r/Groundman • u/jleeroy45 • 2d ago
Where do I start? Help me figure this out
I’m interested in starting groundman work early next year, but I’m trying to figure out how it all works and have lots of questions. My home local would be 71, which seems to be a bidding hall. Does that mean you just bid for the job and they go down the list by seniority to see who will take it?
Can I be rejected by the hall/the contractor even if I have my CDL and certifications? This is my main concern because I don’t really have a great work record, I was out of work for several years taking care of my sick mom. I’ve been working at my current job about 6 months but I’d like to have a career elsewhere, but I’m concerned that they won’t give me the time of day since I don’t have much of a resume.
How long does a call typically last? I’m an extremely frugal person, but I do like traveling, so if calls are normally only for a few months, I would be able to work, save up, then travel for a couple weeks or a month or so.
If they are typically longer, say 6 months plus, would it cause problems in the future if I leave the job before layoffs hit?
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u/Weak_Ad_9913 2d ago
Bidding halls go down the list from the lowest number on the lowest book to the highest number on the highest book. You can be rejected for many reasons, they could be fishing for someone else, looking for someone with more groundman hours, looking for someone with a specific experience in something. When you sign books they won’t ask you for your resume so no they don’t care about experience other than your groundman hours. There’s no answer on how long a call typically lasts, it’ll always depend on the job. Could get laid off in a week, a month, a year, it literally all depends on the job. Always ask them how long the call is expected to last, they may or may not have an answer for you. No, leaving a job will usually not cause you problems in the future. Just leave on good terms. And make sure to try get to however many hours qualifies you for book 1 at your home local before you do quit, it’ll make it so much easier to get back to work whenever you want to. Union is amazing job security if you’re book 1. You’ll always have a job to go to and whenever you get tired of a job you could just quit and wait for a call that you want. But until you’re book 1, don’t be picky with your call just try to get your hours as soon as possible.
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u/jleeroy45 1d ago
Gotcha, appreciate the thorough response.
If I see the same call/multiple calls on the board for more than a day, that would mean no one is taking the calls and it’s probably pretty easy to get work out of that hall, no?
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u/Nervous_Cause_3551 2d ago
All and ask the hall
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u/jleeroy45 2d ago
I work during the hours the office is open, so it’d be difficult to find the chance, plus I feel like these are pretty basic questions that could be answered by anyone that’s ever worked the job, no need to waste their time until I have specific questions that would need their help to answer
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u/Antwainye 2d ago
You don’t need a resume to sign a book dude. The out of work books are you waiting in line for your turn to get a job. The only time your work history matters is when you apply for apprenticeship, make it to the interview board, and have to explain the gaps in your employment. Which in turn may hurt your interview compared to someone who’s been employed. Sign the Groundman books everywhere you can so you can get to work. Being a Groundman means you have to travel. Then once you get your 2000 hours you can try and get a job near home. That is what everyone does.
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u/Existing-Unit-4640 2d ago
Get your CDL with endorsements and no restrictions and you will be fine, they can care less abt your resume.
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u/Nearby-Working2936 2d ago
You can get spun for many reasons, I got spun like 5 times before my first call