High voltage worker stories: Jordan Halliburton

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storm chasing journeyman lineman ibew

Prior roles: Former Co-op lineman
Location: Gallatin, Tennessee
years in the trade: going on 8 yrs in the trade

@jordanhalliburton
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Stay quiet and let your work ethic do the talking for you.  put your knowledge to use and show me that you can do it

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Stories in the trade

This series hands the mic to the folks who keep the lights on—how they got in, what they’ve seen, and where the trade’s headed

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How did you first hear about the trade and how did you get into your first role? 

So the way I heard about the trade was after high school and college I had a few buddies that had gotten into line work straight out of high school. I had always heard them talk about how much they loved what they did and what kind of money you could make in the trade. That got me interested in it so not too long after college I went to line school at NALTC in McEwen, Tennessee. My first role out of line school was for a small mom and pop non-union contractor. I took the first gig I could get my hands on that way I could start getting experience as soon as possible. The way I found that job was just googling contractors in my area and they were one of the closest ones that popped up. I was only with that small contractor about two months before I got on with my local co-op and spent most of my career there. After talking to a friend of mine that had been storm chasing full-time I decided to make the switch into the IBEW. For me to make that switch I had to go to my local 429 Hall and verify my hours as well as pass their journeyman test. Once that was done and I got my ticket I applied to all of the union Storm call out lists that I could find. I haven't looked back since.

What’s one thing about this work that outsiders totally misunderstand?

One thing that outsiders totally misunderstand about this trade is how long it takes to repair outages. I saw this all the time at the co-op you would go on outage calls, and get stopped by numerous customers asking how long it was gonna take to get their lights back on. So many of them think it's something as easy as flipping a switch, which for those of us in the trade know that is almost never the case. They don't see a tree in the middle of a right-of-way a mile away that's gotta be cut off, or they don't see the hours it can take to rebuild a pole after a car wreck just to get their lights back on.
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Always have a game plan before you ever go up in the bucket. Try to think step by step what youre gonna do and have a game plan laid out in your head. 

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What’s your proudest moment on the job so far?

I'm not sure I can pinpoint a proudest moment on the job so far. What I can say is one thing that I have enjoyed the most is all of the lasting friendships that I've made along the way. There is a special bond you create with the guys you work with especially when you're having to go through some of the long hours, hard terrain, and rough conditions there's just something you build with your buddies when you go through that together that you would be hard pressed to find anywhere else.

What’s the most high-pressure or intense situation you’ve had to handle?

Some of the most high pressure or intense scenarios I've been a part of would probably be the car wreck scenarios that I dealt with when I was at the co-op. Unfortunately, I've had to work broke poles from a car wreck that involved a fatality and seeing that up close can be pretty rough. Another thing that was challenging with some of the car wreck poles that I worked on was sometimes you would have a car that split a pole in half and everything would still be hot and floating, but you've got all kinds of people on scene that you're trying to keep back as you assess the situation and come up with a game plan to repair the pole and recover the vehicle while keeping everyone safe.
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 I have seen accidents happen was when a job was being rushed, or somebody was being told to get it done faster. Just be smooth thorough and consistent with your work and the speed will comE

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Brother's Keeper Keychain - High Voltage Industries
Brother's Keeper Keychain - High Voltage Industries
Brother's Keeper Keychain - High Voltage Industries
Brother's Keeper Keychain - High Voltage Industries
Brother's Keeper Keychain - High Voltage Industries

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What’s the hardest part (physical/mental) of the job and how do you handle it?

One of the hardest parts of the job for me was staying hydrated during the hottest parts of the summer. I live in middle Tennessee and our heat index can be upwards of 110° plus sometimes in July and August. Then you add on top of that all of your PPE and rubber gloves and sleeves, and I would just constantly be drenched and cramping. Guys around me would get a good laugh out of it because I would be tightening a bolt up with my channel locks and then all of a sudden my forearm would cramp up and I couldn't move it. One day I was walking out of the break room at the co-op on a really hot summer day with both of my hamstrings cramped up at the same time and I fell on the floor face first everybody got a huge kick out of that one, it was pretty funny. One way I tried to resolve that was just drinking a ton of liquid IV as well as taking magnesium and potassium supplements. 

What do you wish someone had told you when you first started on the job?

One thing I wish somebody would've told me when I first started on the job was don't say anything you don't want everybody to know. Because you know as well as I do, Lineman can gossip as bad as housewives sometimes. 😂

What kind of person thrives in this work? What kind of person doesn’t?

I would say somebody that is competitive or task oriented would probably thrive in this trade. If you get a group of Lineman together, it's not too long before you have somebody competing or making a game out of something. If you're a person that takes initiative and doesn't have to be constantly told what to do then you can go far in this trade. If you're a person that constantly has to have your hand held or shown the same thing multiple times than this job is probably not for you. Also, if you can't handle extreme weather conditions, freezing temperatures, wet conditions, extreme heat then this job is also probably not for you. I always joke and say the people that say they love summer are not the same people that have to get out and work out in it every day.

What’s something that went wrong on the job but taught you something important?

For this, I wouldn't necessarily mention any scenario in particular I would just say don't let anybody rush you on the job or if you're a person of leadership, don't rush your guys on the job. You're dealing with very dangerous equipment and conditions sometimes and when people get rushed, accidents can happen or things may get overlooked. Always have a game plan before you ever go up in the bucket. Try to think step-by-step what you're gonna do and have a game plan laid out in your head.

What advice would you give to someone who's just thinking about joining the trades?

One piece of advice I would give to new guys or girls coming up would be to stay quiet and let your work ethic do the talking for you. What I mean by that is don't tell me you can do something, put your knowledge to use and show me that you can do it without having to be told. This goes back to having initiative. Also, I would say never let yourself get in too big of a hurry or never let anybody rush you. Because the times I have seen accidents happen was when a job was being rushed, or somebody was being told to get it done faster. Just be smooth, thorough and consistent with your work and the speed will come.

Have you worked in both union and non-union environments? 

Yes, so I have worked as a non-union contractor, a cooperative lineman, as well as as I am now a union contractor in the IBEW. My pay was the least when I was a non-union contractor and the work environment wasn't as good as I have it now. I'm not saying it's the same way for all non-union contractors. I'm just speaking from my own personal experience. I had a good experience with the co-op I was at. They treated me very well, but I knew it was time for me to make a switch. Since I'm chasing storms full-time with union contractors now all of my pay is typically overtime or double time. That is ultimately one of the big reasons why I made the switch to the IBEW was to maximize the amount I make per hour plus I'm able to have more free time and flexibility in my schedule. Not to mention the benefits are pretty sweet as well. It is also pretty cool to know that I can travel across the country with a yellow ticket in my pocket and be able to work almost anywhere in the country.
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If youre a person that takes initiative and doesnt have to be constantly told what to do then you can go far in this trade

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How do you handle stacking OT or traveling for the job while having a family?

For me, my wife and I both grew up in families whose father's traveled, so the traveling aspect or long hours away from home has been kind of normal for us. One thing I would say is when you are home try to make it a priority to be present with your family and not just be at home. Do fun things together as a family and build memories in the time you're at home. The work will always be there waiting for you when you get back.

What’s your career path look like (past, present, and future plans)?

So I've kind of already talked about the past a little bit, but as far as for the future, I just plan on continuing to chase storms full-time and just see what type of relationships I can build with that. I do plan on documenting my journey with storm chasing more and posting that on my social media because I've had a ton of guys reach out and ask how I do it. So I'd like to be able to pass along my advice and experiences along the way to hopefully help others. I also like to do investing on my own time with real estate and stocks so that will probably take up some of my free time at home as I build that out into the future.

we’re opening the floor to the folks who do the work

⚡ Features of real workers in the trade 
⚡ Craft features 

⚡ Tips for the trade

Just real experiences, real lessons learned, and real advice from people who do this work every day.

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We're High Voltage Industries

High Voltage Industries started because the most dangerous and essential work in America is also the most invisible. You put your lives on the line every single day and people don't even know what you do. 

 

We're here to share your stories and honor the sacrifices you make so people can flip a switch every day. And we make gear for those who literally risk their lives to keep the world running.

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Working in conditions others won't face, taking risks others can’t even imagine, solving problems others can't understand, carrying responsibility others can't handle. The grid doesn't maintain itself.

 

We're telling that story.