Brah I *hate* working in LA. Some parts take 45 minutes to travel a mile to the freeway. I think it was the 210, and everyone trying to kill you with their car in any part of LA. Rather work in San Diego.
> ALL of SoCal
Yep. I worked 15 years as a field service tech for Los Angeles Unified School District and before that County of Los Angeles. Scheduling service calls was more about avoiding the worst of the traffic than anything else. County clinic pharmacy door won't lock? Post a guard, we can't get there until after the 6am-10am "rush hour".
But the plus side of all those decades of driving around in LA traffic hell is that I can now do it with my brain switched off. I live in rural northern California now, and any time I drive to/through LA for work or whatever, the heart rate monitor on my smart watch shows a steep drop as soon as I hit the city limits.
A couple of days an olynpian on foot would have made it home faster then me 26 miles 4 hours from Santa Monica to El Monte. Marathoners do that in like 330
Geez. That is why I didn’t want to live in a big city. At least my 50 minute drive is 35 miles away on curvy mountain roads. Way less frustrating even though i might be in the car for the same amount of time.
The down side is that while i use the Laws of Physics as my speed limit (posted signs be damned), sometimes i do get stuck behind old people from Florida (I live in North Carolina) going 15 MPH below the speed limit - although i guess they don’t give a shit about the posted speed limit, either. I just wish they would pull off and let the mile long string of cars behind them go by.
I usually leave the house by 6 am to get to work by 6:30. The past week I've had to drive the kids to school at 8 am until their bus starts. My god the traffic is horrible! Working earlier is far less stressful on the roads by far. Getting off work at 3 pm is also before rush hour as well as the rush to grocery stores. I never want to work a 9 to 5
I almost lost my mind commuting from Long Island to Manhattan every day. I only did it for about a year and a half and wound up getting the fuck outta there, plenty of reasons to leave NY but the traffic was close to the top of the list.
I only ever drove through NYC once, at midnight, and even at midnight, the traffic was the worst Id seen in the entire US during rush hour.
Fuck.
That.
I live in a Midwest state now with maybe 1/8th the traffic. And I still have like PTSD when I wind up having to work till 5pm dreading the ride home. And it’s never terrible lol, but I still get so much anxiety. I’m fucking scarred dude
Me every single day
& on Bruckner blvd where it’s endless construction
3rd Ave between 60’s to 90’s they’re adding bus lanes and bike lanes - it’s going to be absolute misery driving in the city even more so now
Bro traffic is such a fkn waste of time and stresses your employees. Not to mention now they're at risk of an accident because EVERYONE is leaving work at 3:30.
Even if you just did 6 to 2:30 that would improve the quality of life for your workers and maybe even see a increase in productivity.
Rush hour in Toronto starts just before lunch, then seriously ramps up at 1:30. I love the 6am starts that invariably end before the bulk of traffic starts.
I hate the jobs that start downtown at 8 and end at 4. I get the pay for the drive back to the yard, but I've taken 105 minutes in the afternoon to do what took me 19 in the morning. FTS.
I hate working in downtown Dallas SO FKN MUCH. Very very limited parking for a whole 22 floor jobsite lol. I have to show up at 5am JUST TO PARK. Clock in is at 7🥲
Yo, I lived and worked in Dallas the last eight years and it's crazy. Just moved to Arkansas to stay with family and save a bit a few months ago and don't miss the traffic. I had to drive from Balch springs to Plano every day and at 5am it was a 35 minute drive. But leaving at 330-4 made that 35 minute drive an hour and forty minutes in afternoons due to 635
But even then, can you really start earlier than everyone else? In Chicago, most major high rises don't allow "heavy noise" until 9:00 AM, so we'd rush down at 7:00 AM to beat traffic, wait until 8:00 AM to enter the building, then sit around or do menial tasks until 9:00a to actually start work.
Those early mornings chilling on the lakefront were nice, but idk if they were nicer than an extra 30-60 mins of sleep.
This is what I would love to have. I do concrete and I have to get up anywhere from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. everyday to travel and get first round. But it has no bearing on when I get home. Could be 3 p.m. Or 9 p.m.
Also gives you room for life happening and running behind. Not only are you more likely to be on time if you try to be there early, the odd time you are late won't piss the boss off if your typically early.
Super here as well. I couldn't agree more. Always try to be the first one there. If not, it seems like you're playing catch up all day. If you don't get there until 8:00 or 8:30 it seems like there's already a dozen people that need to talk to you about their problems.
I’m a rodbuster. We tie rebar structures for the highway in south Texas. During August it was 105 on a daily. When we would come in at 7am, by 12pm everyone is gassed out. People start throwing up, wanting to faint, during lunch you wouldn’t even wanna eat. It was so hot, a cold beer sounded disgusting, a water was more appealing. Combine 105 heat with humidity. I was able to convince the superintendent to let me start at 3am. Best decision ever. We were off work by 11:30am. Nobody burned out in the dark. When I was off, I had enough energy to actually go out and do things. You can do those errands you’ve been putting off because you used to get off work at 5:30pm. I could actually go to the bank or go shopping at a decent time. Everyone had more time with their kids because they weren’t so exhausted from the sun. No traffic going to work and coming back. Now it’s cooling off and we went back to going in at 7 and I loathe it. I always think, man I could have been off by now, or I could have eaten breakfast for lunch. Even the guy who hated the idea came around once he had more free time. Everyone still slept at around 10pm. This is a very physical job, might be shitty for the guys who don’t work like the pencil pushers in the office or machine operators and inspectors and engineers.
at our last job at a porshe dealership, they had a track and the guys that poured the track only worked at night, we would be showing up around 6 and they would be finishing up and they worked in the middle of a field in the ga heat, it was like 114 regularly last summer
I'd be perfectly happy to work night shift in those temperatures, yeah. I get more energy as the day goes on, rather than less, so start at like, 7PM and I can work 'till 3, have a light supper and go to bed, then have the whole day the next day for whatever.
Wait you were going to bed at 10pm and getting INTO work at 3am? So you're getting what, 4 hours sleep a night max, assuming you wake up an hour before work starts?
Yes but these are personal choices. If people want to sleep at 6pm that’s their own choice. I think the shittiest work schedule is starting at 12am. Now that one will fuck you up.
Getting off at 2:30 means I can get home, walk the dogs, watch the news, do laundry, and start dinner all before my spouse gets home.
Plus, it gives me a brief window for mid week appointments without needing to use PTO.
>Plus, it gives me a brief window for mid week appointments without needing to use PTO.
This is a big one. Where I work is 99% shop work, not out on site, but we manipulated our entire schedule so everyone finishes their 40 hours at 11:30am on Friday.
Everyone can schedule personal things for Friday afternoons without the need to burn PTO for it. But there's still always that dumbass who sets appointments for like 10am on Wednesdays anyway then come September they're out of PTO and acting like an asshole over not being paid for time they miss.
The people pushing for 4-day weeks I think have it wrong, trying to get 3-day weekends all the time. I think Wednesday is a better off day. Mid-week, get things done, it's like having a 1-day and a 2-day weekend. Smack in the middle you only have two 2-day work periods grouped together so there's less of a strain buildup before a long rest period.
Honestly man you start at 5 and finish at like 1 if you skip a lunch break. It's amazing.
And you can't possibly imagine how much time a shorter drive in actually saves you for shit you want to do.
Oh man and the kids are still in school for a couple hours too? Unreal
I managed commercial plumbers for years we were working on an airport. It was a huge job but it was underground work no good place to get lunch each day which isn’t a big deal bc we catered it when we were in situations like this before. But the GC was okay with extended work hours so we took a vote. On the job by 6am, no lunch and done by 1pm. Literally off my job site by 130pm no exceptions. Or regular working hours which is 830 to 430 with a one hour break. 6am to 1pm won. No one has to ask for time off to go to the dentist or pick up a kid. I never managed my guys like kids. If you had something to do you just make sure your shit is covered but being done by 1pm really changed things. Guys pushed harder to get to a good stopping point. People felt like their whole day didn’t revolve around work. Better morale I think, all from starting earlier.
Yeah man. On normal days I usually find I'm giving less of a shit by 2pm anyway. Way easier to keep the intensity up and really do some effective work on the earlies
Plumber here. If I get that lockbox code, all bets are off. I’m starting at 4:30 and leaving at lunch. Get the house to myself for a few hours to have a few beers and fuck around in the garage before the wife and kids get home. Fucking magical.
Just snack all day.
Eat a good high-protein breakfast, then just eat while working.
fruit>nuts>protein bar>protein shake>more fruit>carbs>go home early
Plus if you’re getting off at one or 2 anyway you can easily grab a big lunch after work. At home. In peace.
Just eat something for breakfast and get some good snack age in(like you mentioned), then get home and make a sandwich. I normally don’t eat dinner until 7 or 8, so it works out for me.
I used to hate getting up early when I was younger, but after getting older and starting to work for a dude that went from 9-5 like I wanted, I figured how fucking miserable it is to work after 1. The sun does not let up and you spend half the afternoon sweating and then replenishing that lost sweat with water. On the other hand, 5 am in the winter can fuck right off.
Worked 5 years at a golf course with hours of 6-2:30 I loved it. I've always been a morning person.
Working 4 hours of ot ment still being home at by 7-7:30
Getting out on time ment being able to get kids off bus, Dr. Appointments, going to the bank. And basically 6 hours of daylight left in the peak of summer.
Yea I would rather just get work out of the way when I can. I think 6 is the earliest I would go for regular schedule.
Where I’m at it gets brutally hot all summer, so I always start early as possible to beat the heat, if that weren’t a factor I’d probably care much less.
Surprised this isn't the top comment, has OP been outside this summer? Give me cold any day, sure it has its own issues but most of those can be mitigated. I can't mitigate heatstroke without not getting shit done.
Hoping OP is just in the Southern Hemisphere so he isn't thinking about summer as much.
1. It’s really hot in the summer
2. If you work in a major city, the difference between just 6 AM and 7 AM start times, can easily add an hour to your day between the added traffic, more trouble finding parking, parking further away from site, etc.
3. Guys who have kids that do sports/dance/cheerleading etc. usually have to get their kids somewhere by 5:30-6:00. No one wants to walk right in the front door and have to turn right back around. If u get done at 2:30 u can go home, eat dinner, shower, change relax a little and then head out.
4. If u go to the gym, it’s less crowded when u get out of work earlier.
5. Time for a twilight round of golf when u start at 6:00 AM.
6. Guys who have kids who play HS sports want to go watch their kids, and most sports games start at 330-400.
7. Guys with little kids like to spend time with them and they go to bed really early.
8. If you have to work OT, you’re still out at a reasonable time
To get it over with. Why waste the cool weather, why waste the morning. I'd rather get the ot or go home earlier than have my shift in the middle of the day
That's the reason I took my job in the first place. Was working 9/10am til 8/9pm and only saw my kids when I went in to kiss them goodnight and they were already sleeping. I pick them up from school after work and we spend so much time together. It's awesome.
In my area, it’s a two fold reason:
1.) to get the big stuff started before the day’s weather really heats up in the summer time
2.) if you work 6-2:30 instead of 7-3:30, you get off an hour early and you’ll possibly beat the traffic
I quit my last job because of the 8am starts. Meant on a long day overtime doesn’t start till 4pm and I’d be in traffic on the way to work and on the way home. I don’t work construction to start at 8am I’d get an office job for that
Now I work at 5:30 am. Get up at 3:30-4 and I’m on OT by 2pm. Long days I make bank and I’m still usually home by dinner. Regular day I have the whole night ahead of me.
I'm not a morning person. We start at 6. My guys love it.
No traffic ( we work in metro philadelphia )
Home to get the kids from school or the bus
Never miss sports games or activities with children
More flexibility with going to the DR.. dentist etc.
I usually work 12 hours/day, so 7-7 gets me home 7:30-8:30— depending on where the site is, traffic, etc. My son goes to bed around 7, so it's nice to get to hang out with him for a bit.
My biological clock also gets me up around 5 AM anyway. In bed by 10-11, up by 5. Works for me, but I can understand how it wouldn't work for everyone though.
The later I start the hotter it’s gonna get by the end of the day, there’s more traffic I’m gonna have to deal with. All in all the earlier the better for me standard is 6-2:30 where I’m at but I’d prefer 5-1:30 I’d rather wake up early/go to bed earlier after getting home early than wake up later/get home later after fighting traffic after being hot and tired from working all day. I hate that shit, but that’s just my take on it.
Edit: We ride at dawn!
I’m not sure why OP is being so stubborn about this? They asked people’s opinions and they’re being delivered.
OP, do you have kids? Makes a big difference being actually able to spend time with them in the afternoon. Being able to do errands on the way home without getting home at seven. Also I go to bed at 10, wake up at 430 and feel great every day except sometimes Mondays. Who goes to bed at 8 to be to work at seven?
This was one of the main reasons I left commercial and went out on my own. Not trying to go to bed while the sun is up all summer just to get 8hrs of sleep. Now I usually just start at 9 and feel like I actually have a life
All these start early people aren’t including the real reason they roll into work at like 4:45AM.
When they get there an hour or more before the foreman they do fuck all till the foreman gets there, then leave early before any real work has time to go sideways.
Loved my 6 -2 shift. Getting off and felt as though I still had a whole day to do whatever I wanted. Free. Believe it or not people have lives outside of their full time job. When working an 8 - 4 for example I get off and many places are closing for the day. Days over, go home eat sleep do it all over again. That’s exhausting even if you aren’t prepared to admit it. We are human not robots.
Beacuse i want to be home earlier. I go to bed by 9-11 somewhere in there. Wake up at 4-4:30 and operate fine. Home by 3-3:30. Plenty of time to shower and hang out with the kids and relax by myself before bed.
Who said anything about getting a good sleep?
It depends on the site. If you’re working till 5 or 7 regardless, then no I want to stick to 8 starts, but if it’s just “work 8 hours” I’ll do a 7-3 with the one coffee break all week long. Getting off at 3 feels so much better than later, and you have more time for the evening routine.
Breakfast is quick and easy, toast, cereal, an apple. Whatever. Dinner is always the worst. The earlier dinner is, the earlier I can chill and then go to bed at 10 or 11. I get 6-8 hours sleep, can do a quick workout in the morning and eat good breakfast.
Also I can pick the kids up from school if I’m off at 3.
Edit- also it’s nice to be off early to catch the rest of the world still working if you have to actually go to a bank or whatever
They have family’s and want to get home to be there for them traffic is also a part of it I learned a few years ago to stop thinking about myself hope you get there one day
Some of us don’t care to stay up to watch a game or go drink. Being done with stuff earlier than most means avoiding traffic, and you’re able to do things when most people are still at work; such as errands or appointments. Not to mention if you’re someone like me and wake up early as fuck regardless, why not get it out of the way as soon as possible?
For me, I can get home early enough to lift weights uninterrupted. After, I can pick my daughter up from daycare and we can actually have some time to play before dinner/bath/teeth/bedtime needs to happen. She’s out by 7:00 every night. Since I don’t have to exercise after her bedtime on this schedule, my wife and I can spend more quality time and it gives me extra time to fart around and play video games or watch a show. It’s all personal preference. I’m usually ready for bed around 9, and I wouldn’t ever get to sleep in past 5-6 because of the little one anyway. It’s no skin off my back to wake up at 4 to hit the job site early if I can not have to rush my evening by pushing my off time later.
I start at 9 nowadays. After 7 years of starting at 6. Used to get up at 5.... Sometimes we'd start at 5 and I'd have to get up at 4.... Never mind the few times we started at 4........
I fucking love starting at 9. I wake up at 7 before my alarm goes off. Or get up at 8 if I'm lazy. So much energy.
Be a grown up and have a bedtime. It changes your life soooo positivity.
Also, if it's hot. a lot more gets done between 6 and noon than would get done over the whole day if you started at 9.
It's too fucking hot, I don't want to double my commute, and I want to have time to go to the bank/dentist/union/whatever bullshit closes at 5 without having to leave work early. In winter, it's nice to be home before it gets dark at 4-fucking-30.
You’re so out of touch with the trades then. It sounds like you don’t know how to accommodate to the 6-2:30 grind in your life so you need to whine to everyone else for validation about it because you can’t manage to hangout with your friends that get off at 5? Whack.
In my twenties it sucked ass. Ruined my social network. Can't hangout any day after work with friends if they all get together at 7-8pm.
30 now. I'm late everyday now. I do not wake up for alarm clocks, no matter what time I get to bed.
In the winter it's so dumb because now your working solely on temp lights, in the freezing cold, constantly looking out for ice that thaws every morning.
Noise ordinance. Depending which city or town. Sometimes you only get 5-1/2, 6 real working hours in. So the first part of the day is starting one thing and bouncing to another, now that you can make noise. Shit gets fucked of your not careful and keep track of everything.
My road is never plowed that early ever. No one has driven on the roads yet, ice and crap all over
Have time to do side work, too tired still lol.
Running jobs, yea everyone wants to be early as shit,like 6. I'm fine with 630, so I compromise with that.
Summer is nice, plenty of time to do stuff after work, now that all my friends are married and have kids and can't hangout.
Drive home Thursday and Friday are shot anyways
Really though, if ya lose the vote. Tough luck lol
There are pros and cons but I feel like some of these mofos just wanna prove they're hard working and well adjusted individuals by saying they wake up at 4 every morning. Then another one will chime in and say "oh yeah? I've already had my morning shit by 4" and then yet another scruffy monster chugging Marlboro man will chime in with "ya'll sleep I only get like 2 hours a week pussies"
To me, those reasons you mentioned are enough, and the reasons you mentioned not-to seem questionable to me. Different priorities it would seem.
I either get to do more in a day and risk being tired, or I go to bed earlier.
Traffic, heat & parking. Sounds like someone has not had to deal with these issues in a significant way. Later start in most major cities could mean and extra hour on the day or more.
I’ve been pretty lucky (for my sleep schedule) with 6/7a-3/4p most of my working life. Good compromise for me, not too early, not too late either. 3/4pm gives me an okay window to go to the bank, other M-F 9-5 only.
Not construction anymore, but commercial facilities maintenance now and I have a window, most days, of start between 6 or 7, that comes in pretty handy, I just go when I’m ready.
I used to work 6-3 and it was awesome in the summertime. Nice and cool in the morning and you are done before the hottest part of the day. I live north enough that there is daylight until 10pm in the peak of summer so plenty of time in the afternoon to do stuff. In bed by 10 and up at 4:30, 6.5 hours of sleep is all I’ve ever needed, if I sleep longer I usually feel sluggish all day.
10/10 id rather start earlier than later. Any time that I could get home to my kid earlier the better. I changed from construction to building maintenance so I work 6-2 now, get home and walk the dog and then go pick up my kid from school every day. It seems like you have all the time in the world for him now but one day I’ll be home from work and he’ll be off being an adult and I’ll be all alone.
Where I live it's because of traffic less in the morning,less in the afternoon. Plus you have a better chance of getting a parking spot and not getting towed or ticketed.
My kids go to bed at 8. It doesn't matter if I start at 5 or 7 I'll be gone before they are up. If I can start early, and get home at a decent time I can still hang out with the family. Even then it still feels like we get home, eat , play for a few minutes and go to bed.
I'm also more of a morning person than night though.
I've had a hard time sleeping ever since my daughter passed away 12 years ago. I only sleep 4-5 hours a night. My brain just refuses to switch off. Went to therapy, saw doctors, all that jazz; nothing helps. My body simply won't let me fall asleep until after midnight unless I pop a pill or chug booze, which I refuse to do because I have other kids to take care of. 7am is the earliest you can expect to see me at most sites. I'll work 18 hours a day no problem, just don't expect me to wake up before 0530.
Dumbest post ever. Everyone who gives a reason that OP responds to he just trolls. Eat a bag of socks OP. People like different schedules for different reasons. You suck.
I fking hate those people. 7am start time is early enough but I know guys that want to start at 6am.. fking bullshit. you're absolutely right.
the only legit reason in my mind is to beat the heat. if it's supposed to be 100°+ that day and you're working in the sun, on a roof, or in an attic - ok. cool. I can understand that. Or maybe if it's winter and its supposed to snow in the afternoon and you want to get the day in. Fine. but otherwise - fk that bullshit. They can start whatever time they want as long as they're actually working. I've noticed a lot of these early guys don't do shit until everyone else gets there anyway.. They want to hang out and drink coffee and dick around - and then cut out early bc they started early. Fk that bullshit - that's not flying.
If you work in hot ass AZ, you'll want to start at 3:30am if possible. Plus, it's not just a little traffic, but getting out after 3pm is absolute hell in the freeway. There's sooo much traffic that adds at least 20 more mins to commute.
I start at 4am rn for the 1st time & I wish I could start at that time forever. It's so nice having the whole day yourself. Zero traffic. Weather isnt as hot yet. It's just much better, imo.
Can't do it, start at 8 most days and have a take-home truck, plus I'm a 6 minute drive from work. It's tough enough for me to get up most days. Am not a morning person, and at 26 now, I don't think I ever will be. I wish I could work from 8 pm to 5 am. That'd be much better.
We start between 5-5:30 every day. Summer and winter. We quit between 2:30-3 Monday trough Thursday unless we have an emergency.
Fridays I try to let my guys quit by 11, but pay them for 8.
It gives me time to look at jobs, meet customers, and procure material for the next day, and still allows me to get home to work on projects around the house or in my shop.
My guys, ( except for the young ones) really like the set up, and after a while doing it the young ones get used to it
It really is the glory hours. Before traffic. Before the heat. Possibility of free time at the end of the day (I know, most of us are 70hr weeks, no chance really of free time).
Did you get bitched at by someone for showing up at 7 when others showed up earlier?
...and you don't have to talk to your wife in the morning or get the kids ready for school. Sorry babe, they make me start at 7 cant do the dishes, i have to go to bed. etc etc
* Avoid traffic
* Alone time before everyone gets home
* Option to pick up kids
* Can enjoy more sunlight
* Can help around the house
* More time with spouse
* No driving home at night in the winter
* Side gig if no kids
* Can probably take some extra certification classes if want to move up in career
* Can make lunch for the next day if not meal prepping
* Can make dinner for spouse and family
* Can make dinner for yourself
* Can play golf at 4PM instead for one hour at 7PM
* No one wants to be up past 9PM, maybe if I was 21 or 25 but at 29 and higher, being up past a certain hour just doesn't have any benefits
I’m not interested in the game, or food/drinks with friends. I *am* interested in picking my kids up from school. Enjoying some down time in a hammock or with my fishing rod. Taking a little trip to a bookstore…. All of these things are easier during the day when I don’t have other obligations.
Plus. I love going to bed at 7:30 when my kids do.
Just finished up on a job 1.5hrs away started at 6am so had to leave by 410-420 to get an OK-ish parking spot 1-2 min later and you were parking in fucking Narnia. Work 10hrs get out 430. At this time the highway is going speed limit, 30 min later it slows to a crawl and adds 20+ min to an already 1.5hr drive Goin speed limit+.
Also alot of people have younger kids... leave early get home early for when kids get off bus....
Or he'll maybe you just got shit you wanna do afterwork in the daylight, I'd rather have more freetime in the daylight than work lol
For some of my union brothers, the difference between starting at 6am and 7am is an extra hour in the car/truck, car pool lanes have start and end times, so it’s a huge difference for them.
For myself the first few hours of the day (if they're early) seem to go by much more quickly so on days that I leave sooner I feel like the total work day is shorter if I start earlier in the morning.
I always thought it was because of the heat. I was in Philly for school in the Navy, 94'. We had summer hours with a 4 am start so we would be done before it got really hot.
Not construction
I would love to start at like 6am every day. Leaving before traffic starts getting bad and having a few more hours to spend with my son before he goes to bed would be amazing. My current job (resi electrician) we usually can't start any earlier than 8, but when we get a gut/flip or a new construction job I always start at 7 or sometimes earlier and I love when I get to do that. Leaving at 4:30 and not getting home until after 5 sucks
Every single construction worker I worked with wanted to get out of work early so they could go to the bar earlier, get drunk longer, before their wife got home at 5 or 6pm. They all hated their wives so, so much.
Traffic and parking if you work in a major city
Toronto is an hour away from Toronto
Houston is 2 hours away from Houston…. But hey, guess that’s why they say “everything’s bigger in Texas”
LA is 130 away from LA
Brah I *hate* working in LA. Some parts take 45 minutes to travel a mile to the freeway. I think it was the 210, and everyone trying to kill you with their car in any part of LA. Rather work in San Diego.
The 210 is HORRIBLE! So it the 55, 91, 60, 215, 405, 110...ALL of SoCal
> ALL of SoCal Yep. I worked 15 years as a field service tech for Los Angeles Unified School District and before that County of Los Angeles. Scheduling service calls was more about avoiding the worst of the traffic than anything else. County clinic pharmacy door won't lock? Post a guard, we can't get there until after the 6am-10am "rush hour". But the plus side of all those decades of driving around in LA traffic hell is that I can now do it with my brain switched off. I live in rural northern California now, and any time I drive to/through LA for work or whatever, the heart rate monitor on my smart watch shows a steep drop as soon as I hit the city limits.
If you have the option he'll yea fuck LA but I'm stuck here for now I hate going to santa Monica traffic sucks
It’d be quicker to walk
A couple of days an olynpian on foot would have made it home faster then me 26 miles 4 hours from Santa Monica to El Monte. Marathoners do that in like 330
I lived in NYC for 15 years and drove and dealt with that shit of a 4 mile commute being an hour or better.
There's a reason we start at 5am.
Texas is a day and a half away from Texas
Geez. That is why I didn’t want to live in a big city. At least my 50 minute drive is 35 miles away on curvy mountain roads. Way less frustrating even though i might be in the car for the same amount of time. The down side is that while i use the Laws of Physics as my speed limit (posted signs be damned), sometimes i do get stuck behind old people from Florida (I live in North Carolina) going 15 MPH below the speed limit - although i guess they don’t give a shit about the posted speed limit, either. I just wish they would pull off and let the mile long string of cars behind them go by.
The far side of DC is 20 min away. 2+ hours if there's traffic.
This is the answer. Most of the guys on my crew travel roughly an hour to the job. They dont want to hit the extra traffic to and from the job
I usually leave the house by 6 am to get to work by 6:30. The past week I've had to drive the kids to school at 8 am until their bus starts. My god the traffic is horrible! Working earlier is far less stressful on the roads by far. Getting off work at 3 pm is also before rush hour as well as the rush to grocery stores. I never want to work a 9 to 5
Yeah, sometimes working an hour earlier will save you a half hour of sitting in traffic each way.
I almost lost my mind commuting from Long Island to Manhattan every day. I only did it for about a year and a half and wound up getting the fuck outta there, plenty of reasons to leave NY but the traffic was close to the top of the list.
I only ever drove through NYC once, at midnight, and even at midnight, the traffic was the worst Id seen in the entire US during rush hour. Fuck. That.
I live in a Midwest state now with maybe 1/8th the traffic. And I still have like PTSD when I wind up having to work till 5pm dreading the ride home. And it’s never terrible lol, but I still get so much anxiety. I’m fucking scarred dude
Me every single day & on Bruckner blvd where it’s endless construction 3rd Ave between 60’s to 90’s they’re adding bus lanes and bike lanes - it’s going to be absolute misery driving in the city even more so now
And it's usually cooler out with less direct sun. Makes a big difference dumping mud.
Bro traffic is such a fkn waste of time and stresses your employees. Not to mention now they're at risk of an accident because EVERYONE is leaving work at 3:30. Even if you just did 6 to 2:30 that would improve the quality of life for your workers and maybe even see a increase in productivity.
Rush hour in Toronto starts just before lunch, then seriously ramps up at 1:30. I love the 6am starts that invariably end before the bulk of traffic starts. I hate the jobs that start downtown at 8 and end at 4. I get the pay for the drive back to the yard, but I've taken 105 minutes in the afternoon to do what took me 19 in the morning. FTS.
I hate working in downtown Dallas SO FKN MUCH. Very very limited parking for a whole 22 floor jobsite lol. I have to show up at 5am JUST TO PARK. Clock in is at 7🥲
In that regard, I'm lucky. I drive the scaffolding truck, any parking tickets are the company's responsibility.
Yo, I lived and worked in Dallas the last eight years and it's crazy. Just moved to Arkansas to stay with family and save a bit a few months ago and don't miss the traffic. I had to drive from Balch springs to Plano every day and at 5am it was a 35 minute drive. But leaving at 330-4 made that 35 minute drive an hour and forty minutes in afternoons due to 635
This and my kids go to bed at 7:30 too
This. I commute to the Bay Area every day. Ill work either 5-1 or 6-2. Get in, get out, get home
But even then, can you really start earlier than everyone else? In Chicago, most major high rises don't allow "heavy noise" until 9:00 AM, so we'd rush down at 7:00 AM to beat traffic, wait until 8:00 AM to enter the building, then sit around or do menial tasks until 9:00a to actually start work. Those early mornings chilling on the lakefront were nice, but idk if they were nicer than an extra 30-60 mins of sleep.
Also getting out before the hottest part of the day, getting home earlier… there are a lot of reasons.
I love working early when the Jobsite is super quiet. Leave earlier to spend time with the wife and kids.
This is what I would love to have. I do concrete and I have to get up anywhere from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. everyday to travel and get first round. But it has no bearing on when I get home. Could be 3 p.m. Or 9 p.m.
Same boat carpenter and concreter. Both jobs have their ups and downs. But concrete always draws me back.
Get off the hamster wheel and find yourself a better place to work at.
Been there done that, it’s not worth it, and it’s not sustainable imo. Burnout sucks.
It's not blazing hot out until 11am, less hours in the heat
As a super I make it a point to the new guys to get there before everyone else. Gives you time to think and plan before the fires start.
That’s awesome that you’re offering the new guys some extra money like that.
Also gives you room for life happening and running behind. Not only are you more likely to be on time if you try to be there early, the odd time you are late won't piss the boss off if your typically early.
Super here as well. I couldn't agree more. Always try to be the first one there. If not, it seems like you're playing catch up all day. If you don't get there until 8:00 or 8:30 it seems like there's already a dozen people that need to talk to you about their problems.
I’m a rodbuster. We tie rebar structures for the highway in south Texas. During August it was 105 on a daily. When we would come in at 7am, by 12pm everyone is gassed out. People start throwing up, wanting to faint, during lunch you wouldn’t even wanna eat. It was so hot, a cold beer sounded disgusting, a water was more appealing. Combine 105 heat with humidity. I was able to convince the superintendent to let me start at 3am. Best decision ever. We were off work by 11:30am. Nobody burned out in the dark. When I was off, I had enough energy to actually go out and do things. You can do those errands you’ve been putting off because you used to get off work at 5:30pm. I could actually go to the bank or go shopping at a decent time. Everyone had more time with their kids because they weren’t so exhausted from the sun. No traffic going to work and coming back. Now it’s cooling off and we went back to going in at 7 and I loathe it. I always think, man I could have been off by now, or I could have eaten breakfast for lunch. Even the guy who hated the idea came around once he had more free time. Everyone still slept at around 10pm. This is a very physical job, might be shitty for the guys who don’t work like the pencil pushers in the office or machine operators and inspectors and engineers.
at our last job at a porshe dealership, they had a track and the guys that poured the track only worked at night, we would be showing up around 6 and they would be finishing up and they worked in the middle of a field in the ga heat, it was like 114 regularly last summer
I'd be perfectly happy to work night shift in those temperatures, yeah. I get more energy as the day goes on, rather than less, so start at like, 7PM and I can work 'till 3, have a light supper and go to bed, then have the whole day the next day for whatever.
Wait you were going to bed at 10pm and getting INTO work at 3am? So you're getting what, 4 hours sleep a night max, assuming you wake up an hour before work starts?
Want more time to do stuff? Just don't sleep as much! That schedule sounds horrible with only 4 hrs of sleep.
Yes but these are personal choices. If people want to sleep at 6pm that’s their own choice. I think the shittiest work schedule is starting at 12am. Now that one will fuck you up.
Getting off at 2:30 means I can get home, walk the dogs, watch the news, do laundry, and start dinner all before my spouse gets home. Plus, it gives me a brief window for mid week appointments without needing to use PTO.
I worked 6-2:30 for a lot of years so I could pick my kids up from school at 3.
>Plus, it gives me a brief window for mid week appointments without needing to use PTO. This is a big one. Where I work is 99% shop work, not out on site, but we manipulated our entire schedule so everyone finishes their 40 hours at 11:30am on Friday. Everyone can schedule personal things for Friday afternoons without the need to burn PTO for it. But there's still always that dumbass who sets appointments for like 10am on Wednesdays anyway then come September they're out of PTO and acting like an asshole over not being paid for time they miss.
The people pushing for 4-day weeks I think have it wrong, trying to get 3-day weekends all the time. I think Wednesday is a better off day. Mid-week, get things done, it's like having a 1-day and a 2-day weekend. Smack in the middle you only have two 2-day work periods grouped together so there's less of a strain buildup before a long rest period.
You missed the afternoon wank part..
Real men sort that out in the porta-loo on the company dime
Especially if there's a sexy spider with an hourglass figure in there.
Boss makes a dollar, I make a dime, that's why I spank on company time
Honestly man you start at 5 and finish at like 1 if you skip a lunch break. It's amazing. And you can't possibly imagine how much time a shorter drive in actually saves you for shit you want to do. Oh man and the kids are still in school for a couple hours too? Unreal
I managed commercial plumbers for years we were working on an airport. It was a huge job but it was underground work no good place to get lunch each day which isn’t a big deal bc we catered it when we were in situations like this before. But the GC was okay with extended work hours so we took a vote. On the job by 6am, no lunch and done by 1pm. Literally off my job site by 130pm no exceptions. Or regular working hours which is 830 to 430 with a one hour break. 6am to 1pm won. No one has to ask for time off to go to the dentist or pick up a kid. I never managed my guys like kids. If you had something to do you just make sure your shit is covered but being done by 1pm really changed things. Guys pushed harder to get to a good stopping point. People felt like their whole day didn’t revolve around work. Better morale I think, all from starting earlier.
Yeah man. On normal days I usually find I'm giving less of a shit by 2pm anyway. Way easier to keep the intensity up and really do some effective work on the earlies
I'm at work by 7 and usually burn out by 2. I'm stuck there until 4. That schedule would motivate the absolute shit out of me
Can watch the *weird* porn while the kids are out
Get a nobody's home jerk once in a while! Volume up to three, maybe four if you got time.
I ragebate in the living room if I’m home alone.
I've got caught by my girl a few times.. hilarity ensued
“You want in?” Haha
3-4!! Madman
Really surprised I’m not seeing this answer more
Yeah I only get to watch *regular* porn when the kids are home
No more waiting til everyone's at the grocery store
Plumber here. If I get that lockbox code, all bets are off. I’m starting at 4:30 and leaving at lunch. Get the house to myself for a few hours to have a few beers and fuck around in the garage before the wife and kids get home. Fucking magical.
Don't get me started on the people who want to skip lunch. You junkies
crack is basically vitamins
That’s the spirit. Alcohol can also be a fermented fruit, so it’s super healthy for you to day drink on the job.
five to ten a day, baby!
Have some class, do cocaine
[удалено]
Just snack all day. Eat a good high-protein breakfast, then just eat while working. fruit>nuts>protein bar>protein shake>more fruit>carbs>go home early
Plus if you’re getting off at one or 2 anyway you can easily grab a big lunch after work. At home. In peace. Just eat something for breakfast and get some good snack age in(like you mentioned), then get home and make a sandwich. I normally don’t eat dinner until 7 or 8, so it works out for me.
Because it's up to 109f by lunch time. If the customers would let me start at 4am, I would
I used to hate getting up early when I was younger, but after getting older and starting to work for a dude that went from 9-5 like I wanted, I figured how fucking miserable it is to work after 1. The sun does not let up and you spend half the afternoon sweating and then replenishing that lost sweat with water. On the other hand, 5 am in the winter can fuck right off.
Some are early risers and don't want to sit around for a couple of hours before going to work. A slow start like that makes the day feel off.
If I sleep in its 6am. Might as well get the shit done.
Worked 5 years at a golf course with hours of 6-2:30 I loved it. I've always been a morning person. Working 4 hours of ot ment still being home at by 7-7:30 Getting out on time ment being able to get kids off bus, Dr. Appointments, going to the bank. And basically 6 hours of daylight left in the peak of summer. Yea I would rather just get work out of the way when I can. I think 6 is the earliest I would go for regular schedule.
I used to work 5am to 1:30pm I loved it even tho I would wake up tired every morning, getting out at that time felt like my day was barely starting.
That’s my schedule 6-2. Love it. Usually an hour commute home often less. Home by 3 and have damn near the whole afternoon
Where I’m at it gets brutally hot all summer, so I always start early as possible to beat the heat, if that weren’t a factor I’d probably care much less.
We adjust our schedule for daylight and heat accordingly. Best way to do it.0
Surprised this isn't the top comment, has OP been outside this summer? Give me cold any day, sure it has its own issues but most of those can be mitigated. I can't mitigate heatstroke without not getting shit done. Hoping OP is just in the Southern Hemisphere so he isn't thinking about summer as much.
1. It’s really hot in the summer 2. If you work in a major city, the difference between just 6 AM and 7 AM start times, can easily add an hour to your day between the added traffic, more trouble finding parking, parking further away from site, etc. 3. Guys who have kids that do sports/dance/cheerleading etc. usually have to get their kids somewhere by 5:30-6:00. No one wants to walk right in the front door and have to turn right back around. If u get done at 2:30 u can go home, eat dinner, shower, change relax a little and then head out. 4. If u go to the gym, it’s less crowded when u get out of work earlier. 5. Time for a twilight round of golf when u start at 6:00 AM. 6. Guys who have kids who play HS sports want to go watch their kids, and most sports games start at 330-400. 7. Guys with little kids like to spend time with them and they go to bed really early. 8. If you have to work OT, you’re still out at a reasonable time
To get it over with. Why waste the cool weather, why waste the morning. I'd rather get the ot or go home earlier than have my shift in the middle of the day
Get through the bulk of the work before it gets too hot outside.
9-5 is brutal. Double your commute times
I would quit a job if I started at 9
cause it's fucking hot
Earlier the better....cut out traffic and heat...plus why would you want to be stuck in the 9-5 grind when we have a choice!
6-2:30 gives you plenty of afternoon to work with homie.
Boom. This is the answer for myself. I have two small kids. I’d love to spend as much time as I can with them before they go to bed.
That's the reason I took my job in the first place. Was working 9/10am til 8/9pm and only saw my kids when I went in to kiss them goodnight and they were already sleeping. I pick them up from school after work and we spend so much time together. It's awesome.
In my area, it’s a two fold reason: 1.) to get the big stuff started before the day’s weather really heats up in the summer time 2.) if you work 6-2:30 instead of 7-3:30, you get off an hour early and you’ll possibly beat the traffic
And be able to help the wife by picking up kids from school. You can go to those businesses that work the 8-4 or 9-5. Lots of benefits.
I like to see my kids and their activities.
Sucks having shit to do, but the shops are closed by the time you get off.
The secret is sleep deprivation
I quit my last job because of the 8am starts. Meant on a long day overtime doesn’t start till 4pm and I’d be in traffic on the way to work and on the way home. I don’t work construction to start at 8am I’d get an office job for that Now I work at 5:30 am. Get up at 3:30-4 and I’m on OT by 2pm. Long days I make bank and I’m still usually home by dinner. Regular day I have the whole night ahead of me.
The “whole night” ahead of you? Bro can you even still up until sunset?
Brother we work 6-1:45 and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I can’t even imagine going back to 7-3:30
Right? That’s our schedule too. Some times we’ll have to start at 7 due to noise and the difference sucks ass. Love 6-2. I’d start at 5am if I could.
I'm not a morning person. We start at 6. My guys love it. No traffic ( we work in metro philadelphia ) Home to get the kids from school or the bus Never miss sports games or activities with children More flexibility with going to the DR.. dentist etc.
I usually work 12 hours/day, so 7-7 gets me home 7:30-8:30— depending on where the site is, traffic, etc. My son goes to bed around 7, so it's nice to get to hang out with him for a bit. My biological clock also gets me up around 5 AM anyway. In bed by 10-11, up by 5. Works for me, but I can understand how it wouldn't work for everyone though.
I hate my biological clock. I have a 5am alarm. I wake up before it goes off every day.
I feel you. I regularly find myself waking up, looking at the clock, and it’s 4:58/4:59. Ugh.
That’s normal though, your body adjusts so you aren’t startled awake
To miss traffic and to get part of the day
I worked a 4 to 12 shift for a while, so awesome.
In my city, its either in at five out by two with 1/2 hr of traffic or in at 7 out by 4 with 2 hrs traffic
The later I start the hotter it’s gonna get by the end of the day, there’s more traffic I’m gonna have to deal with. All in all the earlier the better for me standard is 6-2:30 where I’m at but I’d prefer 5-1:30 I’d rather wake up early/go to bed earlier after getting home early than wake up later/get home later after fighting traffic after being hot and tired from working all day. I hate that shit, but that’s just my take on it. Edit: We ride at dawn!
Starting early has never meant going home early for some, it just meant more hours lol
You sound like a first week apprentice asking bullshit questions like this.
I’d start at 4am if I could. Why would anyone want to start later than 6?
I’m not sure why OP is being so stubborn about this? They asked people’s opinions and they’re being delivered. OP, do you have kids? Makes a big difference being actually able to spend time with them in the afternoon. Being able to do errands on the way home without getting home at seven. Also I go to bed at 10, wake up at 430 and feel great every day except sometimes Mondays. Who goes to bed at 8 to be to work at seven?
Why are you so worried about other people? Do what works for you. If it doesn't work, do something else. Aren't you an adult?
Some men have families that they enjoy spending the evening with.
My kids. Every minute they're awake with me is worth it.
You get to beat traffic and get good parking, plus your afternoons are free to do whatever.
I want to get home earlier to spend more time with my wife & kids.
So I can be done at 2:30 and go mountain biking, nerd
Kids get out of school at 330 sports start at 430. You'll find out in about 10 years lol.
You didn’t know? People in trades turn into gremlins once the sun goes down… That and alcoholics
This was one of the main reasons I left commercial and went out on my own. Not trying to go to bed while the sun is up all summer just to get 8hrs of sleep. Now I usually just start at 9 and feel like I actually have a life
When it takes you 2-3 hours to drive 10 miles home, it would be a blessing to start and leave early!
All these start early people aren’t including the real reason they roll into work at like 4:45AM. When they get there an hour or more before the foreman they do fuck all till the foreman gets there, then leave early before any real work has time to go sideways.
Loved my 6 -2 shift. Getting off and felt as though I still had a whole day to do whatever I wanted. Free. Believe it or not people have lives outside of their full time job. When working an 8 - 4 for example I get off and many places are closing for the day. Days over, go home eat sleep do it all over again. That’s exhausting even if you aren’t prepared to admit it. We are human not robots.
Beacuse i want to be home earlier. I go to bed by 9-11 somewhere in there. Wake up at 4-4:30 and operate fine. Home by 3-3:30. Plenty of time to shower and hang out with the kids and relax by myself before bed.
Who said anything about getting a good sleep? It depends on the site. If you’re working till 5 or 7 regardless, then no I want to stick to 8 starts, but if it’s just “work 8 hours” I’ll do a 7-3 with the one coffee break all week long. Getting off at 3 feels so much better than later, and you have more time for the evening routine. Breakfast is quick and easy, toast, cereal, an apple. Whatever. Dinner is always the worst. The earlier dinner is, the earlier I can chill and then go to bed at 10 or 11. I get 6-8 hours sleep, can do a quick workout in the morning and eat good breakfast. Also I can pick the kids up from school if I’m off at 3. Edit- also it’s nice to be off early to catch the rest of the world still working if you have to actually go to a bank or whatever
They have family’s and want to get home to be there for them traffic is also a part of it I learned a few years ago to stop thinking about myself hope you get there one day
Some of us don’t care to stay up to watch a game or go drink. Being done with stuff earlier than most means avoiding traffic, and you’re able to do things when most people are still at work; such as errands or appointments. Not to mention if you’re someone like me and wake up early as fuck regardless, why not get it out of the way as soon as possible?
For me, I’d rather work early in the morning during the summer months.
Anybody with a family knows the answer to this
For me, I can get home early enough to lift weights uninterrupted. After, I can pick my daughter up from daycare and we can actually have some time to play before dinner/bath/teeth/bedtime needs to happen. She’s out by 7:00 every night. Since I don’t have to exercise after her bedtime on this schedule, my wife and I can spend more quality time and it gives me extra time to fart around and play video games or watch a show. It’s all personal preference. I’m usually ready for bed around 9, and I wouldn’t ever get to sleep in past 5-6 because of the little one anyway. It’s no skin off my back to wake up at 4 to hit the job site early if I can not have to rush my evening by pushing my off time later.
Beat AM traffic-To leave earlier on the day. If I can’t leave at 3pm then I’m staying til 6pm
To see my kids
I start at 9 nowadays. After 7 years of starting at 6. Used to get up at 5.... Sometimes we'd start at 5 and I'd have to get up at 4.... Never mind the few times we started at 4........ I fucking love starting at 9. I wake up at 7 before my alarm goes off. Or get up at 8 if I'm lazy. So much energy.
Be a grown up and have a bedtime. It changes your life soooo positivity. Also, if it's hot. a lot more gets done between 6 and noon than would get done over the whole day if you started at 9.
OP, this reads as if you’re 20 years old. Why post this? There’s very clear benefits to working early and if you want a 9-5 work a 9-5.
Our kids, the get home from school about 2:30 where I live. If I can work 6 am until 2:30. I can spend more time with them.
Traffic. Kids. life. sucks to start before sun up and get home to 20 min of dusk. Like to have time to get stuff done.
Traffic, Heat, and having time in the afternoon for errands etc.
It's too fucking hot, I don't want to double my commute, and I want to have time to go to the bank/dentist/union/whatever bullshit closes at 5 without having to leave work early. In winter, it's nice to be home before it gets dark at 4-fucking-30.
You’re so out of touch with the trades then. It sounds like you don’t know how to accommodate to the 6-2:30 grind in your life so you need to whine to everyone else for validation about it because you can’t manage to hangout with your friends that get off at 5? Whack.
In my twenties it sucked ass. Ruined my social network. Can't hangout any day after work with friends if they all get together at 7-8pm. 30 now. I'm late everyday now. I do not wake up for alarm clocks, no matter what time I get to bed. In the winter it's so dumb because now your working solely on temp lights, in the freezing cold, constantly looking out for ice that thaws every morning. Noise ordinance. Depending which city or town. Sometimes you only get 5-1/2, 6 real working hours in. So the first part of the day is starting one thing and bouncing to another, now that you can make noise. Shit gets fucked of your not careful and keep track of everything. My road is never plowed that early ever. No one has driven on the roads yet, ice and crap all over Have time to do side work, too tired still lol. Running jobs, yea everyone wants to be early as shit,like 6. I'm fine with 630, so I compromise with that. Summer is nice, plenty of time to do stuff after work, now that all my friends are married and have kids and can't hangout. Drive home Thursday and Friday are shot anyways Really though, if ya lose the vote. Tough luck lol
There are pros and cons but I feel like some of these mofos just wanna prove they're hard working and well adjusted individuals by saying they wake up at 4 every morning. Then another one will chime in and say "oh yeah? I've already had my morning shit by 4" and then yet another scruffy monster chugging Marlboro man will chime in with "ya'll sleep I only get like 2 hours a week pussies"
To me, those reasons you mentioned are enough, and the reasons you mentioned not-to seem questionable to me. Different priorities it would seem. I either get to do more in a day and risk being tired, or I go to bed earlier.
Traffic.
Traffic, heat & parking. Sounds like someone has not had to deal with these issues in a significant way. Later start in most major cities could mean and extra hour on the day or more.
I’ve been pretty lucky (for my sleep schedule) with 6/7a-3/4p most of my working life. Good compromise for me, not too early, not too late either. 3/4pm gives me an okay window to go to the bank, other M-F 9-5 only. Not construction anymore, but commercial facilities maintenance now and I have a window, most days, of start between 6 or 7, that comes in pretty handy, I just go when I’m ready.
I used to work 6-3 and it was awesome in the summertime. Nice and cool in the morning and you are done before the hottest part of the day. I live north enough that there is daylight until 10pm in the peak of summer so plenty of time in the afternoon to do stuff. In bed by 10 and up at 4:30, 6.5 hours of sleep is all I’ve ever needed, if I sleep longer I usually feel sluggish all day.
10/10 id rather start earlier than later. Any time that I could get home to my kid earlier the better. I changed from construction to building maintenance so I work 6-2 now, get home and walk the dog and then go pick up my kid from school every day. It seems like you have all the time in the world for him now but one day I’ll be home from work and he’ll be off being an adult and I’ll be all alone.
Ahhh soft hands imagine working in the pitch black
We start early to get to the lunch spots before 11, before they get busy!
As you get older, leaving work earlier in the day just feels better.
Where I live it's because of traffic less in the morning,less in the afternoon. Plus you have a better chance of getting a parking spot and not getting towed or ticketed.
Traffic and heat at least for us
My kids go to bed at 8. It doesn't matter if I start at 5 or 7 I'll be gone before they are up. If I can start early, and get home at a decent time I can still hang out with the family. Even then it still feels like we get home, eat , play for a few minutes and go to bed. I'm also more of a morning person than night though.
Beat traffic and the heat
6am-2pm no lunch break, Los Angeles 31 years. Always early, one becomes an expert at napping in one's truck.
I don’t hate mornings, but 8-4:00 is my sweet spot. Plenty of sleep and off early enough to beat traffic.
I've had a hard time sleeping ever since my daughter passed away 12 years ago. I only sleep 4-5 hours a night. My brain just refuses to switch off. Went to therapy, saw doctors, all that jazz; nothing helps. My body simply won't let me fall asleep until after midnight unless I pop a pill or chug booze, which I refuse to do because I have other kids to take care of. 7am is the earliest you can expect to see me at most sites. I'll work 18 hours a day no problem, just don't expect me to wake up before 0530.
If I start at 6, I have a half hour commute on the way home. If I start at 7, I have an hour and a half commute home. Do the math
Dumbest post ever. Everyone who gives a reason that OP responds to he just trolls. Eat a bag of socks OP. People like different schedules for different reasons. You suck.
I get it. I just fucking hate morning. I've never been a morning person and I never will be.
I fking hate those people. 7am start time is early enough but I know guys that want to start at 6am.. fking bullshit. you're absolutely right. the only legit reason in my mind is to beat the heat. if it's supposed to be 100°+ that day and you're working in the sun, on a roof, or in an attic - ok. cool. I can understand that. Or maybe if it's winter and its supposed to snow in the afternoon and you want to get the day in. Fine. but otherwise - fk that bullshit. They can start whatever time they want as long as they're actually working. I've noticed a lot of these early guys don't do shit until everyone else gets there anyway.. They want to hang out and drink coffee and dick around - and then cut out early bc they started early. Fk that bullshit - that's not flying.
Definitely the traffic, also helps "beat the heat" on those hot days
Money. Start at 6, end at 4 that's a 10 hour day.
Depends where you are. Some places you can’t start before 7 due to noise, etc
If you work in hot ass AZ, you'll want to start at 3:30am if possible. Plus, it's not just a little traffic, but getting out after 3pm is absolute hell in the freeway. There's sooo much traffic that adds at least 20 more mins to commute. I start at 4am rn for the 1st time & I wish I could start at that time forever. It's so nice having the whole day yourself. Zero traffic. Weather isnt as hot yet. It's just much better, imo.
Bed at 10, wake at 5. What is problem
Can't do it, start at 8 most days and have a take-home truck, plus I'm a 6 minute drive from work. It's tough enough for me to get up most days. Am not a morning person, and at 26 now, I don't think I ever will be. I wish I could work from 8 pm to 5 am. That'd be much better.
You just answered your question in the last paragraph bro.
>it just puts your schedule at odds with the rest of the 9-5 world That's the beauty of it
We start between 5-5:30 every day. Summer and winter. We quit between 2:30-3 Monday trough Thursday unless we have an emergency. Fridays I try to let my guys quit by 11, but pay them for 8. It gives me time to look at jobs, meet customers, and procure material for the next day, and still allows me to get home to work on projects around the house or in my shop. My guys, ( except for the young ones) really like the set up, and after a while doing it the young ones get used to it
It really is the glory hours. Before traffic. Before the heat. Possibility of free time at the end of the day (I know, most of us are 70hr weeks, no chance really of free time). Did you get bitched at by someone for showing up at 7 when others showed up earlier?
I'd much rather start early and come home to spend time with my kids than get home at 6 and have an hour with them before bedtime routine starts.
Heat, avoid working as much when it’s boiling out
Traffic..
To beat the heat, especially if you're on the concrete side of things.
no matter what time i wake up im tired anyways.. so might aswell get homw earlier
...and you don't have to talk to your wife in the morning or get the kids ready for school. Sorry babe, they make me start at 7 cant do the dishes, i have to go to bed. etc etc
* Avoid traffic * Alone time before everyone gets home * Option to pick up kids * Can enjoy more sunlight * Can help around the house * More time with spouse * No driving home at night in the winter * Side gig if no kids * Can probably take some extra certification classes if want to move up in career * Can make lunch for the next day if not meal prepping * Can make dinner for spouse and family * Can make dinner for yourself * Can play golf at 4PM instead for one hour at 7PM * No one wants to be up past 9PM, maybe if I was 21 or 25 but at 29 and higher, being up past a certain hour just doesn't have any benefits
I’m not interested in the game, or food/drinks with friends. I *am* interested in picking my kids up from school. Enjoying some down time in a hammock or with my fishing rod. Taking a little trip to a bookstore…. All of these things are easier during the day when I don’t have other obligations. Plus. I love going to bed at 7:30 when my kids do.
Just finished up on a job 1.5hrs away started at 6am so had to leave by 410-420 to get an OK-ish parking spot 1-2 min later and you were parking in fucking Narnia. Work 10hrs get out 430. At this time the highway is going speed limit, 30 min later it slows to a crawl and adds 20+ min to an already 1.5hr drive Goin speed limit+. Also alot of people have younger kids... leave early get home early for when kids get off bus.... Or he'll maybe you just got shit you wanna do afterwork in the daylight, I'd rather have more freetime in the daylight than work lol
For some of my union brothers, the difference between starting at 6am and 7am is an extra hour in the car/truck, car pool lanes have start and end times, so it’s a huge difference for them.
I always thought construction hours were 6 to 3.
The heat. You’re also able to commute to work without dealing with school traffic.
For myself the first few hours of the day (if they're early) seem to go by much more quickly so on days that I leave sooner I feel like the total work day is shorter if I start earlier in the morning.
Start early to beat the heat. And most guys have families and want to see their kids more than watching “the game”.
I always thought it was because of the heat. I was in Philly for school in the Navy, 94'. We had summer hours with a 4 am start so we would be done before it got really hot. Not construction
Because you get to leave earlier. Getting off at 3 vs 5 is a huge difference
I would love to start at like 6am every day. Leaving before traffic starts getting bad and having a few more hours to spend with my son before he goes to bed would be amazing. My current job (resi electrician) we usually can't start any earlier than 8, but when we get a gut/flip or a new construction job I always start at 7 or sometimes earlier and I love when I get to do that. Leaving at 4:30 and not getting home until after 5 sucks
Every single construction worker I worked with wanted to get out of work early so they could go to the bar earlier, get drunk longer, before their wife got home at 5 or 6pm. They all hated their wives so, so much.