Forums

You should always drive your own auto as you will pay your own expense.Ask the person you are working for the important questions, before you deploy, fee per file is the usual pay mode. Ask them the email fax the fee bill to you, the contract, payday, most vendors do not furnish WC and you must be very careful. About 60-70 % of the vendors pay you a percentage of the fee bill when THEY get the invoice paid by the company. Many of the larger vendors pay twice a month on "turned in, passable and billed files by the cut off date". Many of the large vendors will download some tools when you arrive at the storm site and answer the questions you will have. All vendors expect files to turned in each day, seven days a week. They will usally not give you more than 50 until they see you are qualified and your turn around time. Must have a cell phone, must contact all the files assigned to you in 24 hours(sometime impossible but do the best you can.Try to find a room by the week or month, better yet a small kitchen. Remember you will be out several thousand before you see your first invoice paid. Look me up if you need some other advise by phone.

The fat max lazer is very accurate and cost $100. at Home depot. You still need a 30 foot wide blade Stanly tape also.

Cynthia,

Trying to answer your questions as succintly as possible:

1.)  Usually you report to the vendor supervisor or lead adjuster.  There may be occasional jobs where you work out of the carrier's office and report directly to them.

 2.)  I always drove to the jobsite with my van loaded with enough equipment, clothing, etc., to last six months.  On two occasions where they wanted me on site 1000 to 2500 miles away by the next day, I flew and rented a car.  That means taking the laptop and buying everything else once you get there.  Make sure you log your mileage from your home because you are unlikely to be reimbursed for that expense and will want to write it off on your taxes.

3.)  Though there are accurate nifty measuring devices out there that will run you $100 to $5,000.00, you should never be without the tape measure for something the measuring device won't measure.  I recommend the Stanley Fat Max laser measuring device to start.  It's $100 or less and will accurately measure interior spaces between 18 inches and one hundred feet to within one one hundred of an inch.  It's not much good, though, for exterior or roof measurements.