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Post by Yard Bird on Jan 9, 2009 9:48:37 GMT -5
Although there aren't to many good things to say about the equipment, I remember when the customer was glad to see you, CODS would give you a case a beer for helping them. Your boss would have a barbecue on a long day (driver appreciation) day. On the big days the owners would bring in 6 cases of beer and say you deserve this after work. Most of that is gone now, we'll all of it is gone. Remember when you tailgated walls at 4pm and the crew was already liquored up and you knocked off a few into the basement., of course it was their fault for making nutsty ramps. My question is are things really better now then before?, safety yes. Fun, I'm not sure.  |
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Post by mauserman on Jan 9, 2009 17:46:25 GMT -5
I didn't come into the business until 2000 so alcohol has been a no-no for all the years of my short career.
My first concrete company (now out of business) was owned by one man (great older guy named Gary!) who was personal friends with every single one of his finishers who were themselves older guys.
One hot, hot, hot September day I climbed up in my first assigned truck (1977 Mack, Challenge-bodied nine yard booster axle with no AC) and started to head to a finisher named Kenneth.
Before I pulled out from underneath the plant, Gary climbed onto my running board, smiled and said, "Remember - Kenneth is the boss out there - you do what he tells ya, ya hear me!?!". Yes sir! was my reply.
I got to the job site, popped my air brake and walked over to watch the first trucks pour out. The finisher shot me a dirty look and said, "HEY! NEW MEAT! Did Gary tell you who the hell runs this show out here!?!". I told him, "Yep! You're the boss!".
He nodded and said, "Yer damned right! You see that cooler on the tailgate? Reach in there and grab a beer!".
I grabbed a Coors and handed it to him. He tried to act like he was mad and said, "I don't want it - hell, I hate Coors! You drink the damned thing!".
I followed my employer's instructions...........no way I'd do it again though ;D.
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Post by concretejoe on Jan 10, 2009 1:53:28 GMT -5
Man, don't get me all nostalgic. It hurts too much to think how much fun this used to be. Then it was hard not to have fun. Now I have to eek out whatever amount of amusement I can get.
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Post by BillyCement on Jan 10, 2009 9:23:20 GMT -5
When I started driving a mixer the boss was a recovering alcoholic so beer wasn't allowed anywhere in the yard. Although, a few times in the winters, when we were sandblasting the trucks, his brother would BBQ some hot dogs and sneak in a case or two of beer. But, it was mainly for the guys who were not going out on the road.
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Post by LEAD DOG on Jan 10, 2009 13:41:39 GMT -5
BELLLLLLLLLCH!.....WHAT? 
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Post by BillyCement on Jan 10, 2009 14:38:48 GMT -5
BELLLLLLLLLCH!.....WHAT? |
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Post by cfconcrete on Jan 14, 2009 16:13:20 GMT -5
When I first started, every Friday (payday) by noon, when they released the checks, every single driver was plastered, some of the old dogs were so far gone they would fall out of the truck, but they drove like a pro, still can't figure that out.
Back then we had waaaaay more CODs, and almost all of them were greatful, humble homeowners who threw a few beers (or more) at us.
The small time GCs were greatful & helpful to us, never one of them acted like they do now. They were all old time Italians, knew their sh1t too.
We had some great big bridge & highway pours, I mean hundreds of thousands of yards, for a few years at a time, every few nights every week, all through the summer of 78, 79 & 80, we'd come in at 9 or 10 at night, the old man (the boss-owner) had the BBQ pits burning, with steaks, burgers, dogs & sides of beef. And beer. The plant was (is) down from a meat plant, and he had some kind of deal with them to get us all the fixings we want...
We had no uniforms, no drug testing, no hard hats & steel toed boots, no safety vests, got no sh$t from the contractors & pumps, there was so, so much work, we never would think it'd dry up. No OSHA, no EN CON, we just did our thing, no one ever (at my company) got hurt, or killed, and when we hired a kid, they were so freaking greatful to work, they stayed for a lifetime (me).
For me it will be 31 years this summer, and EVERYTHING has changed.
Still glad to be here though, hauling the mud & building the world..........
Drive Safe Men
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Post by BillyCement on Jan 14, 2009 17:30:35 GMT -5
We had no uniforms, no drug testing, no hard hats & steel toed boots, no safety vests, got no sh$t from the contractors & pumps, there was so, so much work, we never would think it'd dry up. No OSHA, no EN CON, we just did our thing, no one ever (at my company) got hurt, or killed, and when we hired a kid, they were so freaking greatful to work, they stayed for a lifetime (me). For me it will be 31 years this summer, and EVERYTHING has changed. Still glad to be here though, hauling the mud & building the world.......... Drive Safe Men  |
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gant
Junior Member
Posts: 12
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Post by gant on Jan 14, 2009 17:39:18 GMT -5
apparently we used to be able to wear shorts, but one of the drivers fell asleep on a street pour and filed a worksman comp claim for getting sun burnt
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Post by cfconcrete on Jan 14, 2009 21:21:44 GMT -5
apparently we used to be able to wear shorts, but one of the drivers fell asleep on a street pour and filed a worksman comp claim for getting sun burnt Please tell me your kidding...........? |
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Post by LEAD DOG on Jan 14, 2009 22:23:19 GMT -5
apparently we used to be able to wear shorts, but one of the drivers fell asleep on a street pour and filed a worksman comp claim for getting sun burnt
A SUN BURN  ! HELL...I FALL ASLEEP IN MY POOL THRU THE WHOLE SUMMER. I'VE HAD MY BIG ASS BURNT TO A CRISP ONE WEEKEND, THEN THE NEXT WEEKEND I'D ROLL OVER AND TOAST ALL MY PLUMBING n' FITTINGS ! I DIDN'T MISS A DAY OF WORK OR EVEN WHINE ABOUT IT!...MOSTLY CUZ I WOULDN'T ADMIT IT TO ANYONE AT WORK CUZ THE CONSEQUENCES FOR ME WOULD BE,,,,MERCILESS  |
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Post by concretejoe on Jan 14, 2009 23:20:09 GMT -5
Yah, what happened to the good old days where peer pressure was a positive thing. Me and another guy at work were having a conversation about the good old days. Do you remember a time when being in a union meant something? It meant that you were the best of the best and were compensated accordingly. Guys were more afraid of what the other guys would think, and anybody that didn't pull their weight was reprimanded by his co-workers long before management had to get involved. I better stop I'm getting all nostalgic...
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Post by cfconcrete on Jan 15, 2009 6:58:40 GMT -5
Yah, what happened to the good old days where peer pressure was a positive thing. Me and another guy at work were having a conversation about the good old days. Do you remember a time when being in a union meant something? It meant that you were the best of the best and were compensated accordingly. Guys were more afraid of what the other guys would think, and anybody that didn't pull their weight was reprimanded by his co-workers long before management had to get involved. I better stop I'm getting all nostalgic... Yes, good post Joe......... |
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! HELL...I FALL ASLEEP IN MY POOL THRU THE WHOLE SUMMER. I'VE HAD MY BIG ASS BURNT TO A CRISP ONE WEEKEND, THEN THE NEXT WEEKEND I'D ROLL OVER AND TOAST ALL MY PLUMBING n' FITTINGS 