Austin Carr, a lineworker for Lakeland Electric, said he has access to some of the best training programs available. He quickly discovered, however, that others in the line trade are not as fortunate. To share his knowledge and experiences with other lineworkers, he started posting videos on TikTok and became "America's Favorite Lineman." He has published hundreds of episodes so far and enjoys teaching others about best practices in the line trade on TikTok, where he has more than 115,000 followers and 1.8 million likes.

During this Line Life Podcast episode, he talks about staying safe and hydrated in hot and humid conditions in Florida, dealing with water snakes and alligators and being on call 24/7. He also shares how he balances his work and family life as a married dad of two young daughters. He gave a shout-out to his wife and other line wives for all they do to support lineworkers on the line. For more information about Austin and to view his training videos, subscribe to his TikTok channel or follow him on Instagram or Facebook.

If you know of a lineworker we should put in the spotlight, please email Amy Fischbach, Head of Content for T&D World and host of the Line Life Podcast. Thanks for listening!

As lineworkers and pilots work "inside the wires" from helicopters, drones could soon be a part of this shielded airspace. Mike Starner of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and Heather Moran of Level Ascent Solutions explored the Federal Aviation Administration's proposed rules regulating the use of drones.

This audio story, authored by Mike Starner of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and Heather Moran of Level Ascent Solutions, was featured in the January 2026 issue of T&D World magazine. Their story highlights safety concerns around rights-of-way and the need for rapid communication and coordination. It also shares how technologies can help if implemented with input from pilots, drone operators and utility safety professionals.

Listeners will hear why preserving human judgment and teamwork is essential as drone inspections and Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations expand. It will also focus on why collaboration, standardized protocols and training are critical to safely modernize inspections above the power line. For more information, read the article on the T&D World website.

Join us for a roundup from the IEEE PES T&D 2026 conference in Chicago, featuring interviews with exhibitors about the rise of 765 kV transmission, the looming matting shortage for large build-outs and the growing power demand from data centers. Vendors and technology providers discuss solutions for improving grid reliability and resilience.

Hear conversations with Hubbell, Shemar, Sterling Site Access Solutions, Smart Power and Ayr Energy about local manufacturing, automated mat production, power-flow technologies and upcoming projects representing gigawatts of new capacity.

For more coverage and videos, visit www.tdworld.com and tune into our sister podcast, T&D World Live. You can also listen to our latest episode in our ICYMI series, "Powering Reliability: Inside the 2026 IEEE PES T&D Show" on Podbean or in your favorite podcasting app. Thanks for listening!