# How do you keep track of your Subs time



## Eyesell (Nov 7, 2003)

Just wondering what method you guys are using for keeping track of your subs time, we have 3 shovelers this year and 2 subs using their own trucks. My questions is my partner and I have sheets that we fill out, ( conditions, time on job etc. ) and this is used at the end of the month for billing, but we're trying to come up with a sheet to keep track of the individual subs as they all don't work the same amount of time and are paid by the hour.

Need your


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## DCSpecial (Nov 16, 2008)

I don't have subs working for me...but I do some sub work for my neighbor.

I call him when I finish my work and he tells me where to go, call him at the end of every job to see where to go next (varies based on how he and his employees are going) and he sometimes ends up where I end up as we do a very large church with 4 separate lots and long drives, etc..

I keep track of my hours in a 3x5 notebook I keep in my truck. Start and stop time for each job. He trusts me, but he could always make a note of the times at which I call him as well. Along with the fact that he knows how long it takes him to plow these lots.
Then I just email him my detailed hours and keep a record myself as well.


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## Superior L & L (Oct 6, 2006)

E mail after the storm seam right to me


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## QuadPlower (Jan 4, 2007)

You have to trust them to keep track of their own hours. If they don't keep track, they don't get paid.

If you don't, I would have them call when they start and when they stop. Not for each job, but for the whole storm. If you think something is up, then you drive around and find them and wait for their call.

Are your customers billed hourly based on how long your subs are plowing? If so, I would diffantly have them call me when they got there and when they left. My phone as a time stamp so when I was done, I would write down what it said.


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## KGRlandscapeing (May 2, 2007)

I just fill out a sheet and fax it depending on the storm if i am busy then its not till after if there short storms then daily. That way everybody has hard copys. Remember there subs not employees with there own trucks. So you should treat them like grown ups. Well the ones who act like grown ups


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## Eyesell (Nov 7, 2003)

Our subs are paid by the hour...


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## PerfiCut Inc. (Jan 31, 2008)

online time sheets submission.

We require all of our sub contractors to complete a Site Service Sheet, then at the end of the storm they submit those sheets via fax, or they can transfer the info to our online form.

Eitherway, we keep them sorted by contractor, and total the hours/materials. Works great for us.


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## DJ Contracting (Dec 16, 2003)

I have a two part booklet that I have printed up at a local print shop it has location, start/time, end/time, name for sub, hours and a line for me to sign. They do not get paid if i don't receive the top white copy. they work by the hour however this helps me keep track of how long it takes them and compare it to when i did them to see if somebody is milking money out of me. You could use any two part booklet (like sales books at Wal-Mart 2.88 per book), This works very well for me.


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## metallihockey88 (Dec 12, 2008)

im also a sub and dont have my own business but for us, we just call when we start and finish each job and when you call after you finish you are givin your next assignment and call when you finish that and so on til he tells you your done. i keep a little log in my truck of the times i call him and how long im out from the first call to the last to cover myself incase theres a screw up or something. He runs a good amount of guys so guessin this system must work pretty well, seems simple enough. And he cruises around the whole time throughout the night checkin out each job makin sure stuff looks good and nothing fishy is goin on.


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## TPC Services (Dec 15, 2005)

We make a up a time sheet log with all are accounts and address so if I have to call one of are subs off a project or call them asking them to go do some clean-up or calls looking for more work he knows where he needs to go and a book of what the property looks like and any valuable info on where to put piles, then they have 36hrs to Fax, Drop off, or email their time sheets back in if not back in by the 36hrs then no pay!!! We have a lot of larger accounts that pay out as soon as we get are bills in to them so that helps us pay out to are subs a lot quicker so if they are draggin their own rears gettin them in there not holding up are other subs from getting paid!!

the guys that work for me may feel like i can be a a&* at times ( but they still like workin for me (LOL)


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

DCSpecial;679308 said:


> I don't have subs working for me...but I do some sub work for my neighbor.
> 
> I call him when I finish my work and he tells me where to go, call him at the end of every job to see where to go next (varies based on how he and his employees are going) and he sometimes ends up where I end up as we do a very large church with 4 separate lots and long drives, etc..
> 
> ...


This is the best way to do it and mark my words he's checked your hours and once he feels he can trust you then he only does it once in a while. Not saying you would lie but many people in your position like to manipulate numbers. The note book is the best way to track hours and you have an easy reference back to check on anything for any reason.


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## LHK2 (Jan 22, 2007)

What we do is after we sign a sub on, we go to there place at night and wire there truck for gps, unkown to them so we can track them.


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## DCSpecial (Nov 16, 2008)

JD Dave;700362 said:


> This is the best way to do it and mark my words he's checked your hours and once he feels he can trust you then he only does it once in a while. Not saying you would lie but many people in your position like to manipulate numbers. The note book is the best way to track hours and you have an easy reference back to check on anything for any reason.


Yep, he's got a big sheet/chart with all his accounts that he keeps with him.....I think he writes down my phone call time on his sheet for the place. I'm guessing he uses the sheet for billing and also in case any of the accounts call he can tell them what time it was plowed.



LHK2;700453 said:


> What we do is after we sign a sub on, we go to there place at night and wire there truck for gps, unkown to them so we can track them.


LOL, that wouldn't work for me as my truck is always parked indoors....unless someone followed me around and waited for me to stop somewhere and leave my truck in a parking lot.


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## KGRlandscapeing (May 2, 2007)

LHK2;700453 said:


> What we do is after we sign a sub on, we go to there place at night and wire there truck for gps, unkown to them so we can track them.


then i guess ull be the first to know when i set my truck on fire when i get upset one night


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## CityGuy (Dec 19, 2008)

I use the same sheets that the other guys that work directly for the company do. I also stay incontact via the phone with the "boss". Every 3-4 accounts I or he calls me and get's "in/start" times and "out/end" times. I also bill using quickbooks and turn in the time sheet to him after I make a copy so that if there is a question I have somethig to go by. No time sheet no pay for me.


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## snowman55 (Nov 20, 2007)

little92;700141 said:


> We make a up a time sheet log with all "are" accounts and address so if I have to call one of "are" subs off a project or call them asking them to go do some clean-up or calls looking for more work he knows where he needs to go and a book of what the property looks like and any valuable info on where to put piles, then they have 36hrs to Fax, Drop off, or email their time sheets back in if not back in by the 36hrs then no pay!!! We have a lot of larger accounts that pay out as soon as we get "are" bills in to them so that helps us pay out to "are"subs a lot quicker so if they are draggin their own rears gettin them in there not holding up "are" other subs from getting paid!!
> 
> Are me mate's


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## scottL (Dec 7, 2002)

With out high tech GPS implants surgically implanted into each person back side .... You have to balance trust and expectation.

First off each driver has a time log which indicates the time on and ending each property, what they did there and any comments. This log must be faxed in with in 12hours of the completion of the event. This log is necessary for records, billing and general account knowledge.

You need to set expectations up front on how long a lot should take. For instance, a quick hit to open a lot needs to be clearly explained and noted that they should only spend x amount of time there. You of course need to have an idea of their ability and equipment.

If you have no clue how long a lot takes, then you have no idea if your being screwed by the sub and you probably didn't bid the lot properly either. 

For some gigs I tell the shovelers you are guaranteed x amount of time for each location, even if you finish sooner. For plowers who are more than 25% slower than a given average I review them and maybe help teach and watch over. However, those who blow by the 50% above average or in some cases 300% above average .... They are then milking the corporate nipple. Bottom line is you have to figure what these measurements are. 

If nothing else plowers must know how to budget time, expectations, skills, budget, safety, storm efforts, etc.


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## Pristine PM ltd (Oct 15, 2005)

We don't have any subs by the hour. We have 4 people we sub properties to. They know what their income will be give or take diesel, and there is no trust issue.

They do well if it doesn't snow alot, and get by with a month like december. Yes, we could make more by doing by the hour if it didn't snow alot, but there is also the risk that we might lose that month if it did snow alot.


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## LHK2 (Jan 22, 2007)

KGRlandscapeing;700474 said:


> then i guess ull be the first to know when i set my truck on fire when i get upset one night


Thats what the dash is for. Don't hit the radio, mine doesn't have any lights and the cd won't work becuase it got punched, then I found how much to replace it. ouch!


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## Eyesell (Nov 7, 2003)

We've been fortunate to this point, since I started this thread that is. There are four of us and each brings a shoveler along so we've been able to keep track.

Going forward however, we're going to start sending them on there own, this is when the reporting will need to commence.

Regards


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## KAG (Jul 19, 2007)

*Different method*

Do not have subs for snow plowing but during the warm months each of my trucks has its own phone and we can track each phone via internet/map. Really helped clear up some strange billing issues. Costs about $5 a month.


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## LHK2 (Jan 22, 2007)

wwwhhhtttee


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## Deckscapes (Oct 24, 2006)

We ask all of our subs to keep track of their own time sheets and send overall tracking to us via email along with their respective billing.
We keep constant communication throughout each snowfall and I record everything on a digital voice recorder. It makes it easier to log not only each subcontractor, we can record times, snowfall amounts, current weather conditions, special circumstances, etc.
We do our time logs before billing on the computer after each snowfall, listening to the voice recorder and transferring all information in a professional format. On more than 1 occasion, I have needed to refer back to these logs to professionally answer questions from clients about billing and have the ability to send these time logs if so desired. 
While I have friends in the snow business whom have had hard times collecting on billing because they do not keep detailed logs, we (knock on wood) have never had a problem...


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