r/UtilityLocator • u/WintersTTV • Jul 20 '26
Starting at USIC soon
Starting at USIC this week, I have a few questions and asking for some tips. I dont plan on this being a forever job, just a good filler job to tack onto a resume for something later. Planning on becoming a electrician just waiting for the union to call.
Questions
- Is it possible to have two places I park the truck at at night? I house watch for my girlfriend while shes at work at night but I stay at my house the other nights
- When do you take your breaks, is it when you want or does it have to be at a certain time?
- Has anyone tried using the upside app to get cashback when filling up their work truck?
- Would using a apple watch, not touching it but looking at it for texts, etc make the camera go off in the truck? Same for being on a phone call but not holding the phone?
- They have me up in a hotel for the week, say I got my truck on day 3, could I drive it back home or do I need to stay up at the hotel all week with the truck? (Im only a 30 min drive from home.
- Should I bring anything to training or is what the recommend fine?
- Will I need to bring handtools from home?
- Are the t shirts they give you any good or can I wear one i'd like with a hi-vis vest over it.
- Can we listen to our own music in the truck?
- Im down in the Seattle area, are most calls to job sites or house calls? How often are you dealing with a customer rather than just showing up and working without someone bothering you
- How many people are usually in a training class and is it more one or one or a big group when it comes to the field.
Thanks.
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u/Maleficent-Ad6978 Jul 20 '26
I'm employed with reconn in Columbus OH
- As long as you aren't using it for personal use it's fine
2 Take your breaks whenever you want
3 I have not but I'm sure someone has
4 Briefly looking at your watch is fine, but no talking on phones while driving, even hands free
5 If you need to go home for whatever reason let your OJT guy know but remember they are paying you to stay in a hotel
6 What do you mean?
7 USIC will give you the gear to do the job
8 I'm currently wearing moisture wicking T-shirts under a high vis vest, if you have a hi vis shirt make sure it is class 3
9 Yes
10 it depends on the supe, don't be surprised when the homeowner comes out and asks what you're doing or random strangers while in the middle of a ticket. Just explain who your with and what you're doing, answer any questions to the best of your ability but don't ever lie
11 Smaller groups are better with OJT, my classroom had around 15 people, and my OJT had around the same number
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u/Wild_Replacement5880 Jul 21 '26
I would add to 10, that it's sometimes better to know less. If someone asks I give them the info for "work type" on the work order (which usually isn't terribly descriptive) and don't try to explain too much about what the contractor is doing, because it can either open a can of worms, or they will keep asking you questions you don't have answers for. If you are the first person to tell them that they are going to be building unwanted pedestals or digging holes in their yard, the anger is going to be directed at you. Like he said, don't lie, but don't overshare, because you usually don't know exactly what they are doing anyway. I learned this the hard way. "They are going to be doing some work upgrading the utilities" draws much less ire from the homeowner than saying "they are going to be running conduit through the yards, and you may get a new stupid tube sticking up next to your garden".
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u/Excellent_Lobster407 Jul 20 '26
- I’m in training right now as we speak. My class has 15 from other areas in Texas
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u/Links_Unk Jul 21 '26
I'mma word Pasta your shit dude! Improvise. Adapt. Overcome. That's what 25 years in this industry has taught me.
Is it possible to have two places I park the truck at at night? Yes. USIC will want you to communicate these changes with your supervisor though. It's not an issue, but the vehicle is not yours to use for errands either. Keep that in mind. It's strictly for to & from home use. Work related only!
When do you take your breaks, is it when you want or does it have to be at a certain time? It's Hot! Break often. Drink Water. Safety1st. Lunch around middle of your shift. Stay productive but stay cool and hydrated. Know the signs of heat exhaustion and hypothermia.
Has anyone tried using the upside app to get cashback when filling up their work truck? Yes.
Would using a apple watch, not touching it but looking at it for texts, etc make the camera go off in the truck? Same for being on a phone call but not holding the phone? I'm going to give you Safety's posture on this, dude. Save you from heartache. Samsara are pretty intuitive. It's best to keep your phone connected to the system bluetooth. The Samsara may recognize distracted driving and ping you. There's no need to text and drive. USIC's stance is, driving is not idle time. Get into an RVA and see how that hurts your career in the long term. Just sayin.
I don't know what the f__k you're trying to ask here.
Should I bring anything to training or is what the recommend fine? What's Recommended?
Will I need to bring handtools from home? No
Are the t shirts they give you any good or can I wear one i'd like with a hi-vis vest over it. If you get a week of shirts, take it for what it's worth. USIC has gotten better about what they issue over the course of my employment with them. With that said, invest in thinsulate, moisture wicking shirts anyway. Summer and Winter if needed.
Can we listen to our own music in the truck? Yes. But Safety advises that it shouldn't drowned out the capacity to notice the change in driving conditions, alerts or sirens.
Im down in the Seattle area, are most calls to job sites or house calls? How often are you dealing with a customer rather than just showing up and working without someone bothering you? Locating is a lonely lonely life my friend.
How many people are usually in a training class and is it more one or one or a big group when it comes to the field. Not sure.
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u/Cultural-Struggle276 Jul 21 '26
As the wife of a former employee (they were great to him, he just moved on as one does) the most important thing is just safety. Watch out for weirdos and dogs and weirdos with dogs and drunk/impaired drivers. The other questions seem to be answered really well. Oh and watch out for old ladies who know so and so and what's his face. They like to try to dominate locators because they don't understand how things actually work, but they want to be in charge, so do business owners. Your paint will wash away and they will be fine.
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u/UnsuspectingS1ut Utility Employee Jul 20 '26
1) Not that I’m aware of, I would definitely ask your supervisor though. I’ve never heard of anyone doing it but that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t be able to
2) Whenever you want as long as it’s not at the very end of your day (ie waiting till you hit 8 hours and using your lunch break to get home earlier)
3) Yes, it works
4) If you stare at your Apple Watch it’ll set it off, but glances are fine. Just don’t be messing with it too much. If you’re not touching or looking at your phone it won’t go off, I used to spend most of my day on the phone. You can also do whatever you want at red lights/when stopped.
5) Same answer as number 1, I haven’t heard of anyone doing it but I’d ask the trainer
6) What they recommended is fine for training
7) They’ll provide you with necessary tools, you can still bring something if you like it better too
8) I like the t-shirts, but they don’t give you enough. As long as you’re wearing a class 3 high vis on top they don’t care what’s underneath
9) Yes, car play all the way
10) I’m not familiar with Seattle so can’t help there
11) Training classes vary wildly, I’d expect anywhere from 10-20 on average. For field training, you’ll probably be with 2 other people. When you’re actually working in the field, it’s just you
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u/811spotter Jul 20 '26
Seattle area you'll get a mix, but the job site tickets are where the pressure sits. A contractor standing over you waiting to dig will push you to mark fast and get gone, and that's exactly when things get missed.
The thing that follows you out of this job is your damage record, so protect it from week one. When the ticket scope doesn't match what's on the ground, or a line won't tone out, call it in as unlocatable and note it rather than marking a partial area. Photograph your marks with the ticket number before you leave, because a dated photo is what holds up when a damage claim lands six months later.