# Traveling, Likes and Dislikes



## cabletie (Feb 12, 2011)

Are you running away from someone?

I've thought about it years ago. But I figured my wife would find me through my social security numbers at my new employment. Then take everything I ran away with.


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## Chops146 (Aug 26, 2018)

Lots of work in NY. Where to bro? The road's great.


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## Chops146 (Aug 26, 2018)

I worked 16 locals in 7 states since I topped out in '15. Having a good roadie helps. Trampin' ain't easy, but it can be fun.


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## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

Chops146 said:


> I worked 16 locals in 7 states since I topped out in '15. Having a good roadie helps. Trampin' ain't easy, but it can be fun.


... but is it lucrative?


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## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

cabletie said:


> Are you running away from someone?
> 
> I've thought about it years ago. But I figured my wife would find me through my social security numbers at my new employment. Then take everything I ran away with.


lol, no I’m not running from anything. Work is stagnant right now, expected to pick up in month or so, just looking at options.


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## Chops146 (Aug 26, 2018)

Depends where you go and how long you stay. I chased work one year and got 20 weeks made $48k. Last year work fell in my lap and I made $78k over 42 weeks.


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## catsparky1 (Sep 24, 2013)

We are not IBEW but you can make a lot of money . It does get old fast . You realize you miss people and things . In the last two weeks the next two family vacations are paid for . My body aches . Working in remote locations is a challenge . Working in the mountains has wicked killer views . Sleeping in the dirt sucks . Sleeping in a RV with no septic for weeks sucks . Working 14-16 a day rules on pay day . Finding out the hot chick you have been drinking with in the bar is a MAN sucks . 

Staying in five star hotels is good . Missing the kids games , plays and other moments sucks . Being in new towns or cites is fun . Finding out you are in a crappy town and you have 30 days left sucks . Driving new rental cars is fun . Having to haul 1000 feet of 1 inch ridged in a honda FIT for 100 miles sucks [ it took a few trips ] . Meeting new friends is good . Having the wife ditch you're hard working a$$ cause you aint never home sucks . Meeting my new wife ruled . 

Getting paid twice you're wage to stay and run the job out is great . Having you're pinky finger tip blown off sucks . Playing golf on a private course is good . Having the wife's car breakdown 3000 miles from home sucks . Staying in a brand new apartment with all bills paid and food is good . Staying in that apartment for a year seeing the family for 3 days a month sucks . 

It aint for everybody . I takes a silly fool or a young single man with no ties to be the road guy . I still do it and I like it . Money is good but I will never get back what I have had to give up for the dollar . Would I change it if I could ? NO . Would I do it again ? NO . Do I recommend YOU do it ? NO .

It has it's goods and bad . It can make you or break you fast , like real fast , like extraordinarily fast . Or you can run with it and make real bank . Road guys are a whole different cat . Those whom can travel and smash out work are far and few between and if you get with the right shop you are golden to them cause most dudes can't or wont do it .

It does grow very cold even when you make that shop coin you are all alone . Help is not on the way . Help is far far away and it is up to you to get it done on time and on budget . Well that is if you are the man running the show . 

If you go on the road crew good luck and I hope you do well . It is fun but [ see above ]


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

360max said:


> lol, no I’m not running from anything. Work is stagnant right now, expected to pick up in month or so, just looking at options.


Your phone will light up as soon as you go out of town. You know that, don't you?


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## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

99cents said:


> Your phone will light up as soon as you go out of town. You know that, don't you?



Is that because law enforcement is trying to triangulate his location?


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

When I travel I usually go to cabo. It is really nice that Southwest goes there now because then I can take my golf clubs for free. Although a few years ago I just took an old set down and let them with the bell boy. 
Was in business for 14 years before I took a real vacation, but now a minimum of 2 weeks every year. 
Most times I use Trip adviser or someone like that.


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## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

catsparky1 said:


> We are not IBEW but you can make a lot of money . It does get old fast . You realize you miss people and things . In the last two weeks the next two family vacations are paid for . My body aches . Working in remote locations is a challenge . Working in the mountains has wicked killer views . Sleeping in the dirt sucks . Sleeping in a RV with no septic for weeks sucks . Working 14-16 a day rules on pay day . Finding out the hot chick you have been drinking with in the bar is a MAN sucks .
> 
> Staying in five star hotels is good . Missing the kids games , plays and other moments sucks . Being in new towns or cites is fun . Finding out you are in a crappy town and you have 30 days left sucks . Driving new rental cars is fun . Having to haul 1000 feet of 1 inch ridged in a honda FIT for 100 miles sucks [ it took a few trips ] . Meeting new friends is good . Having the wife ditch you're hard working a$$ cause you aint never home sucks . Meeting my new wife ruled .
> 
> ...


...thanks for taking the time Cats to show what it cost to be a traveler, trying to make ends meet, and support a family. My hat is Truly off to you. 

What a hardcore, honest and heartfelt reply. Much respect from me, and although I have never traveled yet, it is guys like you I hope to learn from, no bs, just strait up experienced travelers.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

Traveling doesn't work out so great for people in the NJ/NY locals unless the work outlook is absolutely horrible, which it is not.

Use the numbers given in this thread of $78K in 42 weeks. That most likely required overtime, but let's conservatively go with 40 hours a week. $78K divided by 42 weeks divided by 40 hours per week is $46.43/hr wage.

That's significantly less than the wage in the locals here. Your best bet is to work here, make more money staying at home. 

Remember that even during the absolute worst times, the vast majority of the members of the unions are still working. Do what's necessary to be one of those guys, it's much less effort than traveling anyway. 

Traveling makes sense when your home local wage is like $26/hr and you go to an area with a $45+/hr wage that has a lot of available overtime.


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

Traveling for work is like anything else in life. It's what you make of it. 
90% of it depends on how you react to it and your attitude.
The other 10% comes from what else is going on around you.

Married with a gang of kids at home and you take off to go work in some beach resort for 6 months? Might not go over too well. Single guy in college and working in some beach resort for the summer? Might go over very well.


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

Jaysus H. Key-rist isn't it bad enough that NYC metro area pains in the ass make a nuisance of themselves when they come out to the boonies to retire? Stay home, read a book, leave us hicks to our boom, we waited a long time for this one.


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## Going_Commando (Oct 1, 2011)

HackWork said:


> Traveling doesn't work out so great for people in the NJ/NY locals unless the work outlook is absolutely horrible, which it is not.
> 
> Use the numbers given in this thread of $78K in 42 weeks. That most likely required overtime, but let's conservatively go with 40 hours a week. $78K divided by 42 weeks divided by 40 hours per week is $46.43/hr wage.
> 
> ...



That's what I figured. NYCish area has the highest rates in the country, right?

Come up to NH, 360, and enjoy 28.72/hr plus fringe and bennies!


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

Going_Commando said:


> That's what I figured. NYCish area has the highest rates in the country, right?
> 
> Come up to NH, 360, and enjoy 28.72/hr plus fringe and bennies!


 This area is up there but I believe many areas in California are higher.


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

Honest question. Is there not a union site that this would be better answered at?


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

sbrn33 said:


> Honest question. Is there not a union site that this would be better answered at?


 Not really. If you go to a tramp website all they are going to tell you is how great it is living in a van in a hospital parking lot, away from their kids and their arrest warrants.


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## Chops146 (Aug 26, 2018)

HackWork said:


> Not really. If you go to a tramp website all they are going to tell you is how great it is living in a van in a hospital parking lot, away from their kids and their arrest warrants.


I prefer the fleabag motels. And no arrest warrants, I think.


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## Chops146 (Aug 26, 2018)

What Hack said about scales factors in too, though affected by your budget. If your just making it on home scale at 40 hours, a little cut in scale can require alot of hours to make it up. We live on an unemployment budget, so I am pretty free to travel anywhere. One of my roadies can't go anywhere that's lower than 5-10s @ $30 scale. Also, highest scale is local 6, San Francisco at $71.


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## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

HackWork said:


> Traveling doesn't work out so great for people in the NJ/NY locals unless the work outlook is absolutely horrible, which it is not.
> 
> Use the numbers given in this thread of $78K in 42 weeks. That most likely required overtime, but let's conservatively go with 40 hours a week. $78K divided by 42 weeks divided by 40 hours per week is $46.43/hr wage.
> 
> ...


traveling makes sense in any area because you can still earn a credit year for pension. Local 3 guys travel all the time, for less pay most of the time. Something is always better than nothing, don’t you ever forget that.


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## Chops146 (Aug 26, 2018)

You might want to check out 103.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

360max said:


> traveling makes sense in any area because you can still earn a credit year for pension. Local 3 guys travel all the time, for less pay most of the time.


When you travel outside of your area the pension credit no longer goes by time, it goes by money.

You could go work in half of the locals around the country for an entire year and not make even half of your pension credit. 

You would be far better off working at home and putting the extra money into a mutual fund or other investment to supplement your pension to cover the lost time working out of the union.

I know that you just want to act like you 1-uped me, which is all part of your trolling game. But other people read this so I won't let you steer them wrong. 



> Something is always better than nothing, don’t you ever forget that.


 I never said to do "nothing", quite the opposite actually. It does not make sense for someone in NY/NJ/CA/etc. to travel unless there is no work at all. Don't _you_ ever forget that.

You really need to stop with this playing online crap and become a better electrician. There is absolutely NO reason why you should be hurting for work right now other than the fact that you are severely under-qualified. Maybe it's time to think about a new line of work?


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## Chops146 (Aug 26, 2018)

LU 25, Long Island is soon to be a walkthrough. Solar work. Call the hall for details. The job I start tomorrow at home will be done at Thanksgiving. So you might see me making snowmen on Long Island between then and Christmas. Safe travels, brothers.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

I travel several times a year, generally for 2-5 days max, within 6-7 hours I drive, any further I fly. Looking at a job now that maybe 5-6 cities over the next few months.


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

Chops146 said:


> What Hack said about scales factors in too, though affected by your budget. If your just making it on home scale at 40 hours, a little cut in scale can require alot of hours to make it up. We live on an unemployment budget, so I am pretty free to travel anywhere. One of my roadies can't go anywhere that's lower than 5-10s @ $30 scale. Also, highest scale is local 6, San Francisco at $71.


Yeah... but try finding a hotel there for a decent rate per night.

I work in SF almost everyday, the $71 is like $25 anywhere else. The thing that a lot of guys don't get about Cali is that the cost of living is still really high 2-3 hours outside of the city. I am not sure that is the case with NY/NJ or some of the other high paying locals. Better off staying EC if you want to travel.


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## shockme123 (May 13, 2009)

Wish I could travel. Times are tough on the Canadian east coast.


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