In this special episode celebrating the 2026 National Lineman Appreciation Day, Line Life Podcast Host Amy Fischbach shares favorite clips from past podcast interviews featuring lineworkers recounting why they joined the trade, unforgettable storms and the camaraderie that keeps the lights on.

Listeners will hear voices from across the industry — from apprentices to veterans — with stories of resilience, community response to disasters and the personal sacrifices line workers make to restore power.

If you have stories to share from the 2026 National Lineman Appreciation Day or would like to be a guest on a future episode of the Line Life Podcast, email Amy Fischbach, Head of Content for T&D World.

For more than four decades, the International Lineman's Rodeo has brought the line trade together for camaraderie and competition. Last October, the Rodeo Week drew a record crowd of more than 5,000 attendees. Apprentices and journeymen lineworkers competed in the Pole Climb, Hurtman Rescue and mystery events that showcased safety, skill, tradition and teamwork.

This Line Life Podcast episode revisits top winners, memorable moments and special events ahead of the 2026 competition. Read the full article from the December 2025 issue and check out more coverage on the T&D World website.

You can also learn more about the 2026 International Lineman's Rodeo, slated for Oct. 14-17, 2026, in Kansas City, by subscribing to our Lineman Life or Lineman's Rodeo News enewsletters or by visiting the International Lineman's Rodeo Association (ILRA) website.

Because lineworkers are heroes and first responders, they have been celebrated in songs, books and movies. For this episode of the T&D World Line Life Podcast, we are featuring an interview with William Wister Haines, Jr., the son of the author of Slim and the companion book, High Tension.

During this episode, William shares the story of how his father's book, inspired by his work in the line trade, became not only a national bestseller, but also a Hollywood movie starring Henry Fonda. Years later, he continued his father's legacy by bringing both books back into print. He now personally inscribes and ships copies to training programs and lineworkers nationwide. To order a copy of the books, go to his website.