Originally Posted by Stoney

I did 2 years on a Water Main replacement Project and a MTA Ventilation Plant job doing GeoTech (Drilling, Rock Cores, Stabilization, Controlled Fill), so yeas I have done my time in the dirt.

1 Point Proctor is a piece of cake, used to do them on the tailgate of my F150 everyday to establish the Max DD for compaction. Hell I can even do the Troxler Moisture trick when you don't have time for a 1 Pt test and I'm usually within 1lb of Max DD.

I know what you are saying about too much education! The difference between us and the rest is we offer a full package and the Health Plan is way better than the other guys (seriously when I show the guys exactly what the competition gives them vs us its a game changer). Plus we guarantee 40 hrs a week, if the weather sucks then you do your time in house fling paperwork or cleaning gear but we don't just tell the guys "Sorry No Work this Week"!

A friend just became EVP of a mid sized Testing Lab in the area and asked me for some advice. Their rep is "cheapest guys in town" and I quite frankly tole him he has an uphill battle because they pay ****e and their crew is mostly weed heads and lamers. I pointed out we tossed them off 2 jobs for not understanding how to test/sample SCC and not being lab certified to test high strength concrete and his eyes rolled.

I'm quite blunt with the guys I hire and ask if they want a career or just a job. Their answer tells me if they really want to take a step up.

Hire guys with a wife and kids and give them a good medical plan and treat them right is the key to loyalty in my shop.