Two Weeks Down With MBTS: Weekly Reflection

With my second week now complete with Murphy Brothers Tree Service, I feel as though I have come along way from the first day. This week was not just a five-day workweek. In fact, it was a seven-day workweek. Altogether I put in 53 hours this week, which was Monday through Sunday. Kevin informed me that this past week is what they like to call a full workweek. We learned this week not to listen to the weathermen, and work whether the forecast said it was suppose to be sun or rain. Because we did this we were able to get tons of work done, actually more than Kevin and Linus expected.
This week I learned several new skills and techniques in the tree business. Many of these skills and techniques I learned were extremely beneficial to me achieving my goals, but also furthering my knowledge in the tree business. I learned about all the different hand signal for when you are backing up a truck with or without a chipper on the back. This was extremely helpful for me as I am starting to become more comfortable behind the wheel of the large trucks. I learned about hazardous tree removal and different types of lowering systems and knots for when I get up into the tree this week. Knowing about all of these whether you are up in the tree or on the ground are crucial, especially for safety purposes. At the beginning of the week, I learned how to stabilize the bucket truck before going up in it by putting out the outriggers, two on each side of the truck. Without the outriggers down, the bucket should never be operated. On Wednesday, I finally got up in the bucket to remove dead limbs from an Oak tree. It took a little bit to figure out the controls of the bucket, and which does what but towards the end of the day I felt much more comfortable up there. It is quite the feeling to be 65 feet up in the air. Kevin and Linus both told me that it takes a lot of practice to become and expert up in the bucket like they are! I also learned about truck and equipment maintainence. On Friday, it was time for the blades on the chipper to be changed. Depending on what kind of jobs you have been doing, where you have been chipping from, and how much thick wood you chip, the blades should be changed or rotated every two to three weeks. Linus ‘loves’ his Woodman 15 X chipper and has been talking a lot about making an up grade to the Woodsman 18 XX. Jobs always go a lot quick when all the equipment is in tip top shape. The Murphy Brothers pride themselves on this, for example, always having sharp saws, and always have the trucks looking real nice and in great running condition.
I have thoroughly enjoyed these last two weeks with Murphy Brothers Tree Service Inc. I feel as though I have been catching on quickly to all I have been being taught and try to apply it on the job whenever I can. All the activities that I have been doing consistently have been helping me work towards reaching my goals. I am looking forward to another great week of learning with MBTS!