In rear easement, I averaged 4,000 to 6,000 ft per day new build strand back in the 80s. Working mine and crews ass off pulling rope and brace and bit days. In street side, I averaged 6,000 to 8,000 ft per day and took big risks with traffic control. My best day ever was 15,200 in 8 hours. This still with brace and bit. We had street side, long spans, few anchors (turn-key we twisted anchors, and pulled down guys as we went), and little traffic control. This was in the rarest of rare new growth areas. New sub division, with few homes build so few driveways and little traffic. Over my 20 year career, 8 years of construction, I had this one and only day of this environment with peak production of 15,200 feet of strand. Most days you kill yourself for 4 to 6K of stand.
My envy to you all. You are the last dying breed of real work ethic in America. Your focus and dedication is clearly demonstrated by this thread. Strong young men taking great pride in achievement, working thru great risk, variation, and hurtles to pay today's rent and needs. The problem is you are working like dogs in the prime of your lives with nothing saved and growing older. Nothing set aside for retirement, children's education, taxes, and downtime. I worked myself into debt from 1979 to 1994. I owed the tax man 15 years of back taxes and had barely kept myself one step in front of the friend of the court to go to jail for nonpayment of child support. Have a hard look at any other jobs and real pay. Try to separate your pride from the equation and decide if the effort and risk is worth the pay. In every contract negotiation, ask for more.
If you have a proven track record, do not listen to the dumb - take it or leave it - offers. Bluff the bastards back. There is always money on the table. Ask for it.
If it don't pay, don't roll.
