Better to walk 15 minutes than spend 6 hours getting the truck out of the bog. It took me several experiences to learn this lesson.
Beware of old ladies mad at the entire neighborhood calling for a boundary survey.?ÿ
Roll with the punches.
thanks for the advice. learnt a lot ?????ÿ
Better to walk 15 minutes than spend 6 hours getting the truck out of the bog. It took me several experiences to learn this lesson.
Beware of old ladies mad at the entire neighborhood calling for a boundary survey.?ÿ
Roll with the punches.
If you think a crew can get a two-wheel drive truck buried really bad, you ought to see what they can do with a four-wheel drive vehicle!
4-wheel drive, chains, winch, etc. can get you OUT of a lot of trouble, BUT nowhere near as much trouble as they can get you INTO!
🙂
Loyal
Use the GPS or Total Station to get you to the approximate location.?ÿ Then, abandon the equipment and use your eyes and feet.?ÿ Don't spend alot of time calculating to the exact point, until you've used your eyes and feet.
Check, double check.?ÿ Then check again.
It is more important that you be honest and own up to what might be a small procedural mistake you made, and suffer the consequences of having to re-measure and re-do, and the ire of your superior, than to ignore it, be silent, or worst of all, lie about it.
If you suspect something isn't right, it probably isn't right.
Assess the character of your client as soon as possible.?ÿ Assess their phone message, how they present themselves, whether they can follow instructions, whether they value a contract.?ÿ Being selective early on will avoid untold headaches.
Charge more than you think you should.
Spend the extra money and get good field and foot gear.?ÿ Generally the discomforts associated with many varied weather conditions can be overcome with good gear.?ÿ
Talk to your wife more than you want to.?ÿ You'll be a happier man.
Pay attention to your elders.?ÿ Not all of them are treasures, but some are, and have alot to teach.
Don't jump to conclusions.?ÿ?ÿ
Value history of all kinds.
Investigate questions.
All of this is some very sage advice; but I think we're leaving out one very important element: Safety.
A while back, Mr. Cash posted his Safety Manual for all to use. I adopted it and made it a part of my business; thank you sir, for sharing.
We should all start the day off with a brief, but concise safety meeting. Go over the particular hazards you will face during the day; traffic, tripping hazards, sharp cutting tools, extreme weather conditions, stinging insects, dead trees (we call them widow makers) and anything else you can think of. Each job will come with it's own unique set of circumstances that will afford your undivided attention.?ÿ
Ending the day with memories of a safe and prosperous job are better than memories of a trip to the emergency room...
I hope everyone has a great day; I know I will!
Dougie
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Don't forget the personal maintenance equipment,,,,,,water, food, a big bag of extra clothes, and the most important thing in the truck, TP!!!!
First day on the job surveying: it was windy and 104d, sucked the moisture right out of me, next day I went out with extra water and it snows, never drank any of the water and came close to frost bite, it was a good learning experience.
Somethings I carry anymore; extra reading glasses, those I need all the time, extra sunglasses, frozen water bottles in the cooler, poison ivy wash, haven't broken out with a rash since I put it in the truck, extra socks.
One thing I learned a long time ago; the 10 things you should always have with you; ready to go:
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There only thing for sure; you never know when you will need it...
..A while back, Mr. Cash posted his Safety Manual for all to use...
I don't remember doing that, but more power to you.?ÿ It reflects about 200 man hours of compilation.?ÿ All I got out of it was being allowed to continue my contracts with utility companies.
But I do have to ask...does your copy have the "hazardous materials" chapter??ÿ If so, you might want to read (or edit) it before allowing a real live human to read it.?ÿ I discovered the submitted manual was only being "read" by software and not a person.?ÿ The insurance carrier kept kicking it back for edits and the hazardous materials chapter was one of the last ones.?ÿ
I guess I was getting pretty close to the end of my rope when I wrote it....
In the 70s safety was no concern, but in the eighties government contractors had to have a monthly safety stand down for an hour, chargeable. Then in the nineties it was a 5 minutes every morning concerning that day's hazards. In the 21st century the safety standards are built in to contract, and no worker should face unsafe conditions. It's progress.
It's good to try to do a better job than your predecessors, it's not good to think that you are smarter than they were. You're not.?ÿ
Do not be afraid to change your mind or fix your mistakes. You will have ample opportunities.?ÿ
Preparation is constant. No matter what be prepared to work outside.?ÿ
Remember our first surveyors. They built a country with an orderly society we take for granted, and endured hardships we can't fathom. Have THEIR dedication.
I got my first license in 1989, I knew more THEN than I know today.
Dad told me that surveying is something you get better at for as long as you do it. He was right.
Do not set silly pincushions.
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This is all great advice for us young survs. Thank you.
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Here's some of mine for the little experience I've gained so far:
Never lie to your superiors or yourself. You'll lose all credibility.
Never go out to work by yourself in the woods. Always have someone watching your back at all times.
If you're unsure about driving your truck through a muddy dirt road, get off and walk around to where you wanna park, and test if the road is firm enough so you don't get stuck.
Always plan ahead.
Train your helping hands. Don't boss around. Show them by going through hell and back that you can do it and they will follow.
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Never allow yourself to be seen losing your cool on a site. If you do not look to be fully in control and confident in what you are doing, how would you expect anyone else to have any such confidence??ÿ Some part of this job is theatre. You are there to bring order to a disordered world. Act and dress the part. Once you lose that aura of respectability you will find everything you do questioned. All work then grinds to a halt while you are called on to check and recheck everything. I say this with the understanding that sometimes things don't go well, sometimes you do get frustrated and want to express emotion. In such times, be like a duck - maintain a calm exterior while paddling like ....
Trapping and fixing blunders is the first order of importance. Blunders, not a lack of precision, are what gets you in trouble.
Time spent setting good control is worthwhile. Time spent reviewing, adjusting, documenting control is never wasted.?ÿ?ÿ
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If you're unsure about driving your truck through a muddy dirt road, get off and walk around to where you wanna park, and test if the road is firm enough so you don't get stuck.
I've done that, got stuck anyway.?ÿ Learned a lot from the guy that dragged me out of the bog.?ÿ You can drive over a dirt two-track road once.?ÿ This mainly applies to low lying clay type soils which retain a lot of water in the winter but there is a 2-inch crust over the top.?ÿ First time, no problem, but that pumps the water up to the surface, second time you sink like a stone.
Have a handyman Jack in the truck for the first 5 times you try to drive through a questionable bog and spend all day getting unstuck when you could have walked there in 5 minutes
