Photo courtesy of Landscape Associates
Landscapers might all have different preferences as to who manages various responsibilities on the job, such as trailer organization. However, it’s important for there to be a system in place to keep a clean trailer and make operations efficient.
At Landscape Associates in De Pere, Wisconsin, the foreman is responsible for making sure all of the standardized equipment is loaded on the trucks and ready for their crews for the day. If the job requires any extra equipment, it will be listed on the foreman’s work order and can be checked out from the shop. Likewise, if something breaks, the foreman is supposed to tag it and check out a replacement tool from the shop until the repairs are made.
Gerry Andrews, president of Landscape Associates, performs spot inspections once or twice a month to ensure everything is still where it is supposed to be. Those results then become part of the twice-a-year performance evaluation ratings, he says.
At other companies, such as Byron Smail Landscape Contracting in Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania, this organizational responsibility is shared, says owner Byron Smail.
“In the morning, I make sure everything is organized. But at the end of the day we come back and like clockwork, our guys know it’s time to clean up and get ready for the next day,” Smail says.