[Roadhog]

Having a positive attitude will work for you in ways you can't always see. People are much more sophisticated and hear the little things being said.

One very important thing in trucking is accepting responsibility. Drivers expect that of each other, and employers look specifically for that. You are out there on your own. You can ask another driver for help, but always return the favors. Karma is always watching.

We hear way too often, a driver rubs up the truck or trailer, and instead of immediately reporting the damage to the boss, he may pretend he didn't do it, or claim all kinds of excuses for how it happened, and it wasn't his fault. It is a small example...but shows a persons character.

Right now is a slow period. Year end inventory, produce hasn't started up yet, and no one likes to train noobs in the winter months. Hard enough on experienced drivers. Things will begin to pick up in another month.

[LA to Cleveland]

Try CraigsList ( look under jobs & click "transport" ) in your area. Also, post a profile on Monster.com and be upfront about your situation. Also check the site Indeed.com, that site pulls ads from most major papers and job boards. A felony, especially a drug conviction really stacks things against you in this industry...be aggressive and call everyone that you get any job leads from and there may or may not be a possibility that someone that really likes and trusts you may try to pull a string for you, good luck

[repete]

If all you can find have pay like that (.10 cpm) :evil: you would be better off waiting and staying in construction. Either that if you have your cdl now you can try just walking into the small local companys and impress them in person. BOL

[mbadriver]

This country was settled by malcontents, criminals, and religious zealots. A good part of our criminality is in our DNA. The problem arises from the religious zealots and their fire, brimstone, punishment, and eternal damnation. It's why as a country we still have not come to terms with crime, punishment, the death penalty, and rehabilitation.

With respect to the rest of the developed world we are medieval when it comes to dealing with criminals.

I believe in rehabilitation and second chances. However, the fact that some people are just plain bad needs to be considered.

[brown7477]

Useless,

So do you do the hiring for the Oilfields? What kind of Opportunities do you have available for someone in my situation??

[Useless]

Hi, Brown!!


Sorry to be so late getting back to you.

To answer your question, we handle the exploration and development end of the industry; financing, permits, land leasing, & contracting with vendors, etc.

The drilling is handled by drilling companies, and those are the people you would be working for.

We operate primarily in Texas and Oklahoma, but handle joint ventures in a few other states. The question is where you prefer to work. Texas and Oklahoma are extremely hot, with plenty of work scheduled for the next several years. Demand is not holding us back; aavailability of rigs is.

Colorado, & New Mexico are also very hot prospects. Texas is a long way from Wisconsin, but if you are interested in exploring employment prospects here or in Ok., PM me & I'll be glad to help any way that I can.

BOL2U!

[mbadriver]

If you have even the slightest propensity to do drugs, then stay away from oil/gas drilling. Drugs and alcohol are rampant at the site and the flea bag motels. Be true to yourself on this one. Your co-workers will be boozing and bar hopping when not on duty. Snort a few lines and then head back to the rig.

Chances are 3 or 4 of you will be sharing a room (stretch the per diem). Are you going to sit there reading scripture while the roomies are ^hore hopping, boozin, and snorting?

They don't have drug problems at Useless Oil & Gas. All Choir Boys with Q Clearances :wink:

Truckers crack me up :lol:

[quote="Useless"]

Originally Posted by brown7477

In the mean time, the oil & gas drilling industry is booming!! The gas drilling industry is going to remain hot for at least the next 20 yrs, (that, BTW, is a conservative estimate!!) especially as the sky-rocketting prices of home heating oil are now at levels that make replacing old oil burning furnaces with gas/propane systems more economically feasible. As China's demands for crude oil continue to rise, the technology is going to shift more and more toward natural gas, which is both plentiful and domesticly available.

Many drilling companies are far less concerned about your past than they are about your willingness to stay clean, (drug free & sober!) reliability, and willingness to put in an honest day's work, and many are willing to train someone who is willing to start at the bottom, listen, learn, follow directions, keep a lid on the complaining, and show up for work on time. If you have experience in the construction industry, or in other industries and have been doing heavy manual labor, that will serve as a big plus for you.

BTW, many drilling companies tend to pay well, and offer good benefits. Those that don't can at least provide a stepping stone to better companies!

With the 15+ ticket, you are essentially locked out of the trucking industry for now. My suggestion?? Cut the excuses and attempts to marginalize, and start looking in other areas.

Good Luck!![/color]

BTW: Have you been released from parole/probation?? Are you free to travel??

[Useless]

Originally Posted by mbadriver

If you have even the slightest propensity to do drugs, then stay away from oil/gas drilling. Drugs and alcohol are rampant at the site and the flea bag motels. Be true to yourself on this one. Your co-workers will be boozing and bar hopping when not on duty. Snort a few lines and then head back to the rig.

Chances are 3 or 4 of you will be sharing a room (stretch the per diem). Are you going to sit there reading scripture while the roomies are ^hore hopping, boozin, and snorting?

They don't have drug problems at Useless Oil & Gas. All Choir Boys with Q Clearances :wink:

Truckers crack me up :lol:

Originally Posted by mbadriver

:roll:
mbadriver:

Do you have anything of any value to contribute here??

I'll be the first to agree with you that if someone has any propensity towards drug use, then the oil fields are not where they should be. Drilling is dangerous work, and one person's mistake or miscalculation can result in ithers being hurt or killed.

As I indicated in my post to Brown7477, there IS a problem with drug use by drilling crews, although contrary to what you are suggesting, the problem is not so much use on the drill site, (many drilling companies provide on-site housing for their crewa) but rather use by drilling crew workers are returning from their days off.

Providing on-site housing accomodations for rig crew members not only saves the drill crew workers money, it also dramatically reduces the use of drugs and excess alcholol consumption by rig crewmwmbers while they are on their 7 day shift.

Brown7477 says that his days of drug involvement are in the past. I'm willing to offer that benefit of doubt and offer help where I am able to, but it will still be his responsibility to keep himself clean.

As far as "truckers" cracking you up, had you read my posts with comprehension, you would have discovered that I no longer drive a truck.

I'm not sure what your problem with me or the rest of the world is, but you really need help. I'm trying to help someone. What are your motivations here??

The huge chip on your shoulder, combined with your writing style reminds me of another cowardly jerk who callled himself "crete-drver"; after being banned, he came back as "prodigyll" he didn't last long here under that sub-human persona either!!

hmmmmmmmm!!..... any realtion, I wonder??

[brown7477]

No I am not going to be using drugs. I was not an addict and quitting was the easiest thing I have ever done. I wish I could quit the cigarettes though. I know you hear that alot, but i haven't touched anything in years. I had a couple Odouls last year at the Bar-b-Q joint with dinner though.

I am still on Probation but my agent said He will grant me travel to any of the 48 states. I am considered a very low risk to re-offend.

I would not want to room with any drunkards either. I can not stand the smell of alcohol and do not want to deal with the stupidity of some roughneck drunk that wants to party and fight all night. Really don't care to work with them either. Safety is a big concern and I do not want to get hurt because someone was partying all night and was still drunk at work.

The main reason for wanting to go into trucking is that I want to be independent. No one looking over my shoulder bitching because I am not working fast enough because they want to push to boost production.

Also would like to have something for my later years. Have a few trucks, maybe get the kids in the industry. Or I could hire drivers and help with retirement when it comes time.

Oil Rig work is back breaking work and I could look forward to being all busted up in a few years. My father was a Boilermaker and he is retired. He doesn't have a pot to "P" in. I want to have something I can call my own and something to count on.

If I hire on with a drilling company, will I have the opportunity to lease my own drilling Rig? Will I be able to own my own rig?

Might be short term solution but I am really focused on following a set path. I had a school tell me after graduation I could go to work for Lycon driving cement truck. WOW!! what a great deal!!! I will pay you 4500 to be able to drive a cement truck. Not Interested.. Have a nice day!!

I am starting to get a little frustrated with this. But I will prevail. I will be an O/O in a few years. I will have a few trucks of my own in a few more years. I will have several trucks in a few more years.

[Useless]

Brown7477:

Hey, Cuz!! Don't get pi&&ed with me, I'm only trying to offer you what help I can!!

Your perceptions about the drilling industry is not completely correct. The public at large is ill informed about the nature of the work.

Can the work be dangerous?? Yes!!.....but so is driving a big truck.

Is the work back breaking??


Well, it is most definitely physical, (but also mental as you progress!) but advancements in technology and equipment over the past 20 years have been of great help in not only reducing physical tress, but also in reducing on the job injuries. I've been involved with this industry for about twenty years; it's where I began my first career back in 1978. I was 19y/o when I started, and the days of the burly, drunken red-neck and stoned hippie rig crews are not what they once were.

Also, I would ask you to bear in mind that between my stints "da awl patch", I went back to school and earned my nursing degree; I specialized in Radiology Nursing, and had many patients who were????......you guessed it......former truckers.....suffering from ESRD (End Stage Renal Dysfunction) which was largely caused by the unhealthy lifestyle and poor dietary habits that trucking perpetuates.

Could you ever "lease your own rig" as you could a truck??

No, but the real question there is 'What do you hope to accomplish, and what sacrifices are you willing to make to achieve your goals??"

H.L. Hunt was at one time a hobo, yet he became the richest man in the world, Red Adair had only an elementary school education, but look at what he became?? He not only came up with the concept of using explosives to blow out burning wells, developed the technology and much of the equipment that is still used to this very day to snuff out well fires. He also worked to develop some of the oceanic equipment (including the submarines) used to explore The RMS Titanic".

They both did their stints as roughnecks, and they both started at the bottom.

One of the wells that I'm tracking right now is staffed by a drill crew who's driller is only 22y/o; he's quite capable, and last year, before being promoted to driller, he grossed about 72K. Ironically, his the crew's driller failed a drug test back in Aug.'07. This kid is young, but extremely focused, and his crew is developing an admirable record in terms of safety and footage.

If you want to drive, then good luck to you. Right now, you still have that 15+ ticket hanging over your head, and that alone is an absolute deal killer with most companies for anywhere from three to five years after it goes on your record.

I'm only trying to help you create some alternatives that will work now, today. A few years in the patch while the 15+ ticket drops off your record, along with some serious financial discipline, and you could find yourself in a viable position to get some driving experience, then set out as an O/O with a late model truck that is paid for.

If this isn't what you wish to persue, then that's your choice. I understand your sense of frustration, but I'm only trying to help you, so no need to get angry with me.

Good Luck!!