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Steve's Journal: The Saga Continues....

NurseDave said:
Do you get to load cars in the crusher with a magnet anything?
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Haha no just on to trucks for transport. The overflow yard in Philly is right next to a recycler though, so sometimes I get watch them do that.
MilkCrate said:
Steve, with 2 minute load times, you should knock that puck out pretty quick.
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That’s the plan haha!
TobyC said:
Only new cars I hope,... save the vintage!!! '71 and earlier should be protected by law!
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We don’t get many vintage rides. A few years ago we did get a ‘70 Chevelle SS. The insurance company totaled it over a dime size ding in the passenger door. Apparently between the cost of a new door skin and the custom paint job (couldn’t be blended and they would have needed to repaint the entire car) they decided to total it. I think it ended up going for 20k at our auction. I may or may not have taken a few spins around the yard in it before it left...
 
Shave Time!

Razor: RR GC .84p
Blade: Wilkinson Sword (7)
Brush: Stirling Boar
Soap: Bootlegger Willie (6)
AS: Clubman Whiskey Woods

Still trucking on with Bootlegger Willie. It’s getting better by blooming the puck and using the boar, but it ain’t great.

The Wilkinson Sword continues to slay the beard efficiently and comfortably.

Willie World:
More snow on the way?!? Can’t a guy catch a break?

In Other News...
Work has been a nightmare this week. And it looks like the week has been extended to Saturday. I cant wait for the day I have a fully staffed branch for more than a week at a time.
 
Shave Time!

Razor: RR GC .84p
Blade: Wilkinson Sword (8)
Brush: Stirling Boar
Soap: Bootlegger Willie (7)
AS: Skin Bracer

Finally starting to get a decent lather from this soap. Not the best, but much better than it has been. I’m not sure what I did different today, whatever it was it wasn’t intentional. I’ve also noticed the slightest hole forming in the center of the soap. Probably from me loading for excessive amounts of time!

The Wilkinson Sword continues to impress. No signs of slowing down yet.

I know I’ve skipped some shaves this month, but I still plan on going the distance with both blade and soap even if it takes me past February.

Willie World:
Freezing rain was not on his agenda for the day. At least he gets to snooze on the couch all day though.

In Other News...
We had a yard employee quit on Thursday so we are yet again short handed. The other guys have really stepped up though so hopefully there won’t be any issues and we can fill his spot soon.

I was back over at the Philly yard on Thursday and took this pic for @NurseDave :
D872CE1D-9D92-44DB-8BBB-053F15F979FD.jpeg
3 magnet movers amongst a giant pile of scrap metal.
I also found another kitty stalking the yard. He wasn’t as friendly though and ran before I could get a good pic.

D0E70560-EE5E-49C8-A422-8FF841571BC9.jpeg
 
Maryland998 said:
So what’s the gist of your operation there SCF? You start out with? And end up with? If you have already answered this previously I’m unawares. TIA.
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We’re a nationwide salvage auction. We auction off cars for insurance companies, donation companies, and vehicle purchasing companies. Our biggest providers are the insurance companies. So when an insurance company decides that a car is totaled, they have us pick it up (usually from a body shop) and we then store them until we receive the title in the insurance company’s name. For most of our providers we actually do the title processing and deal with the DMV during the process.

Once the title is received we then place the cars in our auction. Last March we transitioned to a completely digital auction online, but before that we had real deal auctioneers come out to auction them off.

Most of our buyers are either rebuilders (think buy here/pay here lots), scrappers (my particular branch uses the biggest metal recycler on the east coast as our minimum bid scrapper), and exporters. NJ doesn’t allow the public to buy from salvage auctions, but some states do so they are also part of our buyer base in certain parts of the country.

The picture posted above is our neighbor at the overflow yard I’ve been working at in Northeast Philly. They’re obviously a recycler lol

I actually worked my way up from the very bottom with this company. I started driving a tow truck for our branch’s contracted tower at the time, then got hired as a yard attendant with the company. From there I became certified to operator the wheel loader which is what we use to move the cars. After Superstorm Sandy, there was a big need for help in the office and my manager at the time asked if I wanted to help out by answering phones. Overtime I learned our computer system, and began helping customers coming in to pay for vehicles and pick them up. Then, I was asked to become our title clerk so I started processing all of the title paperwork for our branch. Last year I was promoted to assistant branch manager and about 9 months later branch manager. I’m one of the few branch managers that knows all of the processes in the branch both in the yard and the office.
 
SteveChuckFrank said:
I actually worked my way up from the very bottom with this company. I started driving a tow truck for our branch’s contracted tower at the time, then got hired as a yard attendant with the company. From there I became certified to operator the wheel loader which is what we use to move the cars. After Superstorm Sandy, there was a big need for help in the office and my manager at the time asked if I wanted to help out by answering phones. Overtime I learned our computer system, and began helping customers coming in to pay for vehicles and pick them up. Then, I was asked to become our title clerk so I started processing all of the title paperwork for our branch. Last year I was promoted to assistant branch manager and about 9 months later branch manager. I’m one of the few branch managers that knows all of the processes in the branch both in the yard and the office.
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That really is the best way to advance. The people that I've worked for that I respect the most are the ones that understand at least the majority of the processes involved in what we do, or are at least willing to learn the basics. There is nothing worse than someone telling you that you need to be able to finish a set up more quickly and have them stare at you blankly while you attempt to explain everything it took to get it done, then snap back to reality long enough to say something like "just get it done faster next time" lol.
 
Smattayu said:
That really is the best way to advance. The people that I've worked for that I respect the most are the ones that understand at least the majority of the processes involved in what we do, or are at least willing to learn the basics. There is nothing worse than someone telling you that you need to be able to finish a set up more quickly and have them stare at you blankly while you attempt to explain everything it took to get it done, then snap back to reality long enough to say something like "just get it done faster next time" lol.
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I deal with it everyday. Our Check In process for every car includes taking photos. Now that our auction is 100% online, those photos are obviously extremely important for our buyers. In the last year alone they’ve added 2 still shots and 3 videos to the process, but haven’t factored that in to the average time it should take one person to check a vehicle in. The people implementing these processes aren’t actually doing it so they have no idea.

My boss used to be a branch manager so he gets it, and always goes to bat for us. It drives him nuts when someone from corporate starts asking why a branch is behind after getting 10” of snow, or having 3 employees out on medical leave.
 
Shave Time!

Razor: RR GC .84p
Blade: Wilkinson Sword (9)
Brush: Stirling Boar
Soap: Bootlegger Willie (8)
AS: Clubman Whiskey Woods

2 good lathers in a row with this stuff? That has to mean something bad is about to happen! I think a contributing factor to the improvement is a lack of aftershave remaining in the soap. There's almost no lingering scent of the Whiskey Woods at this point. Could be that or it could just be me. Who knows. Either way the soap doesn't suck quite as much anymore, so that's a good thing.

No issues with the Wilkinson Sword. I tried to actually figure out which version of the blade I'm using, but I'm having a hard time finding info online.

Willie World:
2 lazy days on the couch. He couldn't ask for a better weekend!

In Other News...
My step son is back at Penn State as of yesterday. They shortened the semester again, so he won't be gone for quite as long as what would be normal. He was still excited to get back though. Looks like I have a few months of being able to sit and read at night without hearing explosions from Call Of Duty coming through the wall!
 
woodpusher said:
Do you remember whether it was in a wrapper with blue ink or black ink printing?
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It was black print and only said Wilkinson Sword. It didn't include Gillette like the blue print ones I also have. I don't know what the original packaging of the tuck looked like though, as I received both variations loose.
 
It's my understanding that the black printed labels are German and the blue printed ones are Indian, but I could be wrong. 🤷‍♂️

Here's something I found online...
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Smattayu said:
That really is the best way to advance. The people that I've worked for that I respect the most are the ones that understand at least the majority of the processes involved in what we do, or are at least willing to learn the basics. There is nothing worse than someone telling you that you need to be able to finish a set up more quickly and have them stare at you blankly while you attempt to explain everything it took to get it done, then snap back to reality long enough to say something like "just get it done faster next time" lol.
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I always try to use my "180" method of debating someone like that. Example. Bob the boss says "We are getting behind schedule too often. You need to get these jobs set up and completed more quickly" My response would be. "I am doing my best Bob. What would you do differently than I am ,to accomplish the jobs faster?
If he has no specific ideas. Then it's a draw. Every process/operation is a balance of speed/efficiency and quality/accuracy. Tell Bob pick your poison. My $.02
 
Maryland998 said:
I always try to use my "180" method of debating someone like that. Example. Bob the boss says "We are getting behind schedule too often. You need to get these jobs set up and completed more quickly" My response would be. "I am doing my best Bob. What would you do differently than I am ,to accomplish the jobs faster?
If he has no specific ideas. Then it's a draw. Every process/operation is a balance of speed/efficiency and quality/accuracy. Tell Bob pick your poison. My $.02
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Haha my argument every time. Well...my boss’s argument. Like I said, he gets it so he tries his best to take the heat before we get burnt!
 
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