4 min read

End-of-the-Year Gift Ideas for Your Utility Team

An end-of-the-year gift can be a simple way to thank your team for their service over the past 365 days. Showing appreciation can instill loyalty and enthusiasm. Sometimes it really is the thought that counts. However, you should think about what you are going to hand out. Even if you do not know your team that well personally, you can still choose presents that show you care.

What are some great gifts you can give? Should you give thoughtful gifts or practical ones?

This article offers some end-of-the-year gift ideas for your utility team to help inspire you.

Gift Cards

Of all the possible gift ideas, gift cards are probably the most commonly given. Why?

Gift cards let people buy whatever they want. You do not have to find out what a person likes. You do not have to figure out what to buy. You can conveniently purchase gift cards that can be used at nearly every store and restaurant. Some gift cards can act as credit or debit cards that can be used in multiple places. Although gift cards might seem impersonal, they do have a universal appeal for every occasion.

Food and Beverages

Unless you do not know if any of your team is allergic to a particular ingredient, food and beverages can be a satisfying idea. Cookies, coffee, and teas are popular items. If you know what your team likes, then you can simply buy what they want.

Coffee Mugs

People have to put their coffee somewhere. Even if they do not like coffee, mugs and cups can be used to hold other beverages, office supplies, and candy. Mugs are multi-purpose gifts that anyone can find a use for.

Waterproof Notepads and Pens

If your utility team constantly works outdoors, then giving them a tool to help them do their job can be the perfect show of appreciation. They can jot down important notes in any climate and expect to read them later. Waterproof notepads and pens can even be used by team members who do not work outside. Accident-prone office staff can spill their coffee or water on their notes and not lose one letter.

Sanitizer Kits

Thanks to the COVID-19 public health emergency, hygiene is on many people's minds. A sanitizer kit containing hand sanitizer, gloves, and surface wipes can prove useful for team members out in the field who can not find a sink to wash their hands. Anyone in any work setting can use a sanitizer kit.

Gift Baskets

Why pick just one gift to give when you can give several smaller ones? Gift baskets can be full of wrapped surprises or not. You can fill them with fruits, snacks, and whatever else you can imagine. You can even fill them with the items already mentioned in this article.

The Gift of Experience and Expertise

One of the best utility industry gifts does not involve a bottle of wine or any team-building activities. Outsourcing utility pole transportation to ensure projects are completed on time can be one of the most wanted gifts on any utility manager's list. Blackwood Resources strives to ease all of the frustration that goes into overlength hauling and unloading. You do not have to be overwhelmed by the calculations and logistics that go into utility pole deliveries. You do not have to worry about dealing with a hauling company that will only take your freight to the job site but not unloads it. Our gift to you is our experience, services, equipment, and dedication.

Our Experience

We know how perilous utility pole hauling can be. A company can have the best equipment to transport oversize freight but without the right people, things can quickly go wrong.

We have recruited a team of drivers who have demonstrated extraordinary histories of competency and safety. Our drivers perform loading, driving, and unloading operations with safety at the forefront of their minds.

Our Services

Hauling and unloading utility poles are just two responsibilities you can give us. We take care of each step of the grueling process. We can obtain any necessary permits required for the delivery, which can save you time and money. You do not have to stress over renting equipment and hiring more workers.

What else can we do for you?

We can:

Transport wood, steel, and concrete utility poles

We can haul materials up to 90 feet long for utility providers throughout the United States. Our operators can use boom-equipped tractors to load and unload materials wherever you want them.

Unload rail cars

Our operators can use the same equipment on their trucks to unload rail cars. They can also manage overweight rail cars, load shifts, and readjustments.

Offer relocation services

We can relocate materials to and from temporary contractor-yard set-ups and non-permanent distribution centers. Additionally, we provide bin-block transportation services and set up for new and existing yards.

Respond to storms and other emergencies

Severe weather events and other emergencies can take down utility infrastructures. Utility providers must act as soon as they can to restore services. Our roadside transport, clean-up, and staging services can be important components during these stressful times.

Our Equipment

Our fleet of self-unloading trucks can generate transportation efficiencies and lower costs for you. Our specialized trucks have attached grapples that allow our drivers to load and unload wood, steel, and concrete poles. Loading and unloading poles via this method can be easier than using a utility team that has to get close to heavy and dangerous freight. One of our drivers is all it takes to deliver what you need.

In addition, we recently obtained a property that we can haul poles out of that has an attached rail spur. We can now receive rail cars at the yard and unload from there. From rail cars to your work location, we can confidently and quickly move your overlength items.

Our Dedication

You might come across hauling companies that either act as brokers to those that do the heavy lifting or simply pick up freight but do not unload it. You can rely on us to complete the job per your expectations.

We own the equipment our drivers use. We hire our drivers. We are accountable for everything we do. As such, you can expect clear communication, consistent service, and a guaranteed hauling capacity. We take our reputation seriously. We want to be the only company you think of when you need a utility pole-hauling solution.