Do operators need a truck? We have lots of sites on go and sometimes need guys to jump from site to site if the site is clean it’s not bad but if we gotta park in rebar and nails everyday or jump over a curb from time to time is it better to just get a truck or stick with a car? Save fuel or save on repairs? The other question is what to keep with you in terms of tools as your driving around from site to site. Grease, diesel can wrench and shovel? just trying to see what is best fit for future.
As an operator, they rent me from the neck down and my car is for hauling my boots, lunch, raingear. It does not nor should not need high ground clearance, employers need to provide a driveable parkable surface. If you want me to bring my truck for "*REASONS*", you best be paying me for it.
Are you asking from an operators or owners viewpoint?
as an employer I would not ask a guy to pack tools in his personal rig.
Depends on the job. Tons of jobs expect you to have pouch, hammer, etc those little things with you. But anything beyond that no. Shovel and grease gun should be kept on equipment in virtually all cases. I mean if you have a truck and it comes in handy sure but it's not required. Depending on what you're doing there will be jobsites where you will be parking in mud, no way around it but a truck is by no means needed it might just mean walking further on some jobs.
Maybe different there but if working commercial here you're parking in dirt/mud depending how wet it is in many cases, if you can even park within a few blocks of the site. Some are so congested they tell trades to only bring so many vehicles because it pisses off all the people around the area because in some cases you have 100+ vehicles trying to park. You're not going to get any sympathy for parking a personal vehicle from a general, if anything it will be yelled at for blocking a road or taking up parking from more important vehicles.
I'd happily park a few blocks away. The carpenters and all the other trades do too. Most sites do not have on site parking in town.
I provide trucks to all my leads if employees drive to a job it's only for there transportation to work and parking is car friendly or the forman picks them up from a place nearby the job they can park I get carrying your own shovel and grease gun based on preference but those should be provided the only investment an operator should have is good boots a cool can and lunch box and there own air fresheners if they are those kind of guys
If only that was the case here. I've nearly had to drag vehicles at sites to get them out of the way because people are too dahm lazy to park a bit further away and will park anywhere, i've had guys move barricades on the streets and park there, the generals are hesitant but will give permission to hook up a chain and drag em outta the way if it's not moved fast enough.