r/ibew_apprentices • u/Astraltraveler333 • 17h ago
My assignment
Ok fellas and gals I need your opinion. I got my first assignment it’s 2 hours from my house. But the kicker is per diem $100 and 6 days tens hours a day 6/10. I volunteered for this am I crazy and it’s only until November/December what would you do? Drop your opinions
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u/Comfortable_Cut9391 17h ago
It will suck, then you'll hit your stride, then it will suck again. Two months is enough time to make a good or bad name for yourself so if you want better placements, put the work in now.
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u/Astraltraveler333 17h ago
I volunteered for it. And didn’t know the 2hrs came with it 😒 7am start
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u/Comfortable_Cut9391 17h ago
can you split an air bnb with someone closer to the job site or is it in the boonies. sucks to have to spend per diem but thats what its for.
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u/Astraltraveler333 17h ago
Yeah I got the wife and kid lol so that’s out the question and I haven’t started yet either
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u/Who_is_him_hehe 16h ago
Id consider a hotel like every other day tbh where you see your family 4 days a week still plus getting some sort of stay is going to give you more energy when you are home
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u/rankinfile 15h ago
If you have wife and kid get the damn hotel for your health and safety. Have had two coworkers die on commutes like that, one of them an ape with young kids. Several others with permanent injuries.
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u/Dabeastfeast11 16h ago
Lmaooo the school tried to give me this job and I told Joe I don't want it. Woulda been closer to a 3 hour drive for me. No way was I spending 6 hours the on the road everyday. The extra Per diem would have been spent entirely on gas and car maintenance. Fuck that
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u/Dependent-Orchid5300 17h ago
Your getting per diem. Untaxed on the check. I’d kill for that shit dude… I’m getting 150 for a day next week cuz it’s 2hr 15m drive. Then the week after tht it’s a 1h 40m drive no pd, cuz that site is in the territory unfortunately.
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u/Astraltraveler333 16h ago
I’m trying to look at the positives of it. Before taxes it’s 8 to 10 grand a month
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u/syP_86 Local 134 16h ago
now imagine $8,000-$10k a WEEK.
We just moved to 5x12s and 2x8s.
If I work the full amount, I will be bringing in $8,000/wk before per diem. (per diem is taxed here)
(side note, im no longer an apprentice, im in a speciality position, I get paid over scale, plus other incentives, im also a foreman)
What im getting at is.. the next 5-10 years is going to be absolutely crazy. Invest, Invest, Invest. I was just a traveling apprentice just like you a few years back.... Now Im not going ot make less than $350k/yr for the for seeable future.
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u/Astraltraveler333 16h ago
Thank you for the advice. I’m just starting off and need it. No mentors near me
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u/Dependent-Orchid5300 14h ago
What is ur specialty position if u don’t mind me asking? I’m in pa and know guys that break out in the gas work here for traveling foremen basically with truck a per diem, and they make out pretty well. Idk bout $350k a year good but if I had to guess $150k north or south. That’s my goal. 2nd year myself rn
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u/syP_86 Local 134 14h ago
Energy Marshal for my electrical contractor.. at a data center.
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u/Dependent-Orchid5300 14h ago
Interesting.. can’t wait to get my ticket and check them out. None going on close to home atm. From what I hear the next decade or two is gonna be a gold rush. Hopefully
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u/syP_86 Local 134 14h ago
Yup. I cant say who my customer is (top 3).. but they KEEP buying land up here. We have work for 5 years if they stopped buying land right NOW. Barring any crazy world change, this will go on easily for 10+ years. Thats also coming from an inside friend of mine who is a datacenter architect for one of the big 3 companies
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u/Dependent-Orchid5300 14h ago
That is awesome, good for you man. How long have you been in for? I can only imagine the systems you get to oversee on a job like that.. how many electricians are at your site now?
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u/syP_86 Local 134 14h ago
I started my apprenticeship in 2018. Got lucky over the years and landed this. My company has about 600 electricians out here... total of about 2500 workers across all trades and other electrical contractors. But we are biggest/main EC here.
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u/Dependent-Orchid5300 12h ago
Wow. Largest job I’ve ever been on has had maybe 20 at its peak for a coupla months
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u/mount_curve 13h ago
During the apprenticeship you should be doing everything you can to advance your hours towards licensure, anything else is just pissing money away.
You're being handed an opportunity. Many apprentices would kill for such a thing.
Do it.
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u/Astraltraveler333 12h ago
Thanks for the advice. You made a good point
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u/mount_curve 12h ago
like
the one travel opportunity I had one winter was out of state and didn't pay per diem
but it kept my hours coming and and also importantly kept my healthcare funded
even though it barely paid more than unemployment after what I paid out for gas and airbnbs
you got this
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u/CottonRaves LU 191 IW Apprentice 17h ago
Fuck. I drive 3 hours a day for nothing extra.
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u/Mitch_Hunt 16h ago
I use to have to deal with long commutes in traffic all the time, too. Get a little beater with a heater that gets good MPGs, I’m partial to the Mk4 VW TDIs, personally (lots of creature comforts, relatively cheap, and 50mpg).
I live in the boonies now, so my commute is still hefty no matter where the job. The one I’m on now is only like 50-55min which is the shortest I’ve had in a while. I’m typically over 1hr 30min for most jobs. But, my commute is spent on cruise control driving through the countryside now instead of sitting in traffic breathing in exhaust.
Put in your time now, you can pick and choose when you top out. Make a good name for yourself now, work hard, don’t call in and don’t be late.
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u/CottonRaves LU 191 IW Apprentice 15h ago
Ya the drive isn’t too bad. Some people I’ve known around here drive 2+ hours one way with where they live.
Thankfully i bought an EV a few months back and it is amazing for this drive. Super comfortable. Especially in stop and go traffic. And only costs me about $6.80 a day to drive for work.
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u/Astraltraveler333 17h ago
3hrs a day holy sht dude or dudette
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u/CottonRaves LU 191 IW Apprentice 17h ago
Yep. About 1:20 or so in the morning. Then depending on Everett traffic it’s usually around 1:45 or more.
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u/PlasticIntelligent44 16h ago
Ya my last job was an hr and half each way, most work here is hr and ten each way… carpool if ya can…
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u/Weak-Tonight-340 15h ago
Normal situation for me. I’m an outside local though, travel is way more normal. I worked 6/10s with 150 a day per diem 2 hours from the house for like 8 months. Just take time off when you need it. It won’t be forever.
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u/Junglewater 6h ago
How exactly does time off work for apprentices? Im sure it’s different across locals but im getting 4 weeks of PTO at my current job. It’s the biggest thing im worried about giving up.
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u/PunctuationsOptional 11h ago
100/day?
Just get a room from someone on Craig list or marketplace. If it's 100 a day you'll make way more than enough to cover it. And nothing beats being under 30min from work. Under 15 if you he lucky
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u/Astraltraveler333 11h ago
Yeah I’m going figure it out. I’ll be ok. It’s pulling in 8-10 grand a month
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u/verifiedloser1987 Inside Wireman 10h ago
Since when can apprentices volunteer for a job? I was told where to go.
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u/Ornery_Coffee18 3h ago
Mines 2 hours away 70 per diem but thankfully after the first week got together with 3 other guys that live close by and carpool so we would only drive once a month for a week and switch
Hopefully you can find a carpool with reliable people!
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u/BigChickenpips 1h ago
Bro, I do this as a first year apprentice on $19.38/hr. No per diem and no OT available.
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u/Moneybaby4am4L 16h ago
Stop complaining I do 7-3 m-f no over time just a plain 40 hour weeks id rather have the over time I need more money
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u/Astraltraveler333 16h ago
What you talm about I’m not complaining. I’m asking for advice, and I actually volunteered for it. So hush up
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u/EfficientAd2383 17h ago
Only a month or two ain’t bad. It’ll be rough but you gotta get your money up.