Oxygen Wasters

[LandyAndy]

Probably a RANT but here goes.
When we purchased an excavator at work we bought a new float to tow it around with our prime mover.
Our departed Works Supervisor ordered a "SPECIAL" short float as we didnt need the full length version(IN HIS OPINION).
When the float was picked up the suppliers asked "WHY THE HELL WOULD ANYBODY WANT A SHORTENED FLOAT" It actually cost more than a full size version as there was extra work involved in the extra cutting/welding to make the TOY version.
Enter today and a consult with the MERMAIDS(heavy haulage inspectors).
The trailer is illegal to float the excavator:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: We are now banned from shifting the Digger with the float.
We all asked why it was so short when delivered,the only response was a full size trailer is too long for our needs.
If it was full length we would have actually been able to cart 2 smaller machines at once instead of 2 trips!!!!
A HUGE WASTE OF RATEPAYERS FUNDS:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
NOT HAPPY JAN
Andrew

[drivesafe]

I bet your Works Supervisor is a uni graduate!

[George130]

At least it's not 6 years of your work they have done that to.

Got to love the beurocracy

[Landy110]

If I were you I'd be writing an open letter to the council / newspaper.
Steve.

[Bigbjorn]

Not at all unusual to see very strange specifications when shire councils call tenders. I can recall a few from my days of marketing heavy plant where I called the shire overseer or engineer to query a spec. to be told "that is what we want and you will have to quote that for your tender to be considered". On a number of occasions we decided not to tender as the specification was so wrong or so un-necessarily complex that we deemed it better to keep out.

In this case, Andy, one would have thought that the Shire Engineer or the Shire's consulting engineers would have done a simple load distribution calculation before finalising the specification and calling tenders.

[V8Ian]

It should be ideal for backhoes and bobcats :D

[p38arover]

If I were you I'd be writing an open letter to the council / newspaper.
Steve.

Not when one is a council employee!

[V8Ian]

Without identifying anyone, I have a mate working for a local authority that has just taken delivery of truck mounted specialised machinary. It has been built to their specs, on their nominated chassis. It is so heavy that they cannot put any product on it. Supossedly they will now have to purchase another truck to transport the product to site :confused:

[Sprint]

why did the mermaids ping the float?

[Bigbjorn]

I once was involved in tendering a specialised piece of equipment to one of the Qld. electricity qangos. The equipment was to their specification and was a real custom build. The maker/supplier of the multi-purpose equipment was to supply the whole package mounted on a 6x6 truck chassis. I enquired as to any preference for truck make. On being asked what I had planned to offer, I told them I was going to tender a choice of White, Mack, or Leader and claim Qld. made preference. I was told I should offer an M.A.N. as this was the preference of the engineering staff. I did tell the engineer who was the contact that as an old truck owner/operator, I would not have an M.A.N. in my ownership under any circumstances other than gunpoint. He said offer an M.A.N or be out of the running. They liked the specs of the M.A.N. and considered it superior in technical aspects.

Well, we won the tender, built and delivered the machine on a 6x6 M.,A.N. The machine repalced two single purpose machines and was super complex, a bitch to maintain, and troublesome simply from the over-complication of having one machine built to do two jobs and having everything crammed into space for one. It was in our workshop one day when one of its crew asked why we built it on an M.A.N. as the truck was a right heap of poo. I replied that their engineering staff was informed of my misgivings about the truck component but insisted that it had to be a M.A.N. They were amazed.

[LandyAndy]

Hi Sprint.
Overlength with the Excavator on board(500mm).There is no way of shortening the excavator up to fall within the oversize law as it then becomes too high,overheight regs breached plus wont fit under powerlines.
The people who built the float are coming down monday to look at lengthening it or trading it back on a new one.At least its still in very good condition with low ks.
Andrew

[45tr0]

There are demands currently to make Council's Stage available freely for general use on a book-and-pick-up basis... Problem is it's a professional frame-truss stage with over 1500 pieces, takes a team of 4 trained people at least 4 hours to assemble, weighs 8 ton and fills a 20ft shipping container solid.
The executive solution? Investigate costs of two box trailers... so thats 4T a trailer then?

[maggsie]

It also illustrates the incompetence and lack of knowledge of the council's management. Heads should roll!

Maggsie

[Lotz-A-Landies]

The problem is that they are employed by elected councillors who are likely to be the owner of the local take away food shop. These were elected by a concerted campaign by their local religious establishment and the management job was the reward for services rendered during the campaign.

At least thats what happens in my LGA.

(A suit for the DA approval on a previously illegal retail outlet and wardrobe for a high rise development, people in NSW may know who I mean.)

[Slunnie]

I think the other problem is that there are not people that are helping to correct the errors. Clearly nobody has explained to whoever has made the decision why they should reconsider. All of those that haven't been to uni and claim to know better should have known better to pass the message back up the line. The responsibility is shared.

[45tr0]

I think the other problem is that there are not people that are helping to correct the errors. Clearly nobody has explained to whoever has made the decision why they should reconsider. All of those that haven't been to uni and claim to know better should have known better to pass the message back up the line. The responsibility is shared.

i'll agree with that Slunnie - i'm somewhere in the middle of the LGO structure, and I may happen to be one of those devillish university graduates... albeit one with a bit of common sense to him.

[isuzurover]

I think the other problem is that there are not people that are helping to correct the errors. Clearly nobody has explained to whoever has made the decision why they should reconsider. All of those that haven't been to uni and claim to know better should have known better to pass the message back up the line. The responsibility is shared.

Exactly.

The university educated have no more or less stupidity or common sense than the rest of the population.

Just as a turkey with a degree is still a turkey, a turkey without a degree is also.

[Tommy]

A HUGE WASTE OF RATEPAYERS FUNDS:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:


So whats new Andrew :(

I worked for 2 councils (Building Dept) many years ago and witnessed 'moronic' use of ratepayers money.

[isuzurover]

Andy - sure the supplier and the tender writer aren't mates???

Low bid to get the tender, then modification at $$$ rates at a later date ;)

[V8Ian]

In my mate's case it was stated that so much if the design was not practical and would not suit the vehicle chosen. They were told as blue collar workers, they would not have a clue.

[Sprint]

In my mate's case it was stated that so much if the design was not practical and would not suit the vehicle chosen. They were told as blue collar workers, they would not have a clue.

which is why, over the years, my trademark has almost become a loud "TOLD YA SO" before i disappear :D

[V8Ian]

which is why, over the years, my trademark has almost become a loud "TOLD YA SO" before i disappear :D

He's still:clap2::Rolling::Rolling:

[Bigbjorn]

I think the other problem is that there are not people that are helping to correct the errors. Clearly nobody has explained to whoever has made the decision why they should reconsider. All of those that haven't been to uni and claim to know better should have known better to pass the message back up the line. The responsibility is shared.

Slunnie, Ever heard the phrase "Shoot the Messenger"? This is a small rural shire council where secure long term employment is scarce. Councils usually have a Shire Engineer and a consulting firm. A loading diagram and a weight distribution calculation would not take thirty minutes by slide rule let alone computer.

[Slunnie]

Slunnie, Ever heard the phrase "Shoot the Messenger"? This is a small rural shire council where secure long term employment is scarce. Councils usually have a Shire Engineer and a consulting firm. A loading diagram and a weight distribution calculation would not take thirty minutes by slide rule let alone computer.
"Shoot the messenger" is nothing that cant be dealt with by using rapport and diplomacy. Make negatives into positives.

Internal politics and relations is just a huge game. Rapport will get you everywhere. I recall watching a movie with the line "hold your friends close, but hold your enemys even closer" - something which is fundamental in managing those below and above you. To walk out with a loud "told you so" is nothing but unprofessional, and of course will result in total disregard - its the worst hand to play.

[Bigbjorn]

The problem is that they are employed by elected councillors who are likely to be the owner of the local take away food shop. These were elected by a concerted campaign by their local religious establishment and the management job was the reward for services rendered during the campaign.

At least thats what happens in my LGA.

(A suit for the DA approval on a previously illegal retail outlet and wardrobe for a high rise development, people in NSW may know who I mean.)

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Diana. They work cheap. Are they the dusky ones with funny hats? Or do you have born again god botherers down there also?

In the 70's-80's when Bjelke-Petersen and the Country Crooks (sorry, National Party) were running Queensland the touch was never less than $1000 even then. Never put hands in pockets to even pretend to buy a round either. One piece of **** in a now amalgamated shire council even got a park and a main road named after him after years of putting his hand out to tenderers. If anyone on this forum wants to dispute this, I can name names, places, dates and times and amounts. I kept tcma records.

[V8Ian]

I know another bloke who was an acting ganger, built a round-a-bout and finished it early, and under budget. He got put back in the gang because he made his bosses look fools, not knowing how long or much it would cost. Working for a Government body is obviously as much about politics as it is about an honest days work. So next time you see roadworkers apparently bludging, spare them a sympathetic thought, they're probably contemplating their next politically correct move. :confused:

[Slunnie]

I know another bloke who was an acting ganger, built a round-a-bout and finished it early, and under budget. He got put back in the gang because he made his bosses look fools, not knowing how long or much it would cost. Working for a Government body is obviously as much about politics as it is about an honest days work. So next time you see roadworkers apparently bludging, spare them a sympathetic thought, they're probably contemplating their next politically correct move. :confused:
Really, in every other business it would have made everybody look good.

[V8Ian]

Really, in every other business it would have made everybody look good.

Only from acting ganger down, not overseer to engineer and estimator!

[Bigbjorn]

I know another bloke who was an acting ganger, built a round-a-bout and finished it early, and under budget. He got put back in the gang because he made his bosses look fools, not knowing how long or much it would cost. Working for a Government body is obviously as much about politics as it is about an honest days work. So next time you see roadworkers apparently bludging, spare them a sympathetic thought, they're probably contemplating their next politically correct move. :confused:

I trained my sales reps to not push productivity when promoting machines to shire councils. Productivity is irrelevant when the objective is for a time sheet to be filled in showing the employee was fully engaged for their 38 hours. The job is costed on time and dollars and phuque all else matters. Shire machines as a rule of thumb widely accepted by the machinery industry do 16 hours per week/800 hours per year, and are traded in at 10-12 years at 10,000 hours. If much of this time is spent being roaded from depot or job to job, or idling on site, who cares. The operator has the hours on his time sheet.

[Slunnie]

Only from acting ganger down, not overseer to engineer and estimator!
I guess it depends on whos eyes you see it through. Seems there is such a lack of cohesion in some workplaces.

[V8Ian]

I used to deliver a lot of new machinary to councils and often return the trades. They were faded and covered in cobwebs, but not much wear on them for their age.

[LandyAndy]

Brian WHAT A LOAD OF POO!!!!
Andrew

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Without identifying anyone, I have a mate working for a local authority that has just taken delivery of truck mounted specialised machinary. It has been built to their specs, on their nominated chassis. It is so heavy that they cannot put any product on it. Supossedly they will now have to purchase another truck to transport the product to site :confused:

Its not unusual that by the time you add a twin cab and hiab to the front of a new jap chassis you reached the max front axle load,,

[V8Ian]

Its not unusual that by the time you add a twin cab and hiab to the front of a new jap chassis you reached the max front axle load,,

And that wouldn't be a very big crane

[Pedro_The_Swift]

I trained my sales reps to not push productivity when promoting machines to shire councils. Productivity is irrelevant when the objective is for a time sheet to be filled in showing the employee was fully engaged for their 38 hours. The job is costed on time and dollars and phuque all else matters. Shire machines as a rule of thumb widely accepted by the machinery industry do 16 hours per week/800 hours per year, and are traded in at 10-12 years at 10,000 hours. If much of this time is spent being roaded from depot or job to job, or idling on site, who cares. The operator has the hours on his time sheet.


Do you have any idea at all brian??

thats just so much bull****.

as usual you are living in the past.

[LandyAndy]

Hey Pedro
My 2yo grader just had its 2500hr service,must stop leaving it running overnite:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
Andrew

[V8Ian]

Hey Pedro
My 2yo grader just had its 2500hr service,must stop leaving it running overnite:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
Andrew

How do you move that if your digger doesn't fit on the float?

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Mate,, as you well know,, there are ZERO unaccountable hours for heavy plant, for anywhere up to 3 years in advance,,(or whatever the councils financial plan is)

[LandyAndy]

Walk it 30km to the next job:D:D:D:D:D
Luckily our blown up loader is due back from its warranty fix this week and they need to pick up their 22 tonne borrowed loader which is already on site.They will drop our loader in town then cart the digger out to the job and collect their loader.
Andrew

[p38arover]

My 2yo grader just had its 2500hr service,

That's only 25 hours a week (allowing for close down over Xmas). Five hours a day. What are you doing the other three, you slacker?! :angel:

:D

[hook]

Years ago the Gold Coast had a rail line, to Southport,
not the one they have now.
Was closed down by a QLD polly, who had his own TPT business.
Guest who got the Govt. contract once the rail line was gone?

[Bigbjorn]

Walk it 30km to the next job:D:D:D:D:D
Andrew


Do you really believe this does not happen? 30kms is a doddle for most rural councils. I have seen plenty of plant walked much longer distances than that. Three hours each way to sit in a borrow pit and load a couple of trucks. Why do you think council jobs are so sought after in country towns. Better than working for a slave driving broken down cockie who struggles to pay the wages. Award wages paid on time every fortnight, total job security, and phuque all work, put your thirty years and retire. I am not living in the past. I know what goes on and witnessed it.

[Olive Drab]

In my mate's case it was stated that so much if the design was not practical and would not suit the vehicle chosen. They were told as blue collar workers, they would not have a clue.

I needed a bolt the other day 16mm x 1.25, not a very common one.
Step 1, see the storeman
Step 2, request goes to maintenance engineer
Step 3, maintenance planner comes to see why i need what i need, and ask's me for the specs so the draftsman can make a drawing
Step 4, storeman arrives again, do we really need a spare cause it is going to cost $150 to have one made
this is when i told them all that the local bolt shop would probably have one, as they have always managed to find oddball stuff i have needed. would probably cost $10 at the most, half the employees drive past this place everyday.
Three days later i still have no bolt and no-one seems interested in the cheap local option.
WHAT WOULD I KNOW, I'm only a Plant Mechanic with 20 years post-trade experience, I don't have a degree.

So while all these high paid people make an ordeal of obtaining 1 bolt, a letter has gone out to all the contractors to reduce thier maintenance invoices by 7% because of the economic climate.

A 7% increase in common sense seems to be needed more i think.

I won't name names, but it is in Brisbane near the river where lots of containers come off ships.

Should I go buy the bolt myself, put it in my toolbox then tell them I don't need it when they finally show up with a result. i need it for a lifting jig to remove large components off the machines during major servicing. I'm tempted to.

[isuzurover]

I needed a bolt the other day 16mm x 1.25, not a very common one.
Step 1, see the storeman
Step 2, request goes to maintenance engineer
Step 3, maintenance planner comes to see why i need what i need, and ask's me for the specs so the draftsman can make a drawing
Step 4, storeman arrives again, do we really need a spare cause it is going to cost $150 to have one made
this is when i told them all that the local bolt shop would probably have one, as they have always managed to find oddball stuff i have needed. would probably cost $10 at the most, half the employees drive past this place everyday.
Three days later i still have no bolt and no-one seems interested in the cheap local option.
WHAT WOULD I KNOW, I'm only a Plant Mechanic with 20 years post-trade experience, I don't have a degree.

So while all these high paid people make an ordeal of obtaining 1 bolt, a letter has gone out to all the contractors to reduce thier maintenance invoices by 7% because of the economic climate.

A 7% increase in common sense seems to be needed more i think.

I won't name names, but it is in Brisbane near the river where lots of containers come off ships.

Should I go buy the bolt myself, put it in my toolbox then tell them I don't need it when they finally show up with a result. i need it for a lifting jig to remove large components off the machines during major servicing. I'm tempted to.

Why not call the bolt shop, see if they can source it, and ask for a quote to be faxed to whoever is at the top of the tree. They can't ignore that.

[lewy]

what i do is buy the bolt,take the receipt to accounts and get money back.can you do this.

[pop058]

go to the local shed company, they would probably give you one. Next to the 12mm purlin bolts, the 12mm and 16mm (1.25 pitch) grade 8.8's are one of the most common bolts in the steel shed industry. Also about $2 at "The Bolt Place". PM me, I send you a box (of 25).

paul

[p38arover]

In the 70's-80's when Bjelke-Petersen and the Country Crooks (sorry, National Party) were running Queensland the touch was never less than $1000 even then. Never put hands in pockets to even pretend to buy a round either. One piece of **** in a now amalgamated shire council even got a park and a main road named after him after years of putting his hand out to tenderers. If anyone on this forum wants to dispute this, I can name names, places, dates and times and amounts. I kept tcma records.

I'd have to suspect that someone on my local must have had their hand out to award the job of putting in footpaths in my area or it was done by a counciller's own company.

The workmanship is so shoddy - the paths are as crooked as a dog's hind leg, they cant from side to side, they go up and down. You'd get a good ride on an electric mobility scooter!

The local work inspectors must never have checked the work otherwise they'd have given the contractors a stringline.

[Olive Drab]

if i buy the bolt i won't bother trying to get re-imbursed, last time the fuel card for the on call van didn't work it took 3 months to get re-imbursed $40.
As for the suggestion of the faxed qoute. i have showed initiative like this twice before and was crucified for it both times. if the work wasn't so easy and the money so good i'd be gone in a flash. the situation i described is the entrenched culture of the place, whenever you show you are able to do something nobody else can a big bullseye seems to appear on your back. plenty of good tradesmen have been through the place and leave with a lot less hair than when they started.
the longterm employees mantra "turn up to watch the show, go with the flow, take the dough".
getting back to the original point, i'm just blue collar what would i know.

[Olive Drab]

go to the local shed company, they would probably give you one. Next to the 12mm purlin bolts, the 12mm and 16mm (1.25 pitch) grade 8.8's are one of the most common bolts in the steel shed industry. Also about $2 at "The Bolt Place". PM me, I send you a box (of 25).

paul

I only need 1 and maybe a spare incase this one gets damaged, its for a lifting jig to remove brake hubs that way about 80kg

[V8Ian]

[quote=Olive Drab;921415]. i have showed initiative like this twice before and was crucified for it both times. quote]

When will you realise you're only employed from the neck down, if you show initiative there is a good chance that you may make a shiney...........or two redundant.

[Bigbjorn]

I'd have to suspect that someone on my local must have had their hand out to award the job of putting in footpaths in my area or it was done by a counciller's own company.

The workmanship is so shoddy - the paths are as crooked as a dog's hind leg, they cant from side to side, they go up and down. You'd get a good ride on an electric mobility scooter!

The local work inspectors must never have checked the work otherwise they'd have given the contractors a stringline.

Brisbane City Council footpaths were always done by council labour. During the reign of Salary-Anne Atkinson, contractors were used. You can see the difference in the contractor laid footpaths that remain, crooked, wavy, uneven, cracked, and under specification. The principal contractors were Rippe, Tearr, and Bustt, I believe, who probably subbied the jobs off to Breake and Enttar.

[Bigbjorn]

I needed a bolt the other day 16mm x 1.25, not a very common one.
Step 1, see the storeman
Step 2, request goes to maintenance engineer
Step 3, maintenance planner comes to see why i need what i need, and ask's me for the specs so the draftsman can make a drawing
Step 4, storeman arrives again, do we really need a spare cause it is going to cost $150 to have one made
this is when i told them all that the local bolt shop would probably have one, as they have always managed to find oddball stuff i have needed. would probably cost $10 at the most, half the employees drive past this place everyday.
Three days later i still have no bolt and no-one seems interested in the cheap local option.
WHAT WOULD I KNOW, I'm only a Plant Mechanic with 20 years post-trade experience, I don't have a degree.

So while all these high paid people make an ordeal of obtaining 1 bolt, a letter has gone out to all the contractors to reduce thier maintenance invoices by 7% because of the economic climate.

A 7% increase in common sense seems to be needed more i think.

I won't name names, but it is in Brisbane near the river where lots of containers come off ships.

Should I go buy the bolt myself, put it in my toolbox then tell them I don't need it when they finally show up with a result. i need it for a lifting jig to remove large components off the machines during major servicing. I'm tempted to.

Contact Fred Goddard at Bolts Steel and Tools Australia, 'phone 07-3395-0311. Fred has 35 years+ in the fastener business and can source stuff that other suppliers say does not exist. A tip, when buying fasteners, it is usually cheaper to buy a box from a distributor than buy a handful from a retailer. Fred has supplied my clients with boxes of 200 for much less than they were quoted by a retailer for the dozen or so they needed. Box lots are, for smaller fasteners, usually 200 items, next size is often 10,000. Keep the surplus against future need or throw them out, you are still in front.

Re M16 x 1.25, this is not uncommon and I stock HSS taps and dies in this size.

[hook]

if i buy the bolt i won't bother trying to get re-imbursed, last time the fuel card for the on call van didn't work it took 3 months to get re-imbursed $40.
getting back to the original point, i'm just blue collar what would i know.


Ring work, wait a service station until someone come out and pays.
done before, will do again.
There fault not mine.
i'm just green collar what would i know.

[Bigbjorn]

if i buy the bolt i won't bother trying to get re-imbursed, last time the fuel card for the on call van didn't work it took 3 months to get re-imbursed $40.


In the 1980's, I briefly worked at a company that entered into a national fuel contract with BP and all company vehicles had a BP charge card. This was fine for metro work and major country towns but once west of Chinchilla, my reps. found no BP servo was willing to take the card. The smaller towns in the west often had only one or two servos and charged identical prices, maximum price. Competition, what's that. I did ask a couple of proprietors why they didn't want to know about the fuel charge cards. The answers were that BP took 3-4 months to pay them for national fleet sales but the servos had to pay COD for their deliveries, and instead of the servos making their full profit margin on national fleet sales BP paid them only a few cents per litre commission. Fuel Card? What Fuel Card?

[Zute]

Ha, my work change to BP and there is nowhere in the ACT to fill trucks properly from both sides at once, and few have height clearance. Check out the roof over the bowers at Kingston BP. They must be sick of us.

Its not just councils that have such red tape. I often shake my head at our work practices and wonder how we make a profit, than hear that its often the same across industry. Should become a consultant.:D