No I'm not working on the Harrison street job. The last job I was around Negus was last year out at Waverly/ Camp Creek exit on I80. Negus did the tree removal and Dirt for that job. I got tired of waiting for Negus to get the trees out of my way so I removed some myself. The same happened with the dirt I needed dirt to install the culverts and got tired of waiting for Negus to haul it. So I hauled what I needed with the 963 Loader.
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lay offs and slow work
- Thread starter xcavater
- Start date
No I'm not working on the Harrison street job. The last job I was around Negus was last year out at Waverly/ Camp Creek exit on I80. Negus did the tree removal and Dirt for that job. I got tired of waiting for Negus to get the trees out of my way so I removed some myself. The same happened with the dirt I needed dirt to install the culverts and got tired of waiting for Negus to haul it. So I hauled what I needed with the 963 Loader.
I don't know about the Herman job, but I know this....for a while this summer, they were down to buying their diesel fuel with cash supposedly because their credit was over extended....which was unsettling. I am not sure where things stand right now, as of July 28th, I haven't been working. As bad as this may sound, it's possible everything may have been broken down! Nothing new there, believe it or not.
Now you see why I am pondering the future!
You wouldn't happen to be working their job on Highway 31 and Harrison Street, that project is about 8 miles away from home. Just curious.
alan
The Herman Job should have been a week or two Job at the most. Negus took all summer to do it. Because Negus is on a cash basis does not make things slow in Nebraska. Every good contractor I know and talk to is busy.
I was told new hires were starting at $15/hour by both other operators and by our union reps, so there may be a vested interest/ biased opinion thing going on. The day may come when I work non-union here, I'm just not ready to do that yet.
I did it before one winter when I went out to Arizona on vacation, and got a job running a brand new 621G auger scraper. I am not saying the union is always the best thing going, as I have to look out for #1, and that is me!
The way it's going right now, it will probably be December before I will be released/able to go to work, which is usually lay-off time in this state for dirt guys anyway. Who knows what this winter will bring, I sure don't!
Alan627b
Who ever told you new hires are only getting 15 dollar is not correct. Or they are poor help. I know for a fact that they start people out at 20 plus an hour.
I don't mean to make you mad but why don't you change to a company that has good equipment and finances to back them. I sold a couple pieces of equipment to Negus That I would not even think of running, and they thought they were great.
Negus' problem as I see it is they are slow to adapt to market conditions and changes in the industry. People say they have been going out of business for 40 years...They are mostly set up for bulk dirt moving and when that work slows down it takes them a while to adapt. They have a laser grade set-up for a few machines, but are way behind the ball when it comes to GPS and new technology.
Using the old scrapers they do could make sense, as long as you have plenty of mechanics (they do) and a decent shop capable of full overhauls (they really don't) and the parts remain available (but for how much longer, the newest 627B's were 1986 models, and most of ours are older than that.)
It's getting old working for a company that always seems on the verge of financial disaster, I'll admit. And the old junk sucks to run when it's bitter cold or searing heat, and I'm thinking of what to do.
The only real compensation working there is they are fairly laid back, and I know the people I work for and with. I did the M&S thing a while back, and while the new scraper was nice, the being treated like a inhuman robot sucked. The only time anybody talked to you was to yell at you, and I don't appreciate being treated like a mushroom.
(Being kept in the dark and fed BS!)
Often times,our boss will tell you what he wants done and will let you figure out the best way to accomplish it, without breathing down your neck constantly. Of course, other foreman don't always give you enough info, and that sucks, so it's a toss up.
My problem is, there aren't enough other dirt companies in Omaha, and I'm not ready to rip up stakes and move away from here yet. I did way too much of that stuff as a kid. I may have to eventually, but becoming a touring professional at age 45 doesn't thrill me too much.
We'll see what happens, meanwhile, the earth keeps turning!
alan627b
Failure to adapt is most companies reason for failure. From what I can see Negus is one set away from failure. I've changed many times what type of construction I do to keep ahead of the times. It's like I said before any one can do the easy jobs like moving dirt, so do something no one else can not do. M&S is not a fair comparison, That was a way for one person to rat hole a lot of money (if you know what I mean). There is several construction companies in Omaha. Hawkins, Pink, Double D, Dirt Inc, just to name a few. It is just up to you to make the change.