need some hardcore advice.

[jordang900L]

i have somewhat of a dilemma. i just got hired 2 weeks ago, working for a company hauling equipment and oil in a straight truck occasionally. but the pay is $13 per hour, and $19.50 for any hours over 40. well, my first week i got 45 hours, which is pretty decent. well, this week i have 14 and its already going on the 4th work day. so ill be lucky to have 20 hours this week. but anyway, my boss told me it gets really slow during winter. and that he couldn't guarantee me 40-50 hours a week. well, that was fine for now.

but, i just got a call from another company that pays $10 per hour, guarantee 40 hours, and 20-30 hours overtime if you want it, and sometimes it requires alot of overtime. and its 6 days per week, and my current job is 5. well, with the offered one, you can bring the truck home. and i drive a 2008 dodge ram 1500, which equals 13-15 mpg, and my current job is 20 miles away. the offered one is 30-40 miles away, but like i said, bring the truck home alot. so my question is, which would you do if you were me? take the guaranteed hours and pay cut or stick around with more pay and not as many hours?

[Steel Horse Cowboy]

I'd go be a manager at McDOnalds and make $12hr and be home daily........

Seriusly tho, I'm guessing you have no bills and no kids and live with your parents? How can you live off $400 a week

On a serious note tho, if you figure them both out, one job may pay you $500 for the week at 6days work, when the other pays $450 a week and 5 days work. I'd take the $50 loss to keep a job I already have, but then again, the current job does not sound to secure in its future.... like they could lay you off asap.

[freebirdrfd]

As per most posters, you don't say your location.. There is a spot for that info in your profile section... But unless you live in the middle of Montana i wouldn't take either job... I wouldn't get out of bed for $10. an hour... $13. an hour to haul oil/hazmat? That's chump change.. But i don't know your personal situation, so i don't know how desperate you are for a little money...

[GMAN]

If it were me I would talk with my current boss and ask him if he could be more specific about the hours during winter before making a decision.

[jordang900L]

i live in south eastern kentucky. there is literally nothing here, unless you wanna work 18 hours a day hauling coal. in which case you must be 25. im just 21, and i do have a young child. i have my own place but mostly everything is already paid off. i just have a few small bills. and btw, $13 around here is good money. i dont think i have heard of a job around here that pays more then $16 per hour. in trucking anyway. there isnt a wal-mart within 30 miles of where i live, nor any sort of fast food restaurants or anything. so actually that is decent for around here.

[silvan]

A job in hand is worth two in the bush right now, but you also have to look at some other factors. See if you can pin your current employer down on how many hours you can expect to average over the course of a year. If it's going to be an average of 30 hours a week over the course of a year, then that's what you base your budget on. 30 @ $13 is $390 a week. If you make more than that one week, bank the difference for the rainy days you know are inevitable.

It sounds to me like a steady 40 at $10 is probably going to come out ahead. Either way, you can never base your financial survival on overtime unless you get it in writing. A lot of people will promise 50+ hours a week to get you to come work for them when their demand is high and they need you, but when things lean out the overtime is the very first payroll expense they're going to reel in. Overtime is for an employer's convenience, not yours, and you can never rely on it. All overtime should go in the bank for a rainy day.

Another thing you have to look at is how much of a raise (if any) you're going to get at the end of a year from each employer. Look at how much you can reasonably expect to be making, and then look out five and ten years, and see which one is going to win in the long run. Sometimes a job that starts kind of low but pays decent raises will overcome one that pays more up front within just a few years.

Good luck!

[snoopyandpuppy]

Is that Wal Mart in Wise or Norton, Va? Used to live there... Might go find a job with them. Very tough economy there.

[Griff]

If the 2nd job pay's overtime it sound's like the better deal. Crank out 70hrs a week and then bring the truck home so your not using your own fuel. You also don't say what type of work the 2nd job is that can play a factor.

[jordang900L]

the job i have right now is hauling equipment to mine sites. the new one is hauling various metal, crushed cars, alot of stuff like that. and my current employer told me if everything goes good after a couple of months he will bump me up to 14 or 15 per hour. but an update on this, i took a drug test for the possible new job and filled out all the paperwork, as i was gonna switch. but i havent heard from them in a couple of days. i dont know why they havent called, they dont seem to be running a very serious business, they called once and asked if i was intrested and i have called them every single time since then. but i also got offered a job from BJ well services driving a frac truck. which starts at 18 per hour i think. but its only 10% driving. alot of labor work, and during winter, im not sure it would be a good job. having to work in the freezing mud and snow would be terrible.

[Orangetxguy]

the job i have right now is hauling equipment to mine sites. the new one is hauling various metal, crushed cars, alot of stuff like that. and my current employer told me if everything goes good after a couple of months he will bump me up to 14 or 15 per hour. but an update on this, i took a drug test for the possible new job and filled out all the paperwork, as i was gonna switch. but i havent heard from them in a couple of days. i dont know why they havent called, they dont seem to be running a very serious business, they called once and asked if i was intrested and i have called them every single time since then. but i also got offered a job from BJ well services driving a frac truck. which starts at 18 per hour i think. but its only 10% driving. alot of labor work, and during winter, im not sure it would be a good job. having to work in the freezing mud and snow would be terrible.

Young lad....TAKE the job with BJ Well Services. You have a child you said. Well...BJ's health benefits are gonna pay dividends for you. In spades. So the driving is going to be only 10 to 15% of the job. Big deal. Your gooing to make some of the best money you are going to have the chance to make. You are going to have the opportunity to advance, based on your own ambitions. AND....hard work never killed anybody. Also....the hours may be grueling....but your kid is going to benefit.

[Steel Horse Cowboy]

Maybe it's time to move......
And honestly, I don't know why people don't move if the area is bad or there are no jobs. I know you have a young child, but for his/her sake MOVE to a better place.

It's like all those people in Africa that are starving because they live in the Sudan/Desert..... it's sand people, stuff don't grow there.

And if your looking for a job with daily hometime, don't expect to make over $12hr.

[One]

If you have child then i would do like Gman suggested and talk more with ur current employer..at least u know what u got then...if the hours arent tere you can spend more time with the fam and/or do something on the side, maybe even help ur boss find more work 4 u guys...Id rather work less hours for more/hr than work my butt off for cheap and never see my fam. U can aways do something on the side, dig ditches, cut firewood, build birdhouses, turn wrenches etcetc.

[Brown67]

Take the $18. Working outside isn't fun, but it's not as bad as you think. Buy GOOD warm boots, socks, gloves, long underwear, carhartt suite, and make some money. A lot of young people bounce around from job to job trying to find the perfect job instead of taking a good one like Bj's and working it into a perfect job. Get your foot in the door walk through and open up another door once you're inside. I started at UPS loading trucks (which sucked), but I knew it was good company and had great benefits. 21 years later I'm make $31 an hour as a package/feeder driver on great routes/run. All because I dealt with some of the bad jobs til I moved up in senority to get to the better jobs.

[Kentla93]

Hey Brown not sure if I asked you this before or not. My sister in law works out of the Denver UPS Location as a package handler, she has been with them at least 31 years too.
Just wondering if you are out of Denver?

Timberwolf

[Brown67]

Hey Brown not sure if I asked you this before or not. My sister in law works out of the Denver UPS Location as a package handler, she has been with them at least 31 years too.
Just wondering if you are out of Denver?

Timberwolf

I'm out of Loveland, but I run back and forth to Denver hub.

[Orangetxguy]

My question is......What did the original poster do??

[mitchno1]

My question is......What did the original poster do??

hope he got his hands dirty then started climbing the ladder ,after year probably be way better off

[jordang900L]

My question is......What did the original poster do??

i took a job with a place called Cross Rock Drilling inc. i haul all the equipment to the oil rigs. and i make better then 13 n hour lol. and i have full benefits and some very nice rides.