# Becoming a linemen



## randomkiller

In my area they take in applicants and teach them at their own facilites. Call your local poco HR office and see what they have to say.


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## micromind

Pretty much the same way around here. The POCO has its own apprenticeship program, and its own license. They pay for your training, and pay you to work for them. 

Very similar to inside wireman apprenticeships. 

Rob


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## Celtic

There is only 1 IBEW outside construction local in MA: LU 104.

IBEW Local Union 104

Here is 104's website.


This is NOT to say the Power Companys [POCO] do not have their own linemen.


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## pudge565

In my area (Berks County, Pennsylvania) MET-ED has a program through the local Community College. If you get into the program you are guaranteed a position with MET-ED. They also pay for all books and give an allowance for you PPE plus they pay for the whole course. It is 2 years long 4 semesters. This is what I plan on doing as a career. If I can't for some reason though I will turn to my firefighter and EMS training to get a career in one of those fields.


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## NiCkE803

JoeW said:


> I am just curious and had some questions.
> 
> How does one become a linemen?
> 
> Do you just become a journeymen electrician and then apply at the power company?
> 
> Or do you just look for an opening and apply and they train you?
> 
> Is there a license involved with being a linemen?
> 
> I would be particularly interested if there is anyone on here that works in Massachusetts on here (that is where I am from) specifically working for NStar that could shine some light on the local aspect.
> 
> Any info would be great though. Thanks in advance.





You can join IBEW LU 1249 that's the lineman union in nys they are located in Syracuse NY


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## brian john

You flunk out of REAL electricians school and there are no options left.


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## den

around our area, the poco will only hire certified lineman or apprectices coming out of line school. The old co I worked for would hire summer help and if they worked out, they would help with line school if they would come back to work for a time period. Most of the younger guys just stayed on long enough to get a lineman rating and then moved on to better pay unless they were from here.


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## McCaa

http://www.lineman.edu/programs/electrical-lineworker-program.aspx

This school has turned out some good beginner lineman if you don't want to go Union. My buddy went through this school 3 years ago, immediately after graduation, got on with a local electrical contractor and now makes $34 an hour locally. It may not be for everyone but it worked well for him.


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## Mikeomo

brian john said:


> You flunk out of REAL electricians school and there are no options left.


That may be, but here in AZ the linemen for APS (Power Company) are making a lot more $$$ than we are!


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## Zog

Mikeomo said:


> That may be, but here in AZ the linemen for APS (Power Company) are making a lot more $$$ than we are!


hazard pay :shutup:


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## Frasbee

$hit, they can keep that money, I sure as hell aren't gonna be climbing up any poles, or sitting in a bucket in the middle of a storm in the middle of the night.


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## user4818

Do you have a strong back and a weak mind? Good..then you are qualified to be a lineman! :thumbsup:


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## MDShunk

People have described linemen as "Assemblers who work at 40-60 feet in the air". Hardly what I'd call electrical work. More like putting together a big-boys erector set with the same set of parts all the time. 

The most intelligent linemen are the one's called "trouble men", and they normally drive a smaller bucket truck and respond to smaller and single building outages. Some other more cerebral lineman-type jobs are the substation electrician and the meter technician.


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## user4818

MDShunk said:


> The most intelligent linemen are the one's called "trouble men", and they normally drive a smaller bucket truck and respond to smaller and single building outages.


In my somewhat limited dealings with trouble men, I have found they are not very intelligent either. :no:


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## MDShunk

Peter D said:


> In my somewhat limited dealings with trouble men, I have found they are not very intelligent either. :no:


Well, let's call them, "the best of the worst", then.


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## user4818

MDShunk said:


> Well, let's call them, "the best of the worst", then.


Haha! That works. :laughing:


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## brian john

And near cities and in residential areas linemen spend more time in a ditch slugging mud then they do on a pole or in a bucket truck.


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## spdone

Hmmm... I have been in the electrical trade for many years and just talked to the lineman local here today. Thought I would give it a shot. My local has no work for me but the lineman do, and although I would be getting less an hour(at first) it would be something, which is better than nothing. Nobody mentioned ditch digging while I was up there though...hmmm


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## BuzzKill

brian john said:


> You flunk out of REAL electricians school and there are no options left.


 OUCH!!!:laughing::laughing:


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## miller_elex

Linemen make alot more than we do. Everyone, the jealousy shows.


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## user4818

miller_elex said:


> Linemen make alot more than we do.


As anyone who does a highly demanding and dangerous job should.


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## brian john

miller_elex said:


> Linemen make alot more than we do. Everyone, the jealousy shows.


 
Maybe in your area not here.


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## edward

i dunno brian... i think if you could get an average of wages around the u.s. you would find that most lineman make more then most electricians. looking at the economy as well i think there is a better chance at finding steady work as a lineman then as a sparky. thats why im going to school for it.


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## seldridge

down here at somerset community college they a special lineman school. I thought about switchin degrees to that but i couldnt use my electric classes towards that. im thinkin about tryn to get a linemen job when i graduate though.


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## Buddha In Babylon

You couldn't pay me enough money to be a lineman. If you ever see a transformer blow on the line, up close and personal like, you know you don't wanna be near that thing when it blows. F that.


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## cdnelectrician

Buddha In Babylon said:


> You couldn't pay me enough money to be a lineman. If you ever see a transformer blow on the line, up close and personal like, you know you don't wanna be near that thing when it blows. F that.


 
I would find that work fun, thats why I love service so much! Nothing like a good "I have no power and there is a burning smell coming from my electrical room" call :thumbup:.

I just don't think I could deal with the cold weather. 

Went for a group interview at Toronto Hydro awhile back, and you would not believe what they want from entry level guys before they even give you a conditional job offer! I would have gone through with it but I could not afford to be off for 11 weeks or more while in training with no pay whatsoever. I left scratching my head because after all they ask from you in the interview(s) I looked around at the guys coming off their shift and they did not look all that swift if you know what I mean. And most of the people in the group interview looked like they had never held a pair of pliers in their hands before.:blink:


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