Tameka is a cable puller, which means she works with underground cable to make sure your home has power. When a cable has reached the end of its life, Tameka is responsible for removing the old cable and installing a new one. It’s challenging work that requires someone who doesn’t mind working in a tight, confined space, which Tameka handles just fine. Cable pullers are dedicated to serving their customers, working from eight-hour to 24-hour shifts, in all weather conditions, as long as they can safely do so.
Making an Impact
Tameka started her journey at DTE by assisting customers from a call center. While she enjoyed helping the community in that role, she wanted to get out into the field which inspired her career transition. As a cable puller, she has a direct influence over restoring a community’s power. If an underground cable caused a power outage, she would work with a team to repair the issue.
Biggest Misconception
Tameka says that people assume cable pullers work in sewers. However, the only underground work they perform is in electrical manholes. These manholes are confined spaces that can go down 100 feet below ground, but they are not connected to a sewage system. They are also kept clean and are free of rats, unlike sewers.
Day In The Life
Tameka starts her day at 5:30 a.m. and takes her daughter Ayanna to school. She reports to her assigned service center at 7:30 a.m. where she goes over safety standards and meets with her supervisor to hear where the day will take her. By 8:30 a.m., she is traveling to a job site.
Cable pullers service all DTE powered communities in Michigan. Tameka enjoys that her “office” can vary from a bustling street in Detroit to a quiet neighborhood in Port Huron, depending on the electrical needs of our customers. She finishes work in the late afternoon unless there is a prolonged job that requires her attention. In which case, she could be working until 6 a.m. the next morning. When Tameka’s not providing customers with safe and reliable electricity, she enjoys rollerblading with her daughter, volunteering as a Girl Scout leader and spending time with family.
