One Week Complete: Weekly Reflection

My first week of my Senior Project with Murphy Brothers Tree Service Inc. I thought went extremely well, so did both owners Kevin and Linus Murphy. We worked almost everyday, weather permitting, and even put on rain gear and went out in the rain for a day. Altogether, I put in a total of 43 hours this past week. I learned that 43 hours a week is only an average amount of hours we will be working a week. It will be more like 50 plus hours a week when you get five to six good working days in, and we are hoping for that this up coming week.
I was very please with what I learned and accomplished this past week. My main goal for this last week was to become comfortable behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle with a chipper on the back and learn how to drive a standard. My sponsor Kevin was extremely pleased with how well I pick up on driving the chip truck as well as his brother Linus too. I think Linus was the most happy out of the three of us because this will now allow him to do tree work the days that Kevin and Steve are at the firehouse since I feel comfortable and they are confident with me behind the wheel. In fact, tomorrow, Linus and I will be going out working while Kevin and Steve are at the firehouse. I will drive the chip truck and Linus will drive the bucket truck, and we will be in business! I can now see why Kevin and Linus didn’t waste any time from the start getting me behind the wheel of the truck. The company will now be able to keep the trucks moving five to six days a week as they have always hoped for. Since it is a small company with only about a handful of employees, it has been hard for Murphy Brothers Tree to keep the trucks moving as much as they would like. I learned that when the trucks sit at the shop, the company is losing money because they are not making any money that day and still have to make payments on the trucks.
I have loved what I have been doing thus far. I have worked for a landscaping company before, and tree work is nothing like landscaping at all. It is a totally different art and skill. I knew from the start it was going to be a lot of work and a lot of responsibility, but I did not mind one bit because I love being outside and doing manual labor. Although tree work can be very dangerous, if you think everything through before you do it, do not mess around on the job, and wear the proper safety equipment at all times, you should not have a problem.
I feel like everyday this past week, I learned something new. Tomorrow, Linus will meet at the shop early to fuel the trucks, then being the work week. This week Kevin and Linus are several jobs planned for each day, and hope that the rain holds out! I can’t wait to jump in the truck in the morning and continue to practice my commercial driving.