North Dakota Driving Jobs

[Orangetxguy]

So there's an apparent driver shortage. Now all of a sudden I noticed most of these companies on Craigslist are REQUIRING 5 years experience. What gives? That's a quarter to half of most drivers driving careers. Upping the criteria narrows the amount of drivers that are actually qualified, not to mention the small amount of drivers who actually want to move to north Dakota during mid-winter. Any thoughts...?

CHIT! I shoulda retired years ago! Crap.

[TCWBanks2384]

Anybody else? Haha besides the guy that's been driving since I was in diapers?

[aiken1958]

So justruckin, I understand 100 hrs a week but do you get home on the weekends? And can you give me the contact info with and name of someone to talk with. Thanks

[aiken1958]

Well you know what they say, If you can't stand the heat stay out of the kitchen. If he snow and winter driving scares you , then you sure as hell need to stay away from an area that has it. I have almost 30 yrs and I live 48 miles south of Buffalo NY and I pull two 48ft thruway doubles. And yes in the winter time as well.....love it

[BigMACK]

I appreciate all of the responses in this thread, the good and the ugly! I have made my mind up to go to ND and get my feet wet in the oil fields driving something up there. Not sure what I am going to do yet. I will be getting my tanker endorsement this week and maybe my hazmat, but from what I can see water haulers make a large amount of money too, but the hazmat drivers make more for sure. And also, the jobs that are available do not pay the same as similar jobs in Texas, at least not for drivers with no oil field experience. On average the jobs in texas are paying $17 - $19 ( I have also seen a job or 2 that listed $16 per hour there) per hour and the overtime is not as much as the jobs in ND. The jobs in ND are paying no less than $20 and as much as $35 an hour from the jobs I have seen posted. The companies there also all but guarantee 70 hours at least per week. There are some there that pay over time after 40 hours, but most of the jobs that offer $25 or more per hour offer straight time only, which is still excellent money in my opinion.

Now I understand that experienced oil field drivers can make upwards of $22+ per hour in Texas. But, the magical word is "experienced". With that being said, ND is the place to be for folks who have never worked in the oil business before and maybe Texas would be a choice once the experience matches the pay. But as far as I am concerned, the difference between $65k per year and $80k - $100k per year is enough to sway me not to start my oil career in Texas. Once I get my experience I may look into going to drive in Texas if the money is right.

I am going to video document my trip to ND and narrate my experiences there as much as I can. I will post a separate thread once I get the videos going. It may be a few weeks before I go.

[Snowfighter]

New to this Forum, joined today, writing from Upper michigan, about 11 hrs east of Williston. looking for some info and you all seem to pretty informative, I am looking at coming to Williston in April and spend a week pounding different companies for work, my situation is I have had a class B CDL for 26 yrs and have been driving non class A vehicles since, I currently work for our local Road Commission, been doing that for 5 yrs. every winter and hoping for a full time position as the municipal job would be nice, pension plan and what not. BUT, they are going to keep pulling the same crap every winter. PART-TIME only!!! I am going to update my CDL to class A with the tanker endorsement, if I am standing on some of these companies doorsteps, would they give a guy a shot??? I am looking at staying there for years on end for that kind of $$$. Will they train a guy who has not beed driving combination vehicles??? any info would be helpful??/ Thanks, Michigan snowfighter

[Eclipseman]

Lights out, I work in N-D for a year, Company Iowa Tank Lines, Please give a call at 248-703-4441 I would yo talk to u about Power Fuels Tks

[Eclipseman]

Just-truckin, Please give me a call 248-703-4441 I have Q for U. Tks

[Eclipseman]

Light-Out, Call me 248-703-4441 Tks

[condor]

hey eclipseman, are u an owner op? Is Iowa tank a good company to work for? I have them on my short list but cant find out anything about them. Then again u r asking bout power fuels. I used to work with a guy that i heard went there, but don't know if hes still there. The guy that told me about itl also said that theres favortism and if you don;t get in on it, your screwed. he said a LOT of things about them, but it all sounded like a lot of gossip, and he dont work there, so how does he know. It sounded like he wanted me to stay out, but I don't know why. Can u give me the low down? appreciate any help, condor

[Justruckin]

Power Fuels is a good outfit. April is when the hiring spree begins, it is going to be nuts up here this year as last years weather really slowed things down. Allot of holes to be punched into the ground, they are behind by roughly 300 wells last I heard from a local official.

[Justruckin]

Aiken,

Depending on who you work for will determine your hours and time off/home time. I am up here for the money, going home costs money...Some outfits will let you run wild, others will put a leash on you and keep you under dot regs. Right now I am averaging around 70-75 hours a week with my 34 hour reset. As far as going home, I went home (MI) for Christmas... I got back her to ND on Jan 1st and have been working non-stop since. I still haven't decided when I will go home again. My wife wants to come out in May, so I may just hold off going home until around July.

Mike

[Justruckin]

Bigmack,

Employers are getting desperate and are hiring just about anyone willing to work up here. We had a couple of guys with 3 months, just out of truck driving school experience. If they like you, odds are that you will be hired, experience or no experience. The way some of them drive up here, you would think they are just out of high school drivers ed, in dad's "borrowed" hot rod.

Oh, the weather? It has been in the 60's and 70's for nearly the last two weeks up here, and no snow to speak of this entire winter, maybe 3 inches total just south of Williston.

Mike

[Redneck Rugger]

I'm new to the forum and tryin to drive truck. I have called almost everyone that was listed and even a few my buddy recommended. Some want 2ys having cdl and 2 yrs experience others just want a cdl it seems. And I have just a permit, so my chances ARE slim. I'm callin power fuels again tomorrow and see what will happen. As for pay, my buddy is work 12hr days, 7 days a week and gets paid 25$. He has experience driving truck. I think he's workin 4 on 1 off? or Just everyday..... I think 18-25$/hr is about the norm for pay. But thats what i hear.

Justtruckin,

Do you know of any companies hiring green horn, no experience drivers?

[Justruckin]

Redneck,

Call this outfit Oil & Gas | SOS Staffing

There is an abundance of opportunities up here, not just trucking. If you have a clean record, drug free, etc., SOS may be able to place you in say one of the many natural gas plants or compressor stations up here. Very good work if you can get it. They are all hiring.

Go to the following link and put in an ap for the field op position in Watford ND, Hiland Partners

And call that staffing agency, they have been known to place green horns in a drivers seat, but a learners permit might be stretching it a bit. They do not charge you for their services and they have the inside scoop on what is going on up here. They are regulars on some of the local talk shows up here on 550 am out of Bismarck. Which is simulcast on iHeartRadio if you have an iPhone/smartphone/computer.

Typed on my iPhone, I hope the above makes sense? Gotta go, at work and on a schedule...

[mitchno1]

what do you jokas pay for a job like that compared for australia for instance

[Redneck Rugger]

Thanks a lot Justruckin!!!!

[condor]

hey eclipseman, are u an owner op? Is Iowa tank a good company to work for? I have them on my short list but cant find out anything about them. Then again u r asking bout power fuels. I used to work with a guy that i heard went there, but don't know if hes still there. The guy that told me about itl also said that theres favortism and if you don;t get in on it, your screwed. he said a LOT of things about them, but it all sounded like a lot of gossip, and he dont work there, so how does he know. It sounded like he wanted me to stay out, but I don't know why. Can u give me the low down? appreciate any help, condor

Does anyone know anything about Iowa tank lines? Or should I skip them? Not much info out there about them, can't figure out why nobody has anything to say. Help if u can. thks

[Justruckin]

Iowa tank lines... I think they have a small terminal in Stanley on SR 2 and RT 8, just down from the Cenex on the service drive. Don't know anything about them. Saw them often last year, haven't really seen any of them running around lately. Maybe google them and give them a call?

[Justruckin]

Redneck,

A buddy of mine just got hired at Hiland. I turned him on to it and they hired him as a field op. company truck, housing, clothing, immediate health care ins, etc... Great pay with lots of overtime ( time and a half after 40) Normal work week is around 70-80 hours a week, and generous time off.