Crew Didn’t Show Up? A Site Manager’s 7am Playbook
- Mateusz Claude
It’s 6:50am. The concrete is booked, the crane is on hire from 7, and the labour crew you organised last week isn’t answering the phone. Every hour from here costs real money. This is the playbook for getting the day back.
Step 1: Set a 15-minute deadline on the no-show
Ring the crew’s supervisor once, text once, and give it 15 minutes. No answer means you’re now resourcing the day yourself. Don’t spend the morning redialling; the concrete doesn’t care.
Step 2: Work out the minimum crew to save the day
You don’t need to replace the full crew by 9am. You need the critical path covered. A pour needs a set number of hands, a crane needs a dogman, a hoist needs a driver. Write down the roles and tickets that are actually blocking work, and the ones that can slide to tomorrow.
Step 3: Call a labour hire company that answers the phone
This is the whole game. At 7am, a company that answers is worth more than a company that’s $2 an hour cheaper. Have four things ready when you call: the roles and tickets you need, how many workers, your site address and induction requirements, and the realistic start window. We answer 96.6% of calls and same-day starts are routine for general and skilled labour if you ring before mid-morning.
Step 4: Compress the induction
While workers are travelling, get the induction ready to run the moment they arrive. Site-specific induction, SWMS sign-on, and a leading hand assigned to point them at the work. An hour saved here is an hour of crane time back.
Step 5: Resequence, don’t cancel
If the replacement crew lands at 10am, move the low-labour tasks to the morning and push the labour-heavy work back. Cancelling the pour or the crane usually costs more than three hours of resequencing.
Step 6: Fix the cause this week, not next time it happens
Crews no-show for predictable reasons: they were double-booked, they were poached mid-job, or the provider had no bench to backfill sickness. Ask your provider what their backfill actually is. If the answer is a shrug, line up a second supplier before you need one. It costs nothing to be in our system with your inductions noted before the bad morning happens.
Frequently asked questions
How fast can replacement workers realistically be on site?
In metro Sydney, general and skilled labourers can often start the same morning if you call early. Ticketed operators and specialist crews are usually next day, sometimes same day depending on availability.
Is there a premium for same-day labour?
Usually a modest one, and it’s a fraction of what a stopped crane or a cancelled pour costs. We’ll give you the exact loaded rate on the call.
Can you supply a dogman or hoist driver at short notice?
Yes, subject to availability. Crane crews and hoist drivers are two of our most common emergency requests.
Reading this at 7am with a problem? Call 02 8015 6150 now. Tell us the roles and the site, and we’ll tell you what we can land today.