do you do high volt splicing?

No, he uses it to destroy the insulation on the cables he cleans after they've sprayed with a fire extinguisher. ;) :D :D :D

[MAK]

I need to have my truck clean and organized. It is probably a disorder but if it is not clean I start to get irritable. It makes me more efficient. When I have a helper with me I can tell him where to look for a part in the van. With out some sort of organizational system I would be wasting time searching for parts that I am not sure I have.

I used to work with a guy who could care less about having things organized and he was a good worker. This guy's truck was always a question mark. You never knew if the truck was stocked with everything you needed.

In the end, for my situation it is a mental health thing. If it's a mess, I am a mess. If it's clean, well I am probably still a mess but I'm happy.:D

[220/221]

what do you use cable cleaner for? Do you do high volt splicing?


Inside joke for a couple of the resident engineers here.

It's hand cleaner.:wink:

[bradleyelectric]

It's hand cleaner.:wink:

Thought it looked like hand cleaner and I've always used wipes for cable, but was wandering with the label.

[tonyou812]

you know the old saying"one mans junk is another mans treasure.'i keep a lot of old electrical stuff and have made money off it later.of all the things i started to throw away was some old fpe breakers and a old 200amp fpe panel.
had a remodel come up a old office being converted into a coffee shop.it had a 400amp fpe panel.tried to talk them into a new panel but no dice.needed a few breakers and had them.
the panel i thought what the heck and put it up on ebay.some guy from cal.paid me $200 plus shipping.
I worked for a guy once that kept everything. Nothing went into the bin. So when he would give me my job tickets for the day and I needed a "special" item he would tell me go into the shop and find that "thing a ma gig" so off i went and went on my quest to find "waldo" and sometimes i found something close to it or very similar to it and very rarely I would find Waldo. Im sure that if someone did a cost analasis on all the times i went on that quest to find the right part and in some cases i had to disassemble something to get to it it would have been more cost affective to just order the damn part from the get go. and on the rare occassion after all the work involved in extracting the part in the end it didnt work right. And on the other side of things if I was the customer I dont know that I really would want an old piece of crap installed just cause the EC had it in his "junkyard"

[ITO]

Hire professionals. They don't work like that.

Sorry, I have to call a BS on that one.

My experience has been about 1 out of 10 (professional or not) guys given a company truck will trash it out. People tend to take better care of their own trucks while thinking nothing of abusing somebody else's truck. The best solution I have come up with is to have the trucks cleaned for them when they bring they bring them in for service.

I used to let them take the trucks for service but that did not work out so well for me so there is a schedule now and ever truck in the fleet comes back to the shop at least every three months for service and cleaning.

[bkludecke]

Then you simply havn't tracked it.

I was looking at a truck "system" once upon a time in which the whole rear interior of the truck came out on a pallet and a new, restocked rear interior was replaced at the end of each day. This was a simple, 5 minute operation to refresh the whole truck, all except for any trash in the cab. I still think that was a slick system, and I'm sorry I lost track of it. Mario Maio, maybe?

You are right. I don't track stuff like that. I stand back and take a wide angle view of my operation without getting into alot of the details. I waste alot of money for the privilage of not keeping my nose to every grain in the grindstone. My observations come from a few decades of watching people of all stripes working for me. My electricians are a very diverse bunch. Some are very tidy and others are slobs but I make sure that the work they do meets my expectations.

Bottom line is that I'm making plenty of money and my customers keep coming back for more. As I've said before, there are plenty of ways to run a successful EC business. I ain't attacking anyone else's. Mine is just different, not necessarily better or worse.

[Rewire]

Sorry, I have to call a BS on that one.

My experience has been about 1 out of 10 (professional or not) guys given a company truck will trash it out. People tend to take better care of their own trucks while thinking nothing of abusing somebody else's truck. The best solution I have come up with is to have the trucks cleaned for them when they bring they bring them in for service.

I used to let them take the trucks for service but that did not work out so well for me so there is a schedule now and ever truck in the fleet comes back to the shop at least every three months for service and cleaning.
I have a simple policy,you keep your truck clean and stocked or I will hire someone that will.I don't hire children I hire adults if you choose to act like a child I encourage you to work for the compitition.

[mivey]

I have a simple policy,you keep your truck clean and stocked or I will hire someone that will..This sounds like a perfectly reasonable policy. Everyone knows the deal up front. Your house, your rules. I think neatness is an admirable goal. More power to you!

I don't hire children I hire adults if you choose to act like a child I encourage you to work for the compitition.This sounds like you have other issues.

[growler]

I need to have my truck clean and organized. It is probably a disorder but if it is not clean I start to get irritable. It makes me more efficient.

When I mentioned disorder yesterday it was not because tony wanted to clean and organize his own truck/van. When you start getting all emotional about it and start saying that you are not someone's B-Word. ( Bitch ), things are a little different. ( bitch was edited to say maid ).

Example of disorder: If you straighten and level the pictures in your own house, you are neat and tidy. When you think it's your function in life to straighten all pictures , even those in your neighbor's house then you have a problem. When even seeing a picture hanging crooked starts to make you uncomfortable you have a real problem.

If you are an empolyee then you need to keep the vehicle as neat and clean as demanded by your employer. He's paying for your time. If you are self employed you need to keep vehicles as neat and clean as desired ( you write your own check).

[ITO]

That sounds good for service techs, but how do you tell a first class foreman to wash his truck?

Seriously, anyone of my foremen can quit me today and be working for one of my competitors the same day, with a new truck.

I don't hire mature adults, I hire electricians. Which reminds me of a joke:

Q-What is the difference between an electrician and a puppy?
A- One day the puppy will grow up and stop whinning.

[mivey]

Accusing people who are messy of being children and needing their mommies is a form of childishness in itself. It just makes you look odd to other people. You are not going to brow-beat and "shame" the rest of the world into being like you. If you are guilty of that, consider the following:

This is just an observation on how you look to some people. You can use it the next time you do a self-evaulation or ignore it, it makes no difference to me. If you want an on-line psych evaluation, the first visit is free: :grin:

People who resort to name-calling and belittling of others usually have some frustration that they can not get beyond by other means. It appears that you think everyone else should be as neat and orderly as you are and it irritates you that they are not. Well here is a reality check: it is not going to happen.

Messy people are adults, some with their own children. Resorting to childish tactics of name-calling and belittling is not going to change them because they just have a different set of priorities. They probably excel in other areas where you are lacking. They can be very meticulous in some areas and not in others. That is not necessarily good or bad, it is just the way it is.

Just my opinion, we welcome yours:)

[edit: and ditto growler's #79]

[growler]

Seriously, anyone of my foremen can quit me today and be working for one of my competitors the same day, with a new truck.


That would be easier than cleaning up the truck, just change jobs ( and get a new truck ).

At one time I would make jokes about why people in this area move so often ( 2 years renter, 5 years owner). You could see the outline of all the furniture on the carpet it had never been moved or cleaned.

I came up with the idea that it must be easier to move than to clean.

[tonyou812]

Accusing people who are messy of being children and needing their mommies is a form of childishness in itself. It just makes you look odd to other people. You are not going to brow-beat and "shame" the rest of the world into being like you. If you are guilty of that, consider the following:

This is just an observation on how you look to some people. You can use it the next time you do a self-evaulation or ignore it, it makes no difference to me. If you want an on-line psych evaluation, the first visit is free: :grin:

People who resort to name-calling and belittling of others usually have some frustration that they can not get beyond by other means. It appears that you think everyone else should be as neat and orderly as you are and it irritates you that they are not. Well here is a reality check: it is not going to happen.

Messy people are adults, some with their own children. Resorting to childish tactics of name-calling and belittling is not going to change them because they just have a different set of priorities. They probably excel in other areas where you are lacking. They can be very meticulous in some areas and not in others. That is not necessarily good or bad, it is just the way it is.

Just my opinion, we welcome yours:)

[edit: and ditto growler's #79]
Come on dude get real...Maybe I just had misfortune of working with to many messy slobs and when I saw thoses trucks It gave me flash backs. I dont brow beat anyone. Im sorry if you got so offended. But I guess you really missed the main point. I could care less what you or anybody does. But you cant stand there and tell me that if your truck is piled up to the gills you are going to be able to work efficiently as someone who is organized

The real funny thing about this whole post is HOW offended some people get
at just the mention of messyness and how it affects your performance. I love the people that say "OH Im just as efficent as the next guy even though I cant find anything when I need it".....................come on man like I havent been through it myself. The last job I work at (for someone else) it almost seemed like it was mandatory to be a pig and constantly go "uh 3/4 inch nipple UHG i think I got one somewhere let me go look (for 20 minutes). That was the point that I was making. GROW UP MAN

[ITO]

There are just more important things going on in my world than making the men who work for me, that have earned trucks, keep them clean without either running them off or losing my mind in the process.

The amount of time an energy it would take to police the fleet and keep them clean is just not something that seemed like an intelligent use of my time, asking the men I hired at above top dollar for their skills at running jobs and laying out work to clean their trucks does not sound like a wise economic decision, and add to this I can’t even get them to change the oil on time, the best solution became a maintenance schedule that included cleaning performed by a warehouse boy. Problem solved and done so cheaply.

Getting a truck is a big deal, the gas alone is a substantial raise, but that is a reward for hard work on jobs making me money. There are many unwritten rules that go with who gets trucks, what happens when you take them away and yes if you take a truck away from somebody for not washing it, they will quit you and go work for somebody else. If you don’t believe me, take somebody’s truck away and see what happens.

[mivey]

Im sorry if you got so offended.Not in the least:)

But you cant stand there and tell me that if your truck is piled up to the gills you are going to be able to work efficiently as someone who is organizedI can't argue with that.

That was the point that I was making. GROW UP MANWhat I said about people resorting to the "you're messy so you are a child" routine is true. That seems like an extreme reaction to me.

As for my post, I admit, I laid it on a little thick to see if I could get a rise out of anyone.:)

[tonyou812]

What I said about people resorting to the "you're messy so you are a child" routine is true. That seems like an extreme reaction to me.

As for my post, I admit, I laid it on a little thick to see if I could get a rise out of anyone.



If anyone laid it on a bit thick it might of been me. Its just that Im a new buisness owner and I have alot of pride in my truck and the way I present my company. But really...... you should have seen these two trucks I should have taken a picture ,you would have gotten a laugh.

[mivey]

If anyone laid it on a bit thick it might of been me. Its just that Im a new buisness owner and I have alot of pride in my truck and the way I present my company. But really...... you should have seen these two trucks I should have taken a picture ,you would have gotten a laugh.I can imagine. I have seen some real pigstys.

I can see a guy getting in a hurry to get somewhere and throwing the spools of wire, etc. in the back. What I never could get was why throw food and trash in the back, and I mean ALL THE WAY TO THE CAB back:mad:. I used to not only organize the trucks, but the shop as well when work was slow or the boss had paper work to do (I was his sidekick).

I like neat and orderly, I just don't always take the time to do it. Some people just have different levels on their "mess meters". Some have no meter at all.

[BryanMD]

But really...... you should have seen these two trucks I should have taken a picture ,you would have gotten a laugh.

Everyone has seen them.
Almost everyone has driven them.
About half seem to prefer them.



How many squeeze the toothpaste tube from the bottom? ;)

[mivey]

How many squeeze the toothpaste tube from the bottom? ;)Since you asked....I just pick up and squeeze until it is about 1/2 gone. Then, I occasionaly flatten the bottom part until it has about 1" of goody left. Then I switch to obsessive compulsive mode until I almost get the inside lining to protrude from the end with not enough left to brush the tooth fairy's tooth. I have a multiple "messy" "neat" personality:)

[edit: spell'un]

[Rewire]

That sounds good for service techs, but how do you tell a first class foreman to wash his truck?My companys name is on the side of that truck and it is part of our professional image,I would hand them some quarters and tell them to stop by the car wash.

Seriously, anyone of my foremen can quit me today and be working for one of my competitors the same day, with a new truck.If one of my top guys bails over washing his truck then seriously I don't need him.

[zdog]

I worked for a guy once that kept everything. Nothing went into the bin. So when he would give me my job tickets for the day and I needed a "special" item he would tell me go into the shop and find that "thing a ma gig" so off i went and went on my quest to find "waldo" and sometimes i found something close to it or very similar to it and very rarely I would find Waldo. Im sure that if someone did a cost analasis on all the times i went on that quest to find the right part and in some cases i had to disassemble something to get to it it would have been more cost affective to just order the damn part from the get go. and on the rare occassion after all the work involved in extracting the part in the end it didnt work right. And on the other side of things if I was the customer I dont know that I really would want an old piece of crap installed just cause the EC had it in his "junkyard"
well if you worked with me i would have given you the part or told you where it was. i know what i have and all of it is easly gotten to.
as far as the breakers goes if i had a choice i would have changed the panel.but if you have a old piece of crap fpe panel with old piece of crap breakers why install a newer pice of crap.i told the owner that they were used and i could not warrenty them. it was ok with him.

[LawnGuyLandSparky]

http://www.xerraireart.com/images/dirtycar2.jpg

[tonyou812]

well if you worked with me i would have given you the part or told you where it was. i know what i have and all of it is easly gotten to.
as far as the breakers goes if i had a choice i would have changed the panel.but if you have a old piece of crap fpe panel with old piece of crap breakers why install a newer pice of crap.i told the owner that they were used and i could not warrenty them. it was ok with him.
good point I guess. If they are not will to pay for new I see your point

[iwire]

Messy trucks, messy desks it's all the same and you in good company.:smile:

Is a messy desk a good thing? (http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/Careers/04/30/cb.mess/index.html)

[GilbeSpark]

That's also a hiring secret. Figure out a way to peek in the guy's personal truck or car, or send someone out to do that for you.

This may be true for some people but not all. My personal truck that I drive to and from work is messy. The front is somewhat neat but the rear cab is a complete mess.

My work truck is the cleanest and most organized in the company. I hate a messy work truck....it drives me nuts. When it comes to work I'm extremely professional, neat and organized. You can walk from the front to the back no problem and the shelves are stacked with material nice and neat so that nothing is sliding around getting damaged. I keep a record of the things that get taken off so they can be replenished the next day. I don't know why but in my personal vehicle not so neat and organized.

[romexking]

How would you feel if your top foreman met a prospective client with mustard stains all over his shirt (with your name on it), smelly from not washing his clothes, and breath stinking from not brushing his teeth? There is probably not a good chance that this will become your newest customer. The same goes for your trucks. I'm not saying that you have to have a truck floor that you can eat off of, but there is not reason to have a junk pile, except for lack of respect for the property of others. Would you allow them to leave their lunch trash on the floor of your client's home or office?

At what point do you decide that a truck is too messy? You must have some minimum standards in order to be fair and consistent with all employees, and since "messy" is subjective, I suggest that there should no material or supplies left on the floor. That is an easy task to accomplish in most cases.

Although it quite the same for vans used in new commercial construction, in resi service, if the van is not kept organized, how can you control what is and is not on the truck. Always remember... the most expensive part is the part that is not on the truck.

[iaov]

It was 40 degrees here today and my truck got its spring cleaning. My desk is a bit messy and the busier I am the messier the truck gets. But not for long. I am anal about tools being put back in thier places. I don't have to look at my tool boxes to find a tool. I just reach. I hate not being able to find a part or a tool.There is nothing worse than to be looking for a part and finding the one you couldn't locate last week!!:)

[iaov]

Actually it is secured, just can't tell from the pic, and it's empty.

What about all those trucks that carry that stuff around all over the country?:confused:

Small price to pay to stay warmWhy the propane tank. I didn't see any snow on the ground in the picture.:grin:

[76nemo]

People pick on me about my tool boxes, bags, pouches, etc.. I do not let others use my gear. When I need a tool, I can reach for it blindfolded,...and there it is. It's what I describe as very organized. Throw me all the slack you want, I know where my equipment is!

[Pierre C Belarge]

This guy is neat, notice how neatly he has scattered his tools. :D
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t96/etsny/ScatteredTools-1.jpg


At least he has all the tools

[480sparky]

This guy is neat, notice how neatly he has scattered his tools. :D

At least he has all the tools

Looks more like some poor sap walking to the job site and got mowed down.

[480sparky]

Deleted.... yet another duplicate post

[Oakey]

Today I went and cleaned my truck out due to the guilt inspired by this thread. Motivating factor thx very much

[480sparky]

Today I went and cleaned my truck out due to the guilt inspired by this thread. Motivating factor thx very much

I did too, but only because the weather got above 30 for the first time since November.

[mdshunk]

I did too, but only because the weather got above 30 for the first time since November.:grin: I've really been having some guilty thoughts too. My truck's certainly not messy, but perfectly neat is a goal seldom achieved. I'm constantly tweaking things and adding and deleting truck stock items.

[boboelectric]

When I first started in this trade. I worked for a company that on every Friday we had to wash our trucks before we got our checks.This was at the shop and on our time.To this day I cannot stand a disorginized truck. In a service vehicle you have very limited space to stock an entire electrical supply house.Most electrical supply houses are very large buildings.Mine is a Chevy 3500 with side bins. lol Everything has it's place. A place where I can find it when I need it. Example; all you need is a 1 1/4 Meyers Hub to finish a job.....you dig...look...dig.... look....cuss..end up having to go to the supply house.Next week your running 3/4 EMT you open the box of 3/4 one hole straps and you find 10 3/4 one-hole straps and a 1 1/4 Meyers Hub. Drives me nuts!! My helpers know not to mis match my materials cause I will go off for days! lol I'm old and bitter I need Feng Shui not Sanford and Son. :grin:
Cool,but I'm always too busy to get a haircut.

[LawnGuyLandSparky]

This guy is neat, notice how neatly he has scattered his tools. :D
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t96/etsny/ScatteredTools-1.jpg


At least he has all the tools

And all my tools as well!
AND a plunger! What does he think he is, a cop? :grin:

[LarryFine]

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t96/etsny/ScatteredTools-1.jpg


"Gezundheit!"

[Flatbed]

I guess it's official, I must be a hack.

I'm a messy person. You see, it doesn't matter to me. I don't mind messes (with my stuff). If you are paying me to do work, that's a different story. Your stuff will be looking good and work correctly and installed per code.

My stuff, I just don't care.

(except food messes, no food messes and keep the kitchen clean!)


I think I found my long lost twin.

Cheers
On a more serious note. Yes, customers do evaluate an outside vendors vehicle. My vehicle stays at the shop. My choice. It does not get the care and respect it deserves. The only thing I am a stickler for is maintenace intervals.

[LarryFine]

This guy is neat, notice how neatly he has scattered his tools. :D
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t96/etsny/ScatteredTools-1.jpg


At least he has all the tools
Did you notice his license plate?

[iaov]

:grin: I've really been having some guilty thoughts too. My truck's certainly not messy, but perfectly neat is a goal seldom achieved. I'm constantly tweaking things and adding and deleting truck stock items.I'm doing the same thing. I have come to an arraingment finnaly that seems to be woking better. I've been on several jobs lately where every thing was not in a state of higgly piggly afterwards. Its taken a long time and a lot of re-arranging to get there tho.

[yursparky]

Ashamed to say - this is one of our guy's vans.... :mad:

http://inlinethumb38.webshots.com/6117/2450362730094545463S600x600Q85.jpg

edited pic size

[220/221]

Gaaaahhh!!


I look at that and I see money wasted every single day.


Everyone is at well over a dollar a minute these days. Just finding one item on the bottom of that pile equals one gallon of gas.

[satcom]

Ashamed to say - this is one of our guy's vans.... :mad:

http://inlinethumb38.webshots.com/6117/2450362730094545463S600x600Q85.jpg

edited pic size

It's time for him to attend an MMA meeting

Hi my name is __________ and I am a mess maker.

Many years ago we had a guy that let his van pile up with junk, when he left we went thru the truck and founf over 50 items that were purchased over and over, because he could not find them in the mess, the dollar amount lost was well over 2K

[tonyou812]

I dont care how good this guy is.... or thinks he is theres no excuse for that. I love the soda can and especially like the empty top shelves.

[yursparky]

P.S. His driving wasn't that good either ;)

[augie47]

P.S. His driving wasn't that good either ;)

that explains why the top shelf is empty :)

[LarryFine]

"Honest, boss, until that last bump . . . " :rolleyes:

[Ed Carr]

Wow, honestly I would open the back doors and look for bumps.
That's nuts.

[mdshunk]

I see he's got a box of shoe covers there near the top of the heap, so maybe his heart's in the right place? :roll:

[480sparky]

I see he's got a box of shoe covers there near the top of the heap, so maybe his heart's in the right place? :roll:

Naaa.... he doesn't want to get the cab muddy! :D

[Ed Carr]

If his hearts in the right place that would be the only thing :grin:

[satcom]

Ok so someone was brave eniough to show his messed up van, so It may be time, to start a before, and after van clean up pictures thread.

[mdshunk]

Ok so someone was brave eniough to show his messed up van, so It may be time, to start a before, and after van clean up pictures thread.
That would be every morning, for me. I start off pretty good, and by the end of the day I'm stacked to the gills with various flotsam and jetsam.

[electricalperson]

Ashamed to say - this is one of our guy's vans.... :mad:

http://inlinethumb38.webshots.com/6117/2450362730094545463S600x600Q85.jpg

edited pic size
he needs a helper to clean that mess:smile:

[LarryFine]

he needs a helper to clean that mess:smile:
Seems only fitting; he probably had a helper make it.

[electricalperson]

Seems only fitting; he probably had a helper make it.
the bosses van was like that. he made his helper clean it every week. i dont know why he quit

[mdshunk]

Hand to God, my truck started out neat as a pin this morning. This is the end of the day:

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n277/mdshunk/P1010173.jpg

[ItsHot]

Hand to God, my truck started out neat as a pin this morning. This is the end of the day:

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n277/mdshunk/P1010173.jpg This means you're working!

[aline]

Hand to God, my truck started out neat as a pin this morning. This is the end of the day:

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n277/mdshunk/P1010173.jpg
This is how some guys can complete a service upgrade in 4-hours. They forget to mention they spend another 4-hours cleaning out the truck. :)

[electricalperson]

Hand to God, my truck started out neat as a pin this morning. This is the end of the day:

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n277/mdshunk/P1010173.jpg
only problem i see in that picture is the flashlight is not yellow and black

[josh greene]

Well i work for dennis alwon and he's a pretty clean guy, but when it's busy u just don't have time. So i started to take a minute out every morning to do just that clean the truck. And by the end of the day it's a wreck. But some people just don't care. If i was a customer i would would not want a person with a dirty truck on my job cause it could reflect his work

[iaov]

Hand to God, my truck started out neat as a pin this morning. This is the end of the day:

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n277/mdshunk/P1010173.jpgIts amazing what can happen to a truck on one busy day.:smile:

[peter d]

Marc, what kind of truck is that? It looks like the bread vans that our poco's use here for the cable splicers.

[480sparky]

Hand to God, my truck started out neat as a pin this morning. This is the end of the day:

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n277/mdshunk/P1010173.jpg


I spy with my little eye a receptacle in a wet location.... mounted vertically, but with a horizontal 'flip' cover instead of an in-use cover.

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee228/juswes66/GomerPyleUSMC.jpg

Shame! Shame! Shame! :grin:

[electricalperson]

Hand to God, my truck started out neat as a pin this morning. This is the end of the day:

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n277/mdshunk/P1010173.jpg
what kind of truck is that by the way? i want to get rid of my pick up and get a van or something. i need more room and shelving to hold all my fancy new tools

[ItsHot]

Marc, what kind of truck is that? It looks like the bread vans that our poco's use here for the cable splicers.
Marc use to sale potato chips!

[DIRT27]

I hope I am an exception to this. My personal vehicle is a mess, but I always keep my work truck organized.

I am the same way. I would have to disagree with mdshunk on this one. I will give you an example.

I was given a truck about a year ago, it came from the biggest slob in the company (no longer works for us) and everything was a mess. I spent a ton of time getting it clean and organized. Had tools replaced that were broken our missing and made it so I could really work off of it. After about 3 months they gave me a truck that held more people and got better gas mileage. They gave the truck I had set up to another guy. All his personal stuff is immaculate.

Well long story short I got the truck back recently. It was almost as bad as when the slob had although the cab was cleaner. Some tools were missing and others were broken. I had a new drill index on the truck that had every bit, now it starts at 5/16. The stock is depleted and tons of overstock left over from jobs that don't need to be on the truck.

Just because the guys personal truck is clean doesn't mean he will take care of something that isn't his.

[480sparky]

One place I used to work for gave me a truck to drive home every day. It was a mess.

A couple weekends later, I took a Saturday and completely emptied it out, took a pressure washer to the back, and restocked it with the stuff that was needed and turned the junk into the shop.

Three weeks later, I was issued another truck. It was just as bad. The following weekend, I took a Saturday and repeated my de-slobbing.

Within a month, I was issued yet another van. I dutifully cleaned it up, and was able to drive it for another 3 weeks.

Then came another switch..... back to the same van I was first issued. It was a total mess again. I began to see what was happening, so I never cleaned that vehicle up ever again. Drove it for 3 years after that.

[mdshunk]

I spy with my little eye a receptacle in a wet location.... mounted vertically, but with a horizontal 'flip' cover instead of an in-use cover.
Shame! Shame! Shame! :grin: [/CENTER]
Blame that on Pelsue. They built the truck that way. Grumman step van with Pelsue electrician upfit. 12kw generator, hydraulic takeoff hose reel.

[ceb58]

http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc101/ceb58/th_ground010.jpg

http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc101/ceb58/th_trailer001.jpg

Just traded my old truck for this one yesterday, spent most of day putting all my junk back. Going on first service call with it tomorrow to one of my best customer. (some ones gotta pay for it:grin: )

[LarryFine]

http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc101/ceb58/th_ground010.jpg http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc101/ceb58/th_trailer001.jpg

Isn't it amazing how deceptively small those crew cabs look from the outside, and all that storage space on the inside!

[ceb58]

Originally Posted by ceb58
http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc101/ceb58/th_ground010.jpg http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc101/ceb58/th_trailer001.jpg

Isn't it amazing how deceptively small those crew cabs look from the outside, and all that storage space on the inside!


Yes, and you should see the inside of the trailer!

[RHJohnson]

The more parts you need to carry the better organized you need to be!
I am definitely a neat freak.
Years ago ran a repair shop for a mine. Our warehouse was maybe 200' from our shop. The warehouse was 40' wide by 125' long and had 3 employees. We had $1M in electrical parts and another $1M in electric locomotive parts. I had 12 electricians in the shop who spent an average of an hour a day each in that whse. looking for parts. It was a tall building, had them build a mezzanine floor and moved all our parts upstairs, we found items we didn't even know we had, organized, and listed into computer - when done only 1 hour per day - total - spent in warehouse getting parts/supplies. The warehouse also cut back to 2 employees! We ended up doubling the size of the warehouse, had much better control over the inventory - and paid for it in 2 years with the savings in time spent looking.......