House tech vs. Road Tech

[Heza Bear]

House Tech vs. Road Tech, ehh….

There is an unofficial test with the question: What’s the difference between a House Mouse and a Road Rat? One of the answers is:

One is healthy, wealthy and wise with a Kiss my *** mother****** attitude and the other is weak, pathetic poor with a Yes Sir, right away Sir attitude.

I use to think I knew which one was which, now I think it’s not the job category you hold but how well you’ve been able to deal with the changing economic climate and bureaucratic politics that determines your personal wealth and attitude.

As for me, I see the light at the end of the Tunnel and am looking forward to saying for the last time: “Kiss my………….”

I think is more how you act as a man/professional than what type of attitude you have. Be professional and you can tell them to kiss you XXX and in a polite way and they will never know it.

[Smart People]

Lets not forget the baggage you bring with you. If you think it all sucks all the time, it always will. On many occasions friends of mine will tell me how horrible a job is. When I get there I end up having the time of my life (and make great money too!).
We all bring our filters with us and whether you are mouse or rat, it all depends on the shade of the rose colored glasses you are wearing.

[mutant]

To all the road techs who have whined over the years about low pay, lousy site coordinators, no training, crappy PD and travel pay, no benefits, zero respect, etc.; here is the opportunity to put your resume where your mouth is:

Exelon is currently looking for a Radiological Control Technician - Nuclear at our Oyster Creek Generating Station located in Forked River, NJ.

The qualified candidate will be responsible for the following: Regularly determines radioactivity levels, evaluates conditions based on technical knowledge in radiation protection, prescribes required protective measures and maintains control in ensuring that workers follow those radiation protection procedures required by federal and state regulations and the site license.

Requirements:
1. Be at least of high school level or equivalent, including passing grade equivalent to 'C' or better in algebra and science (Chemistry or Physics).
2. Possess applicable ANSI qualifications for 18.1 RP Tech.
3. Pass an entrance test ' the EEI TECH Test.
4. Be willing and able to work on a rotating shift schedule.
5. Qualify as an on-shift E-plan responder (on-shift dose assessor and on-shift E-plan qualified Radiological Controls Technician).

To apply, please visit www.exeloncorp.com/careers, select job opportunities, search openings, select advanced search and enter 7928 in the Job ID field.

[Content1]

I think many prefer to whine.

[Cathy]

I think many prefer to whine.

You can have both, I am a house mouse and I still whine 

[btkeele]

You can have both, I am a house mouse and I still whine 

Some things never change........

[biloxoi blues]

I also prefer to whine and Im a house mouse for now.

[Old HP]

Everybody whines, some do it louder, some do it better, some even do it all the time. As to the house versus road tech issue it really does not matter as both are temporary positions. No one stays in the rat race forever. Thirty years and still going but my hair is getting grayer and my patience is getting shorter.  (oops there I am whining again, sorry Cathy)

[duke99301]

Do not for get the Rent A House tech...

[Content1]

If someone spills some contaminated water and then cries about it, is that called "Turning water into whine?"

[HouseDad]

If someone spills some contaminated water and then cries about it, is that called "Turning water into whine?"

I really, really, really .... really ought to smite you for that one.......

[HydroDave63]

I'll do it for ya! 

[mostlyharmless]

There's a lot to be said for both. You can stay at home and enjoy the family and everyone can develop relationships with people you see often and in person, over years and not months. You can have the comfort of routine.
On the other hand ( sounds like a song ) theres the boredom of mind numbing routine,office politics, the high school emotional development of coworkers, and familiarity breeds contempt. Dead end job, etc.
I wonder how the divorce rate among the road vs. the house compares.
The road is exciting. I have seen places and done things ( work included ) that most of my coworkers have not. And I have met and loved some wonderfull people and consequently failed to keep up with.
On the other hand ( again the song ) theres the looking for work,looking for a place to live. The work is much harder physically, and theres the challenge of trying to put the breaks on a train that does not slow down unless forced.
In short, I love being home but I sure do miss the road. And i feel I was more sharp, or had to stay sharp while on the road. I am more knowlegable now but less astute while covering a job. I don't mean sorry,just not as sharp.
I have gone from snow storms in Nebraska and whale watching from the roof in Ca to watching the seasons change in S.C. It comes and goes. MH

[UncaBuffalo]

There's a lot to be said for both. You can stay at home and enjoy the family and everyone can develop relationships with people you see often and in person, over years and not months. You can have the comfort of routine.
On the other hand ( sounds like a song ) theres the boredom of mind numbing routine,office politics, the high school emotional development of coworkers, and familiarity breeds contempt. Dead end job, etc.
I wonder how the divorce rate among the road vs. the house compares.
The road is exciting. I have seen places and done things ( work included ) that most of my coworkers have not. And I have met and loved some wonderfull people and consequently failed to keep up with.
On the other hand ( again the song ) theres the looking for work,looking for a place to live. The work is much harder physically, and theres the challenge of trying to put the breaks on a train that does not slow down unless forced.
In short, I love being home but I sure do miss the road. And i feel I was more sharp, or had to stay sharp while on the road. I am more knowlegable now but less astute while covering a job. I don't mean sorry,just not as sharp.
I have gone from snow storms in Nebraska and whale watching from the roof in Ca to watching the seasons change in S.C. It comes and goes. MH

Good point!

[Content1]

It is a year since my last road outage where as a 3.1 senior, I only made $13,000 for the entire Spring 2009.  It ticked my off enough when I got nothing from the recruiters that would assure me this would not happen again.   This Spring my Jr. daughters only got one outage.   I took a house tech job June 2009 and the results?  In the one year since I left I made a yearly rate of 72K plus 6K matched in my 401K.   I get paid for a month off with pay and holidays.   My pay is set to go up 11% in May.   I actually see my family at home.   I have a 6 month supply of food and hard currency stored for emergencies.   My car, which had a shadow hanging over it close to death, like Tiny Tim, did not die but lives on.   I can ride a bike to work to exercise and go green.   I have full medical benefits.    I do not get per diem, yet I don't worry if I am sick on a workday I would lose it.   When I vacation now I do not rush across the country on my own dime to a job and look at the sights as I pass them by AT 65 mph, only to arrive at motels with rates jacked up for the outage the I can get of 1/3 the cost outside of the outage time.   I would say House tech is the way to go in my case.

[xobxdoc]

I wouldn't trade my road tech days for anything. There were good and bad times, but it makes me appreciate what I have now. I will have 10 years in Ops this November. I have a sense of belonging that I never had working on the road. I volunteer at my son's school and coach his baseball team. I waved him home as 3rd base coach for his first home run. I could not imagine missing that if I stilled traveled. I get decent time off and the money is pretty good too. I wouldn't mind a Thursday after shift volley ball/ beach party at SONGS though. Do they still do that?

[RRhoads]

I think many prefer to whine.

Seems like YOU are the one who prefers to whine.....
I really have nothing against you, but you continually bash the road where iam gonna guess you received a good majority of your experience? Not to mention your TIME to be a 3.1 which most likely was a big part of you getting the house job you have? ( i say this cuz we only hire 3.1's at the plant iam house at)
Seems to me you are far enough removed from the road that you wouldnt be so,
"bitter bob" about it! Some others might call it "paying your dues"??
Alot of people have had good & bad experiences with the recruiters, so dont think for a minute that yours are unique.
I too perfer the "comfort" of a house tech job but wouldnt trade my 16 yrs on the road as a deconner/Jr Hp/ Sr HP for anything!
As for House vs. Road tech, timing is everything & the time will prob come where iam back on the road too.....but for now, the house tech job is where its at!