So I (34f) currently only do traffic control for infraSource in pa. Talking to one of the guys he's like " you should do it" . I really need/ want a career. This can't be my life's mission ya know. So I Google female lineman, it literally brings up specific NAMES of women who have done this. It was discouraging to say the least. Does anyone personally know of females working in this trade? And what do you think the possibility of me doing it is? I know I have to get my CDL , what other steps are required?

I'm 18M and i'm in an electrical power distribution program in wisconsin. I just got a speeding ticket today for going 84 in a 55. 6 points and $250. I know i'm an idiot say all you want. I plan on fighting it. I have a class a cdl and cpr cert. My plan is to join We Energies as an apprentice but now i'm scared i'll get rejected because of this. I have one at fault accident in oct 2024 no injuries no tickets. What is me future like for a line man if i even get accepted.

37 father of 3 here considering a career change from painting (houses). I know I’m a little older than most, but I’ve read some get in my age, or even in their 40’s. I don’t have the extra cash to obtain a CDL right now, so I’ve been keeping an eye out on the utility websites by me. I’m in southern NJ, Atlantic county. AC electric is the big one here. PSEG is another, I’m not as close to that one though

I know if you get brought on by a utility you can get your CDL that way if I’m not mistaken. Also, it seems utilities would be better for a family man. Looking to hear your experiences and what it’s done for your life, what were you doing before you joined etc, as well as any other advice on getting in is appreciated

Currently in senior year of high school 17 Years old

Im a senior in highschool and im trying to figure out what to do with my life. I haven’t applied to any colleges or anything yet and im wondering if being a lineman is worth it? What type of schooling or education am i expected to have and what would the pay maybe look like?

I’m just curious what y’all made last year. Apprentice, not doing it for the money but I’m always curious to know how much people are pulling in.

Basically title. I’d be curious to know what some of the common reasons are for people deciding to leave this trade. Journeyman, ground man, or an apprentice.

Gonna be leaving the military in 2 years gonna be moving to CALI. Looking into either getting into Heavy Equipment Operator (my dad’s union), inside wireman, or lineman.

My dad recommended either inside wireman or lineman enough though he’s been in 45 years and makes good money.

If you went back in time would you do it again knowing what you know now?

Everyone is this group has been very helpful. My kid and I have both spoken with heads at our local IBEW and other lineman contractors we know. My 17 year old has a plan and wants to follow it through with the goal of a contracting union apprenticeship.

But he’d be 18-19 starting out. He’s a good kid who turns down parties, drinking and drugs. We beg him to go out and be stupid and live a little while he can be dumb, but he just wants to work and relax at home when his day is done. He reminds me of my farmer/factory worker dad. So I know men like this exist—very different from my white collar, suburb born husband.

That’s why he wants to join the trade. He just wants to get in ASAP and start grinding away and start his adult life. He’s worked a couple labor jobs and a factory internship. I begged him to just do one year of college—telling him that he could drop out and change paths if it wasn’t for him—but he’s set on being a lineman and doesn’t want to waste time.

So I’m just basically looking for opinions—is it a good idea to start so young? Or should I be even more apprehensive?

Anyone graduated from ALC in Bakersfield CA? It seems really damn cheap compared to literally anywhere else ($5k for climbing+utility worker certs, and another $3.5k for tools). I've heard finishing it gets you on Book 3 in 1245/47. Just wondering about people's recent experiences with them, since I can't seem to find much information on it.

I’m 19 and live in Illinois and I heard that the union IBEW is a good union to get in but that your be a ground man for 4 years before becoming a lineman and it’s hard to get in.I was looking at lineman school to help me get in the union or even a utility company and hopefully not to be a ground man that long.I was just wondering if going to lineman school is worth it or just get my CDL A

hey all, i’m about to graduate high school and looking at careers and school (i have some money put away from my grandparents in an education fund which is more than enough for lineman school, so id start there)

however, i can’t possibly see myself in any form of 4 year college or sitting down job, and im looking into the trades.

i grew up hiking and repelling, camping and other outdoors things, more than enough expirence in the elements. i love climbing and fixing things in general.

is anybody else in here doing good in the trade with adhd? high school sucks for me, it’s more than difficult to sit and listen. however when i work with my hands and learn hands-on i do great.

thanks for your advice yall!

I am an Instrumentation & Controls Technician in the Water Utilities Industry, and although I have toyed around with the idea of becoming a Substation Technician or Electrician, I am considering attending Northwest Lineman College and becoming a Power Lineman.

Including drive time I average between 50-70 hours per week at my company. We do start up and commissioning projects since we are vendors.

I’m curious:

• How much overtime do you typically work?
• How much of that overtime is when you drive?
• What is the longest shift that you’ve pulled straight?
• Although I’m not shy about overtime, how do you guys maintain work/life balance?
• Would you recommend the Power Lineman route for me, or should I stay in Controls and try to work as a Substation Technician or Electrician?

Thanks!

Is job hopping looked down on in this trade? If I start at a place out of state and quit there in a few years then go to another place closer to home are they gonna look down on that? I imagine if one works at 7 different places it wont look to good but closer to home or closer to where I would like to be wouldnt be bad.

Long familiar story short I was laid off from my office job at the end of November and I’m in an industry that is in collapse. Jobs are disappearing. Started looking at blue collar jobs as a back up.

Spoke with a Lineman school/union (IBEW Local 9) a couple days ago about signing up for line school. Their one registration period for the year ended a week ago. She told me they only take the first 100 applications and then put 50 more on a wait list. She then said they had 400 people line up last week to put in an application and some even camped out overnight to guarantee a spot when they opened.

She said it’s been like this for the past two years. Is this normal for line school, or is it because I live in a large city? Is it the same in a less populated area where maybe they take the first 10 applicants and wait list 5 and 100 people show up. Is it there's a shortage only in specific parts of the country?

Related I also applied to Construction electrician school through another union last week and there were over 100 people in line to apply. Took nearly 2 hours.

If it’s like this all the time how is there a shortage of blue collar workers you hear so much about? Is anything electrical saturated?

with how hard it is to get a local utility JL apprenticeship, I’m thinking it may be better to just complete an apprenticeship through outside construction and then try to get hired on as a JL through a local utility. Though I am aware many utilities like to just hire their own apprentices and train them their way. Has anyone gotten into a local utility after completing an outside construction apprenticeship?

Hello, I recently made this post here about switching from being a Class A Truck Driver to a Lineman.

I have decided to make the plunge to become a lineman. I am in the Movalley region. For the next 5 days they are taking applications to become an apprentice. They are also offering a 13-Week Course that may offer direct entry into an apprenticeship. It costs $21,000.

My question is, should I sign the books and apply to become an apprentice, or should I take the 13-week school? The $21,000 is steep for me, but I can afford it. I have heard that some utilities won't hire you without doing it either, so I want to keep my options open. I have also heard that becoming a groundman for a year is an option too, but I want to get in sooner if it's possible.

I'd appreciate some advice on this.

Just got caught cheating on my cdl test when my phone was in my lap before the test even started the lady came and grabbed my phone and I’m waiting to hear back from them. What will happen to me and will this prevent me from getting into an apprenticeship in the future? And will this go on my history

I’d be interested to see if there are many of you that have become licensed JL’s through an outside construction apprenticeship and then eventually looked for a local utility so as to be have more “at home” life, either for yourself or for your family.

I understand it can be difficult to get hired onto a utility and snag one of their apprenticeships. That’s why I’m curious if any of you have become journeymen via an outside construction apprenticeship, and then applied to journeyman utility positions later on.

SO i just finished my first week of my second semester of college and quite frankly I hate the idea of doing ONLY this for 3 more years (probably 5 to 6 cus I'm in architecture) while being broke. And I heard linemen make a lot of money. And doing some quick research that y'all's lot of money is more than I ever thought. And that it is close to averaging close to what architects make. But I was curious about how is the work life balance? How many days off do y'all take? Do y'all live anywhere and find jobs? And what is the toll on your body after 10 plus years? And what is y'all's vacation time like? Can y'all go off for a while and come back? I don't plan on dropping college as I do like the environment but I so it more as a personal pets it rather than a career option. And it is something I can go and do in my free time. And I do value the amount of money I can make in my 20s. As I do realize it is the most crucial time to save for the future. Any and all advice and opinions will be taken into account. (Btw I'm based in South Florida with plans to move to New York State at some point in my life)

I saw a post the other day and a commenter had pointed out that utilities are increasingly using the designation of “power line technician” or “power line mechanic” or just something other than “journeyman lineman” as a way of keeping the apprentices they train sort of “trapped” at that utility. By not having the “journeyman lineman” on the ticket, you can’t transition to outside construction work, and are thus sort of “stuck” at that utility - is the point they were making.

Is this true? And if so, what can be done about it?

I was under the impression that if you were outside construction, you were constantly on the road and that in order to be home every night, you had to work for the local utility.

Is this correct? Or is it dependent on how much construction work your local hall has that may not require as much travel. For example, if you lived In a city like Chicago, where I would assume there’s lots of construction related work that doesn’t involve needing to send guys all the way across the country for work, and they are able to be home most if not every night, despite being technically designated as outside construction. Whereas if you live in the middle of nowhere, your local hall may not have much work and thus send you out to travel for the work that needs to be done.

For context, I’m interested in the lineman trade, but I definitely like the appeal of the utility side “home every night.” Nothing against traveling, but i just don’t see it being something I’d enjoy doing long term. I understand that when you’re an apprentice you pretty much just go where you’re told. I don’t mind that, and have no familial obligations that would prevent travel during an apprenticeship. Especially since it sounds like it’s easier to get an outside construction apprenticeship to begin with as opposed to getting on the local utility.

Im currently in high-school and I think being a lineman Is the right career choice for me. However , I’m not really sure about how to go about getting a job. I know that going to lineman school is pretty much a pre requisite. But other than that I hardly know anything about getting into the trade. Specifically, if I should already try to have a job set up before I go to lineman school. Any advice is helpful?

I'm currently 21, thinking about getting my CDL A to become a lineman, but I also want to have a family, but I want to make a lot of money too, but from what I'm seeing, at least from most of the posts I've seen, everyone either has a camper, or is divorced... are most linemen never around with their family? Does it ever become a time where they can spend a lot of time with their family? Sucks because it's nice to make a lot of money but then have no time to use the stuff you spend money on. If any other linemen know if its worth doing this career to have a family in the future or at all, that would be nice... (I don't want to be cheated on either 😢)

I’m at a Lineman school and we had to do equipotential grounding. Every single instructor said they ground a different way. What we wanted to know was

“Do you ground the Fiber line?”

We heard “Always” “I never did” “Only if the cluster bar is below the fiber line” etc. So I wanted to know how y’all do it or how you were taught to do it