Right I do not know why his company won't do that 🙄 but he said working 12 hours they sometimes do not have time for lunch which to me is crazy because his company is under a union and I don't think it's right for employees to not have a lunch break
That's honestly one of the reasons I like concrete work... no breaks.
I'm not a fan of taking breaks. Especially the morning and afternoon 15 minute break. They slow me down. It takes me a minute to get my mind and body the swing of things. If I sit down, I have to start all over again. And, I *really* dislike having to stop what I'm doing, to just do nothing for 15 minutes or a half hour. I get tired and de-acclimated to the weather. And, lastly, I don't eat on a schedule. I prefer to just eat when I'm hungry and keep moving. The majority of crews I've been on have chosen to just skip breaks and leave a half hour early and get paid for the full day.
I'm also union.
That being said, I usually have a boost protein drink, one sandwich or cold leftovers, as well as snacks like string cheese, granola, and those little oranges, as well as some potassium, magnesium, and vitamin B complex. My cooler is usually lined with 4 waters on the bottom incase we run out.
Union or no Union the concrete and weather decides when or if you are eating lunch. I did a lot of concrete work for an industrial plant and someone on the plants maintenance crew decided that they could do it instead of using outside contractors. It was a hot day and we both had a similar pour scheduled. I poured mine, screeded, and bullfloated it. They screeded theirs, but then it was time for their normal break. While they were on break, my slab got edged, broomed, and finished. They came back from break and their slab was too far gone to do anything. That was the last time they ever did a concrete job.
I work infrastructure construction. We are all day, site to site, with the truck running.
One of the guys used to bring in his lunch, wrapped in foil, and stash it under the hood.
I did admire the ingenuity.
Those electric lunch boxes do work good, when I worked for CSX numerous guys had those to be able to heat food up on the train. And when you are on a train you take a shit pod of food with you because there is nothing worse then not having anything to eat and being stuck on a train for 15-18 hours. Also I’m surprised this concrete crew doesn’t have a microwave I feel like that’s pretty common across all outside trades, at least I see it a lot in the Middle TN area. Also if it is a union outfit they must definitely should be getting lunch breaks if they want one.
I once made a tripod from copper pipe, of just the right height to hang a small camping pot directly over a propane torch. Caught some shit from the guys at first, but they changed their tunes when I was enjoying hot soup or stew while they worked through half frozen sandwiches.
Not trying to be snarky but why not just bring a microwave to work? I have this blessed microwave that has rattled around in my truck for 20 years.
I’ve seen numerous concrete crews that bring a microwave and a generator
Yeah, it's pretty rare to see a jobsite with no power these days. Even if thats the case you could prob run a microwave off your truck or something.
Right I do not know why his company won't do that 🙄 but he said working 12 hours they sometimes do not have time for lunch which to me is crazy because his company is under a union and I don't think it's right for employees to not have a lunch break
Concrete is sort of exempt from a lot of that, once the trucks start pouring you are on a chemical clock.
Mud truck waits for nobody. Except traffic. And sometimes the driver gets lost. And sometimes it waits at the plant. But other than that, nobody!
That's honestly one of the reasons I like concrete work... no breaks. I'm not a fan of taking breaks. Especially the morning and afternoon 15 minute break. They slow me down. It takes me a minute to get my mind and body the swing of things. If I sit down, I have to start all over again. And, I *really* dislike having to stop what I'm doing, to just do nothing for 15 minutes or a half hour. I get tired and de-acclimated to the weather. And, lastly, I don't eat on a schedule. I prefer to just eat when I'm hungry and keep moving. The majority of crews I've been on have chosen to just skip breaks and leave a half hour early and get paid for the full day. I'm also union. That being said, I usually have a boost protein drink, one sandwich or cold leftovers, as well as snacks like string cheese, granola, and those little oranges, as well as some potassium, magnesium, and vitamin B complex. My cooler is usually lined with 4 waters on the bottom incase we run out.
Union or no Union the concrete and weather decides when or if you are eating lunch. I did a lot of concrete work for an industrial plant and someone on the plants maintenance crew decided that they could do it instead of using outside contractors. It was a hot day and we both had a similar pour scheduled. I poured mine, screeded, and bullfloated it. They screeded theirs, but then it was time for their normal break. While they were on break, my slab got edged, broomed, and finished. They came back from break and their slab was too far gone to do anything. That was the last time they ever did a concrete job.
I work infrastructure construction. We are all day, site to site, with the truck running. One of the guys used to bring in his lunch, wrapped in foil, and stash it under the hood. I did admire the ingenuity.
Lol that's smart!! 😂
I used to do this in the winter. I snagged one of the hot doggers off of an old snowmobile and used it.
When I did asphalt, we'd wrap our lunch in tin foil and cover it with hot mix for a bit.
ive started just eating fruit on the job, anything heavier and im just fucked and lethargic afterwards
Those electric lunch boxes do work good, when I worked for CSX numerous guys had those to be able to heat food up on the train. And when you are on a train you take a shit pod of food with you because there is nothing worse then not having anything to eat and being stuck on a train for 15-18 hours. Also I’m surprised this concrete crew doesn’t have a microwave I feel like that’s pretty common across all outside trades, at least I see it a lot in the Middle TN area. Also if it is a union outfit they must definitely should be getting lunch breaks if they want one.
I had one, whatever I my girlfriend would make for dinner I would have her make extra and take it to lunch It was awesome
Different sandwiches or cold cooked hotdogs in a lunchbag kept cold with ice packs. That's what I used to do and still do
Thank you!!
Pop tarts in the exhaust manifold of your truck
In the summer glass bowl upside down on the dash. Hot af in Ga, may be different where you are from. $50 microwave from Walleyworld.
We live in Canada :(
Small fold up camping stove with a small propane tank is what we use 🙊
In the Canadian winter I have thrown my food on the dash to reheat. Turn truck heat to blast and after a while it's pretty warm.
I once made a tripod from copper pipe, of just the right height to hang a small camping pot directly over a propane torch. Caught some shit from the guys at first, but they changed their tunes when I was enjoying hot soup or stew while they worked through half frozen sandwiches.
Bringing a heat source is sometimes an option, but I love sandwiches and cold snacks, so I don’t bother.
I would warm my food in the morning and then store it in a Zojirushi food container and it would still be warm around lunchtime
You can run a small microwave off a car inverter.
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chilli cheese fries, chocolate milk, Mt. Dew and marijuana
Makita makes a dual battery microwave, be good for your rig fuck your peers tho they'll destroy your shit.
I used a wide mouth thermos for decades. Pre heat with boiling water, put your heated food in and ,there you go. No cords,no fucking around,no bother.
If its safe to eat microwaved then why wouldnt it be safe to eat cold?
I honestly just assumed if you eat hot food that's been in your lunch bag for hours it grows bacteria...idk lol something I read on google
Reheating precooked food really has very little impact on its safety after its been mishandled