HI I HAVE EVERYTHING SETUP TO GO. ANYONE FROM HERE IS GOING?

The ACPA certainly needs some education.But they have more money in the bank than most of the people they so call represent...on yeah sorry they represent some of the manufactures,,,two of them imparticular. Have fun at the conference. I quit my membership and dont plan on renewing it.

It is necessary only for the good man to do nothing for evil to triumph.
Author: Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, first Baron Lytton

Now do not hear what I am not saying. I am not saying that the ACPA is evil. What I am saying is that you and everyone who loves, cares, works in the concrete pumping industry should be involved in the ACPA.

The ACPA is neither good nor bad but reflects the desires of the people who belong and vote.

Look at what the ACPA has done over the last few years.

Produced good quality safety material, lobbied congress with some success and look at the magazine, great stuff

Here is my point, the ACPA is what we make it. We should all join, all have some part, all have some say and we can make a better, more well rounded, better functioning, more effective ACPA.

I personally think they are doing a very good job, even without me, lol

I will be joining again soon.

I just want to meet people involve in what I am doing. and learn something new to apply to the day by day.

In Denver, I will be there.

Slavedatter Hope to see you there, I am going from Puerto Rico.

Hmmm, seems to me the ACPA is not much different than our government, the more money you sink in to it the more lobby time and money you spend creats laws.

The saftey is for the manufacturers and the products within the industry and, sure it benefits us but also protects them for suits.

Prehaps they should dedicate time to cost analysis to maintain a healthy industry. That always gets shut down for "collusion" B.S.

Professionalism is knowing cots associated within the industry, maintaining a healthy enviornment. Keeping professionalism alive by funding retirement and medical plans within our industry. Paying employees for showing up and learning how to bill clients so we can pay our employees who show up for 8 hours of work and cover our costs on equipment for providing that service.

It is that type of professionalism within out industry that would keep it strong and healthy, but it has moved the other direction. If we are going to keep people in this industry and a high level of professionalism then we must attract and keep people not continue to call competition a right to pay less and pump for less than we were twenty years ago. It's insanity and it continues.

There are so many jobs where you don't have to be up at 2am with so much less stress that pay so much better and have better benefits than what this industry has reduced to. Now that may not be true in selected highly unionized areas but those are faaaaaar and few between.

In 1979 I was an operator making $17.79 per hour and double before 7am and after 4pm. Double time on Saturdays and triple time on Sunday's and holidays.

Paid vacations, full medical and dental, retirement (which was stolen thanks to Ronny Regan).

In todays market I would equate (fuel was .35 cents, new home average was 65k, pair of Levis was 8 bucks, new 4wheel drive Ramcharger was 6 grand) now fuel is 3 bucks, jeans are 30, and the new Ram is close to 40k....and the average home price is now 260k?...so we can agree that most things have quadruppled.

That is why professionalism was drawn to the construction industry the wages were huge and you could afford a home. Those days are gone and it has affected all trades but I suspect when you are called in to work you are paid for 8 hour days in most commercial fields. Is that the norm in our industry?

So that means aour labor rate should be billed ($25.00 operator) plus SSI 3.50 , plus industrial insurance costs $2.50 plus medical and dental $1.75 plus vacation $1.50 plus OVERHEAD COSTS $10.00 plus Profit AT 15%.

So the costs of running a $25.00 hour man BASED on 40 hours is $51.00 hour...so how can these morons travel at 1/2 rate?  How can peolpe run pumps for 110 bucks and hour and a reduced travel rate...That is what this needs to be taught within this industry, what are your costs and how to make overhead and profit on top to create a healthy industry.

This is not collusion it is fact based costs, now at a later date we will tackle the costs associated with PUMP OWNERSHIP, what a novel idea...that is what the ACPA should be addressing, the manufactures really dont want people to know that, there is a rube born every minute, if the facts of ownership were known they wouldnt be able to convince so many people to buy.

You know how many people have phoned me looking to buy machines because the dont like paying out money for service? It's ludicrous how many I have told the costs too and they dont have a clue, I just want to buy a pump! Im paying out 15,000 a month in pumping services and I can do that in house...NO YOU CANT...not even close.

I had one ole boy call me saying he was shelling out about 12K a month and the pump was coming from about 2 hours away, I asked him "how much you paying for travel?" He said Oh they charge me 60 bucks...I said keep on getting it from the if they are stuipid enough to run 4 hours roundtrip for 60 bucks let them wear out the equipment cause they are losing money just coming to do your work.

As I just pointed out the labor costs to get the equipment there was in excess of $200.00 now add the pump, fuel, insurance, wear and tear, tires, and equipment payment/investment return.

This is the stuff the ACPA should be publishing...IMHO but they won't touch it with a 10 foot pole.