Page 9 - TN811 2022 issue 4

Frequently Asked Questions
How Far Out Can I Request a Locate?
By Kathy Quartermaine, Public Awareness Coordinator Tennessee811
When placing a normal locate request, Tennessee state law requires a minimum of three working days’ notice, but not more than ten working days’ notice. While this isn’t new, many callers don’t realize that they can specify a start date that is more than three days out. Just to review, working days are defined as every day except Saturday, Sunday, and national and legal state holidays. A working day starts at the time the ticket is processed.
During May, June and July TN 811 conducted a pilot program where select experienced agents asked callers when their work would be starting instead of defaulting to the usual three working days. The feedback we received was very positive from both callers and utilities.
Due to the success of the pilot program, in late August all agents started informing callers that state law requires a minimum of three working days but no more than ten working days’ notice of your intent to dig. With that information in mind, they then ask all callers when they plan to begin their project. This gives all callers the ability, using the 3-10 working day window, of choosing a date that works best for them.
With the high volume of work going on across Tennessee, we hope that by offering callers the choice of a start date further out than three working days, when possible, it may allow locators more time to get the job complete and thereby give excavators better confidence to rely on their markings being on time and thus reduce 2nd notice tickets.
Callers do not have to post-date tickets – you can still go with the three working days’ notice if you choose that option. We just want everyone to be aware that they do have the option of post-dating tickets up to ten working days out, and to understand the overall benefit to the 811 system.
2022, Issue 4 Tennessee811 • 7