Any operators ever feel like they are stuck in the game of "Prove yourself and then".  And when you do there is always another naysayer pronouncing "Yeah one more time".  After a while an operator just feels used! 

I always believed that if someone could train their replacement then they could move up.  The only thing I see anymore is a bunch of management people who think they are entitled to be where they are and have really not paid the price they are asking you to.

If this industry is to succeed and a company to grow we are going to have to train our own replacement.   That is the only way for our own legacy to live on. 

Quite frankly,  there are people in this industry that have blown their way to where they are and it makes me sick to my stomach.  Not only have they cheapened themselves but the people they have blown.

A wise man once told me,"If a person won't teach the next generation it is for two reasons,  they either don't know or they are comfortable and scared for their own job".  WELL SAID WISE MAN!

James,

People are insecure; especially unqualified people. Just think about how easy your job would be if everyone had all of the same information. You are right. We should all be training our replacements and bringing all of our fellow workers up to a standard of understanding and proficiency. To not do that is to fail yourself, your company and your fellow employees. It just makes good, safe sense. ;~)

I think what you are going through is common in the concrete pumping industry. Do not get discouraged! There are Great companies out their that treat there employees the way they should be treated. The behavior you are talking about is what drives operators to become Owner / Operators. A wise man once told me that there is plenty of room in the business for someone with good intentions!

Hang in there!

...a legacy is someone who is remembered for giving something and asking for nothing in return,a mother or father who gives time to his or her children,a grandfather that skips a fishing trip to see his grandsons kindergarden graduation,.I have lost many friends in the concrete business,all are remembered by their uniqueness and kindness, and not by their physical accomplishments............

James,don't be discouraged.As seed mentioned we all have had the same feelings over time.Sometimes we tend to lean to much on the do'ers but this holds true in every industry.The truck driver that will sit in the seat that extra 15 min,the laborer that works while the others slack.You these examples daily in every field.I have always said even before I left active pumping "you are the future" to the younger ones.At 60 I still have pumps on my jobs and marvel at some of the talent out there from the younger set.So do we train our replacements?.I like to think I did my part in almost 30 years.All those little tricks you have shown others will not be forgotten,they pass with time.Sinse we are quoting"As we express our gratitude,we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words,but to live by them".{John Fitzgerald Kennedy}

Thanks for the encouragement.  I have moved on and I am no longer involved with concrete pumping.  I wish everyone here the very finest this career has to offer. 

This will be my last post to this website.  Good luck Todd and all of you fine gentlemen.  Farewell!

James: I for one will miss you,for all our differences,we are alike!

James, I am sorry to hear you left the industry. A winner never quits, and a quitter never wins.

As far as training a new man goes in my opinion, no operator should have the sole responsibility of training his possible replacement. A Company with a good safety record and commited to not only this industry, but the success of their business, takes the responsibility upon themselves to do this through proper management.

My belief as an owner operator is, it is your equipment, and when you bring a new man in, you personally educate and teach them to have success in their new carreer by leading them by example, which means teaching them how to operate and maintain your equipment the way that you expect them to yourself.

Everyone is different, and is set in their own ways. If you want your equipment taken care of, safety addressed first and foremost, and a happy custumer, you show them yourself. You will not only down the road have a well maintained machine, you will also have a man that knows how to handle all of the different situations that arise on a daily basis, which are numerous, and you never let that person go on his own until you have no doubt in your mind that he is ready and properly trained to YOUR EXPECTATIONS.