The Pipeline

[HEO Girl]

Got my next job. Nashville, TN. Doesn't start for another month, around April 1st. It keeps getting pushed back due to landowner rights and such. It's intermediate scale (since they don't use low scale as a name anymore ) with high scale benefits.

11 miles of 20 inch, and 2 1/2 miles of 12 inch. There will be 11 directional drills and 3 giant environmental crews. They say this job is going to be hell for the environmental crew due to the fact that we are going to be going threw rich people's back yards and tying into the ex governors driveway. There's one spot where I swear the silt fence is 10 feet away from an apartment building.

They gave me the option to get my oilers book here. Which is really exciting for me. However it seems as though I'd really only work 3-4 months and then be out of a job for 6+ months. Not being really big in the pipeline here I have followed the same company I first worked for. If I labor here I'll be making a few dollars less but work from April to November or December. It's a tough decision for me as I want to follow my dream but also really need the money I'd be making from being able to work more months.

"Life is full of vicissitudes." as my grandmother would say.

 

[grandpa]

Digging right by Willie 59's house ya be? Hmm,,, that just might be worth it Heo to see how his swimming pool fits you. I like your Avatar.... those rocks are worth money,,,, Good luck with the ponderence of your position......gramps.

 

[HEO Girl]

I spent a lot of time on clean up crew picking rocks last job. With all of them I picked I probably could have ruled the world

 

[oldtanker]

Steady work beas long layoffs anytime. Good luck.

Ya need a bigger rock!

Rick

 

[LBTCon]

HEO Girl,
Went by the drop yard they have in Nashville for that pipeline project. Looks like they have most of the pipe there and most of the equipment now. The yard is located in Antioch Tennessee, about 15 miles from downtown Nashville. It can be seen off of I24 near the Hickory Hollow exit. Looks like your going to have lots of fun. Do you know where the line is going? They had another project out here last year and I am thinking it is headed towards Williamson county.(rich people) Good luck and enjoy Nashville if you get the time. You can PM me if you have any questions about the area.

Chris

 

[HEO Girl]

I'm in TN now, have been for awhile. I've been to the yard and sometimes show up to harass them when I am bored. The line is going down Bell road, following the TVA power lines. I can give you a better description than that if I had my book, when I get it back I will. The job keeps getting pushed back due to permits. TN won't allow you to even start the project unless you have 100% of your permits, unlike other states that allow you to start if you had around 80%. So right now we might start the 15th unless they get bad news on the 5th. From what I heard we are just waiting on Sheryl Crow and the Jack Daniels man to sign off so we can work on their land.

I'm itching to get back to work.

 

[DGODGR]

I'd try to do the oiling for as long as it lasts and then see if you can switch over to laboring when not oiling.

 

[Tiny]

I hope it all kicks off soon .

 

[HEO Girl]

I'd try to do the oiling for as long as it lasts and then see if you can switch over to laboring when not oiling.

I would absolutely do that if I thought I could get in as a laborer after. But switching from one to another is pretty slim chances as they hire what they need in the beginning and the hall side for union has to equal the company side for what they have for laborers. So if you had 4 union hall members you'd need 4 hired company union hands to balance it out. I still haven't made up my mind but will have to do so quickly.

I hope it all kicks off soon .

Me too!

 

[LBTCon]

Well any good news yet. Are you going to be laying pipe on the 15th. Time to get started summer is here today 81 for a high.

 

[HEO Girl]

Well any good news yet. Are you going to be laying pipe on the 15th. Time to get started summer is here today 81 for a high.

The foremans started this week. MAYBE, they say maybe, the laborers for the environmental crew will be brought in Monday or Tuesday. I've decided to get on with the enviro crew as as a laborer because I'll be here from start to right near finish.

I heard if they catch you pee'n on the ROW they'll arrest you and charge you as a sex offender. Just nuts.

 

[Tiny]

Glad to hear something is moving

 

[Turbo21835]

The foremans started this week. MAYBE, they say maybe, the laborers for the environmental crew will be brought in Monday or Tuesday. I've decided to get on with the enviro crew as as a laborer because I'll be here from start to right near finish.

I heard if they catch you pee'n on the ROW they'll arrest you and charge you as a sex offender. Just nuts.

Thats a story your bosses are telling. Years ago there was a big highway job going on, and a lot of people didnt want it built. Story goes, scraper operator stopped to take a leak, and a property owner called the law. He did the typical thing, pull up a tire if you know what im saying. Well the deputy is interviewing the lady about what happened, she points where he stopped. He asked how she saw what could happen, this was a good 100 yards away from her house, and she proudly shows the deputy her binoculars. He then informed her the operator had an expectation of privacy in that position, and she was technically a peeping tom at that point. He informed her that if she called them again, she would be the one with the new bracelets

 

[LBTCon]

The foremans started this week. MAYBE, they say maybe, the laborers for the environmental crew will be brought in Monday or Tuesday. I've decided to get on with the enviro crew as as a laborer because I'll be here from start to right near finish.

I heard if they catch you pee'n on the ROW they'll arrest you and charge you as a sex offender. Just nuts.

Thats because you will be working near rich peoples houses. As we all know rich people dont pee they hire someone to do it for them. As far as being charged as a sex offender I doubt that, they might just make you go down to metro and get a exotic dancer lic. if they catch you. Best of luck on the job and enjoy Nashville.

 

[HEO Girl]

That may be so but there sure are a lot of "Do this and your fired." going around. We aren't allowed to talk to no one, not even the wardens that are going to be around us at this park area. I've never been on a job that's sounded THIS strict before. There are also some crazy things in the plans for the environmental crew. These things called eels which is another form of a log but instead of straw in it it's got rubber. Then there are logs with chips in them. These things are massive and weigh well into the 80lb range. They want them all down the silt fence with 6' T-posts every 2' in them to keep them in place. They want the T-posts hammered down so only 1' is sticking out... Silt fence with hogwire in the back, wonder how that's going to go.

Don't step on this bush, don't even look at the animals there. Can't go past these white and orange poles.

Thanks LBTCon. So far it's been great

 

[CM1995]

That may be so but there sure are a lot of "Do this and your fired." going around.

And that's the reason you follow their rules.

Takes a lot of guts to take the erosion control position, that's tough work.:drinkup Personally I hate silt fence and everything that goes along with erosion control.:Banghead

I have seen these rubber wattles before but never used them. Usually class II silt fence (T-posts, hog wire, fabric) is spec'd on most jobs I do, sometimes straw or wood chip wattles/silt socks as well.

If I read your post right, you will be hammering 6' T posts 5' in the ground? Knowing the area somewhat, that is going to be a challenge with the ground conditions. Will ya'll have a hyd. post driver?

 

[HEO Girl]

Wow! Nothing like a 75 hour first week to welcome you back! I gotta start doing more things on my months off. Starting back up to work is always rough when you've had a few months off. My feet are still healing from all the darn blisters I got. Also the hills are wicked huge! At least I've never really had to walk up anything that steep. I do know however that there are much steeper one's, it's just last job there wasn't very many. It's going good so far, lots of fence to put up.

Love my crew I work with, now if we could only get our teamster to cook us some lunch ! My nickname Sun Drop has stuck with me to this job. The only thing I gotta say I dislike so far is not having a porta potty , us poor environmental crew folk don't get one very often. It's either that or it's been carried and sloshed around and there's crap and stuck toilet paper everywhere, sorry not using it, don't wanna catch any grossness from the nasty people that work there. I say if they don't give us one (or a clean one) it gives us right to use the ground! But so far that is my only complaint.

They are also not as strict as they made it out to be. Except for Radner Lake. They had 22 wardens out there one day last week. And no, you still can't talk to them, not even a hello. We've run into a few landowners that ran us off their property, and a few friendlier one's that just wanted to know what was going on, course my reply to their questions is always "I apologize but I am not allowed to say anything regarding the pipeline or they tell us we're fired, but my foreman can answer them for you." I feel awkward saying it.

We were relocating a guys waterline for his cattle (small pvc pipe) and he had the water troughs up against the spicket, obviously so the cows wouldn't rub on it and break it. Well when we put it back the guys wanted to put them way apart so they cows could get in there and drink from it. I kept telling them we needed to put it back the way he had it, but you know, I'm still kinda green and everyone passes my opinions off as, well, nothing. One of the other foremans came out to check out what we had done and mentioned that the water troughs needed to be put back against the spicket so the cows wouldn't rub on it. Man that made me feel good, and yeah, I rubbed it in a little bit with a laugh and a "I told you so" to my foreman. Sun Drop - 1, Foreman - 0!

Takes a lot of guts to take the erosion control position, that's tough work.:drinkup Personally I hate silt fence and everything that goes along with erosion control.:Banghead

I have seen these rubber wattles before but never used them. Usually class II silt fence (T-posts, hog wire, fabric) is spec'd on most jobs I do, sometimes straw or wood chip wattles/silt socks as well.

If I read your post right, you will be hammering 6' T posts 5' in the ground? Knowing the area somewhat, that is going to be a challenge with the ground conditions. Will ya'll have a hyd. post driver?

I'm not sure if it was guts or just stupidity :tong

Man you're telling me on the hating silt fence thing! Last job I had gotten on the enviro crew after most of it was already done, this time not so much. If I never have to touch silt fence again after this job life will be good

They are called eels and they have chopped up rubber tires in them, they do weigh about 80lbs and they have SHARP metal from the wires in the tires. I already sliced my fingers open on them quite a few times now (I know gloves right ). I haven't seen any of the wood chip filled one's in the yard yet.

Good news is they did away with the hammering the T-Posts all the way in the ground thanks to the spreadman fighting it. Glad they did because there is nothing but rock in most places we've been to.

A few pictures, I haven't been able to take a lot of them yet.

The rocks on a few steep hills were a little to loose to get the 1 ton up. So we got a little help.


This is my puppy Moose. He's an American Bull Dog and is 6 months in this picture. He usually comes to work with me but is being boarded for 3 weeks due to it getting pretty busy.

 

[oldtanker]

Glad that thinks are finally moving for you. Good looking pup.

Rick

 

[HEO Girl]

First rain day! Rain days are unheard of, I was surprised. Usually we work in it. Now I can catch up on all the house work I have been neglecting for 2 weeks. Might even fold the laundry!

Thanks Oldtanker. He really is a good boy, and smart too.

 

[oldtanker]

HEO, I kept a pup for one of my SILs. He got a lab cross but is an OTR driver. She has to be the smartest dog I've ever worked with. I had her house broke in 2 weeks.

Rick