Frontline Series - “If I Knew I Was Power Washing Plows Today…”

“If I Knew I Was Power Washing Plows Today…”

What It Really Feels Like When the Frontline Gets Left Out of the Plan

By Dave Fairburn, Co-Founder of CrewHero and North Point Outdoors

Owners and managers usually know what’s going on before they leave the house.

I know I do.

My team leads usually do, too.

We’ve seen the schedule. We’ve checked the weather. We’ve planned.

But for the frontline?

They get in their car with an assumption, and a little hope.

They’re guessing what the day will bring.

And when that guess is wrong, and no one told them otherwise they feel it. Hard.

6:05 AM — A Guess and a Good Pair of Boots

You’re a solid team member. You show up. You care. You’re ready to work.

Today, you think you’re heading to a paver install, maybe that backyard project in Amherst.

So you dress for it.

The forecast says the rain won’t come until late.

You leave the rain gear at home.

You lace up your brand-new Brunt boots, the ones you waited four weeks for.

You’re excited to break them in.

As you pass the road that leads back to your garage, you glance over, that’s where your muck boots and rain shell live.

But you don’t stop. You think, “No need today.”

6:45 AM — Chaos in the Yard

You pull into the shop.

It’s a scene, people standing around, waiting, glancing at the board.

Nobody seems to know what’s going on.

The crew leader you thought you were riding with? Already loaded into another truck.

The job you assumed you had? Gone.

Then someone calls your name.

“Hey — you’re with Jason today. He’s pressure washing the plows and sanders. Grab the power washer and get going.”

You pause.

Salt. Slush. Sand. Ice melt caked from last winter.

Soaked socks by 8:30 a.m. Guaranteed.

And you think:

“If I knew that, I would’ve grabbed my muck boots. They’re literally sitting in the garage.”

But now it’s too late.

You’re about to destroy the nicest pair of boots you’ve ever owned, before they’ve even been broken in.

You don’t say anything. But you’re pissed.

It feels like no one gave a damn about your time, your gear, or your dignity.

And It Happens Every Day

This isn’t about one crew member.

This isn’t an isolated story.

This is happening every single day on growing crews across the country.

• “Am I going where I think I’m going?”

• “Am I dressed for the right job?”

• “Why didn’t anyone tell me this changed?”

They’re guessing. Every morning.

And when that guess is wrong, it creates resentment before the day even begins.

What That Moment Really Means

It’s not about boots.

It’s not about pressure washers.

It’s about respect.

Respecting your team’s time.

Respecting their ability to prepare.

Respecting the fact that they’re showing up ready to work, and they deserve the same effort in return.

This kind of frustration? It’s not “just part of the job.”

It’s a systems failure.

And every time we let it happen, we chip away at culture, morale, and retention — one ruined boot at a time.

CrewHero Fixed It

Now that same crew member?

He wakes up, opens the CrewHero app before breakfast, and sees:

• Assignment: Pressure washing

• Location: Yard

• Crew: Jason

• Weather: Light rain

• Note: “Plows & sanders are still caked — bring the good sprayer.”

He grabs his muck boots.

Grabs the rain shell.

Leaves the Brunts on the shelf.

No surprises.

No wasted time.

No resentment.

Just alignment.

Final Thought

I’ve spent the last 15 years building crews and trying to make the workday better for the people who actually get it done.

But the more we grew, the easier it became to lose track of how it feels to be left out of the loop.

CrewHero doesn’t just streamline operations.

It gives the frontline a fair shot at a good day — before they even leave their driveway.

Because when your team knows the plan, they don’t just show up.

They show up ready.

They trust the system.

They trust you.

That’s not just logistics.

That’s leadership.

Let your team win the morning.

— Dave