Roy Neil recalls being lifted by helicopter onto a transmission lattice tower to pull wires for a utility company while serving a remote area in southern Ohio. 

“It was pretty exciting,” Neil said, now a foreman for New River Electrical Corp., Westerville, Ohio. 

Neil wasn’t a typical American Line Builders Apprentice Training (ALBAT) candidate. He received his journeyman credentials in his mid-40s, having spent several years as a groundhand, then a crane and heavy equipment operator. 

These days, at age 50, he’s still willing to do high tower work, but leans more toward distribution and substation projects. Either way, he possesses key attributes that make for a successful lineworker—a strong work ethic, willingness to handle calculated risk after proper education and preparation, preference for working outdoors, skills in math, an ability to cooperate and downright tenacity.

“You can’t have a lot of quit in you. Once you’re committed, it’s going to get done,” Neil said last October while overseeing a seven-man crew building a substation in Durham, N.C.

That can-do attitude is just what’s needed in a field where dangers abound, said Wes McLaughlin, a New River field superintendent who oversees the work of crews working in several states. 

According to McLaughlin, who trained as a substation technician, “We all work with high voltage—345 to 500 kV,” McLaughlin said, who trained as a substation technician. “That’s a lot. There’s no room for error. Confidence is key. Confidence that comes with constant training. Also, confidence in their brothers and fellow workers watching out for each other.”

New River employs hundreds of lineworkers and some 350 apprentices, mostly from ALBAT in Medway, Ohio, as well as other jurisdictions.

“Twenty years ago,” said Ike Poe, company COO, “it was mostly farm kids, but now we’re seeing people from all walks of life.”

“We do still see lots of farm kids coming into this trade, people who are not afraid of hard work, people who don’t necessarily want to go to college and people who like to work with their hands and be outdoors,” said Kevin Moran, executive director for American Line Builders, which represents NECA line contractors in the District of Columbia, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. Moran is also seeing more veterans, who are acclimated to rising early, carrying out strategic approaches and working in teams. Like IBEW members, veterans were also trained to have each other’s backs. 

“The ALBAT board of directors just approved ALBAT for VEEP [Veterans Electrical Entry Program],” Moran said. “The 15-week pre-apprentice program recruits, trains and directly enters veterans into the ALBAT program if openings are available. At that point, they’re ready to continue their second year.” 

Lineworkers are drawn to the adrenalin, but they also grasp the idea of mastering safety, Moran said. 

Only a small percentage of women work in high-voltage, though there is plenty of opportunity for advancement. 

“It’s a traditionally male-­dominated workforce,” he said. “Being adaptable to whatever situations arise is key to being successful no matter who you are.”

In Alaska, high-voltage workers must contend with sub-zero temperatures and aggressive wildlife. Deborah Kelly has performed all manner of line work, including installing bear guards on utility poles. She now serves as director of the Alaska Joint Electrical Apprenticeship and Training Trust, the state’s NECA-IBEW apprentice school.

Most lineworkers work for contractors completing repairs, maintenance and new construction for utility companies, “but storm work is a big piece of the business,” Moran said.

A first-responder mentality kicks in with lineworkers truly wanting to help people in need, and the pay is good.

“Unfortunately, some will jump ship to go chase storms because they can make storm money,” he said.

This competition can leave contractors in a bind for completing scheduled projects. 

Poe acknowledged New River takes an active role recruiting high school students and educating them about the field. 

“You have a swath of baby boomers who are retiring, which makes it difficult to train newcomers,” Poe said. “Overwhelmingly, there’s an expectation mandated by investors of utility companies of professionalism and safety. The field is also becoming more technology-driven.”

“For apprentices to become good linemen, they need to cultivate strong math skills for calculus and algebra, and they have to be willing to be educated in new equipment and safety protocols,” Moran said.

Those safety protocols coincide with efforts to introduce tools that expedite work and preserve physical abilities.

“We’re focusing more on longevity and ergonomics that enable people to get the job done without beating up their bodies,” Poe said. 

Helicopter lifts are mostly due to environmental concerns, not wanting trucks and equipment tearing up remote areas, Poe said, “but they also save time and conserve a lineman’s strength.” 

Neil has much in common with Mike Polk, a 25-year-old second-step ALBAT apprentice. Like Neil, Polk worked as a groundhand before becoming an apprentice, was good at math, willing to learn and appreciated the IBEW attitude of care and cooperation. Also, like Neil, Polk began considering a career as a lineworker at the suggestion of those he met in the field.

Both men get a thrill seeing power come on at new installations. 

“The feeling that comes from making something go hot, there’s nothing like it,” Polk said. He also appreciates being a part of a team that digs, pours concrete and erects heavy structures.

Training and retraining

Still, hazards abound with all these tasks, which is why New River stresses constant training and retraining to reinforce safety and quality work. 

McLaughlin has faith in training, both for those he oversees and for himself. 

“It’s a lineman’s job to learn something new every day,” he said.

 He recently completed rigging class as a refresher on finding the center of gravity for lifting and unloading heavy materials and positioning heavy equipment.

Each morning, starting at 6 a.m., general foremen and foremen lead other lineworkers and apprentices through a job-site safety analysis. Other line contractors also do this with their crews.

“Everybody participates and throws in their opinion,” McLaughlin said. “That interaction can mean the difference between them feeling empowered to do their work or fearful over whatever they may be facing that day.” 

“As you introduce the safety culture day after day, over time, it becomes ingrained,” Poe said. “We include apprentices in the daily hazard assessment and encourage their involvement. They see things differently than the seasoned foremen, and they’ve come up with some useful processes.”

Having a say in how things are done and knowing there’s a safety support system go a long way toward mitigating the emotional challenges of line work, according to a 2011 study on coping strategies among journeyman lineworkers conducted by Bodil Renblad Howard and published by Linneas University in Sweden.

The study surveyed journeymen lineworkers working in Orange County, Calif., and found that anxiety over perceived dangers impacted emotional and physical health, as well as work and home life. 

Long hours away on transmission and out-of-town work also take a heavy toll. Some in the study admitted to coping by turning to alcohol, drugs, infidelity or venting in fits of explosive anger. These choices can be common in the industry.

“You see a lot of guys getting divorced in this field,” McLaughlin said, who is not married but in a committed relationship. 

He stresses the importance of maintaining a positive attitude, for himself and others, by staying focused on preparing for each day and drawing support from fellow workers. 

“We are our brothers’ keepers out here,” McLaughlin said. “So, you’re not alone, so to speak. That’s a big help in terms of safety and support. You’re with these people every day. You’ve got to trust them with your life every day. You spend more time with them than family. Plus, with this work, there are opportunities to meet new people and make friends.” 

Work-life balance

Some in the industry even recommend taking the time to cook meals to bond.

McLaughlin’s advice is substantiated by earlier findings referred to in the study, suggesting the stronger a person’s support system, the wider their array of adaptive coping strategies for work and home. 

A support system can include fellow workers, friends, family members and even pets. One lineworker in the California study had trouble decompressing after time away. He made significant progress by spending a couple of hours alone with his dog before interacting with his wife.

Realizing the money earned translates to financial security and a better lifestyle for family members also can help. 

“It’s important to remember that apprentices see their income increase with each step until they reach full journeyman wages at three and a half years,” McLaughlin said.

Neil seemed to realize this early on. 

“You do miss stuff that happens at home,” he said, “but I also have a good job, a steady income, and I appreciate that.”

Polk, who has children, said, “Being away from my family has its ups and downs, but sometimes they welcome the break too.” When Polk is home, he makes an effort to “spend quality time doing something memorable and fun, instead of just staying around the house.” 

One trend in the high-voltage industry is developing cohesive workforces within specific geographic areas, so they can work closer to home, Poe said. New River has made strides to reduce time away by moving toward a four-day work week whenever possible. 

Neil appreciates having Fridays off to catch up on household chores.

Despite the many challenges, those interviewed for the California study insisted they preferred high-voltage work. 

Like Neil and Polk, they said, “I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.”

Header image: Operating at heights is all in a day’s work for New River Electrical lineworkers. All photos courtesy of New River Electrical Corp.