[phoneman]

Thanks for the info. Frac water is what I was interested in. I have family in Pennsylvania where they are also hiring like crazy, but I think the pay is better your way. I lookede through some of those companies you listed. What do you know about Badlands Powerfuels? Are they decent?

[Justruckin]

Originally Posted by phoneman

Thanks for the info. Frac water is what I was interested in. I have family in Pennsylvania where they are also hiring like crazy, but I think the pay is better your way. I lookede through some of those companies you listed. What do you know about Badlands Powerfuels? Are they decent?

Power Fuels is a stable company with a good reputation, and from the guys I have spoke with that actually work there, a good outfit. Their equipment is probably some of the best up here, most is new or newer and they have full time mechanics and shops. I think all you need to do there is kick the tires and check the fluid levels. The only caveat is that they will find you housing, but you will pay for it through payroll deduction. I hear that they have their own housing going in, apartments and town homes. The rent is more than reasonable for up here, $500 to $1000 a month are the numbers I am hearing. You will need to call them to verify. I believe starting pay is around $25-$27 an hour with OT if I heard correctly. They run legal, 12 on 12 off, 70 hours and then 34 hour reset. Some drivers run on percentage, it depends on what division you are in, they have fresh water, salt water, production, fuel and oil from what I know. But don't quote me, give them a call. They have a new office/yard in Watford ND, I think that is now their main office for this part of the state. Here is their number, 701.842.3618 give them a call and see what they say, they are always hiring as the work load continues to grow and expand up here.

Oh, that housing, I hear it is furnished with many units having washers and dryers, cable or satellite with internet and a TV, furniture and a bed. That is what I have heard, so don't quote me on it... Call them.

[phoneman]

Thanks again! I had already done an application for Baker Hughes before you replied. I just called Power Fuels, and they said you have to find housing first before they hire. They say housing is extremely hard to get now except trailer parks who are raping people. I may send an ap anyway and see what turns up.

[Justruckin]

Originally Posted by phoneman

Thanks again! I had already done an application for Baker Hughes before you replied. I just called Power Fuels, and they said you have to find housing first before they hire. They say housing is extremely hard to get now except trailer parks who are raping people. I may send an ap anyway and see what turns up.

Ouch. We are being evicted out of our trailer park. My company pays around $800 a month for the lot + utilities. The outfit that owns the park is throwing everyone out and installing their own trailers which they plan on renting out at aprox $3000 a month. This is happening all over the place up here, I hope they lose their assets. We do good, but not that good, and who wants to live with 6 guys to pay the rent?

[phoneman]

Same thing is happening in Pennsylvania. House is $3500 a month(with maid service).

[DriverJ]

Have been following this thread for a few weeks now, And find it pretty helpfull especialy to guys like justTruckin. I Plan on making a move toward the patch in about three to four weeks. Did think about ruffing it at first but now am leaning toward the Man camp Idea for starters. are they fairly easy to get into with a driving job? And most importantly a company that flips the note for your houseing. Dropped My Haz in Oct. When renewing Lisence But went in today and fingerprinted to get it back. Whats the deal with the osha is that mandatory to work in the oil field and if so would it be easy enough to take the test before secureing a job? and what is H2s? Any Help Thanks

[Justruckin]

Originally Posted by DriverJ

Have been following this thread for a few weeks now, And find it pretty helpfull especialy to guys like justTruckin. I Plan on making a move toward the patch in about three to four weeks. Did think about ruffing it at first but now am leaning toward the Man camp Idea for starters. are they fairly easy to get into with a driving job? And most importantly a company that flips the note for your houseing. Dropped My Haz in Oct. When renewing Lisence But went in today and fingerprinted to get it back. Whats the deal with the osha is that mandatory to work in the oil field and if so would it be easy enough to take the test before secureing a job? and what is H2s? Any Help Thanks

Well, the man camps that I am aware of are rented or leased by companies for their employees. I don't know of any where a guy can just walk in off the street an get a bed. Besides, it would probably be cheaper to get a room at a five star Hilton hotel. Best bet, find an outfit with housing before you arrive. Most outfits will cover your housing, I have never paid for housing up here, and this is my third employer, Craigslist is your friend. But beware, only inquire to job offers with a legit phone number, allot of phishing going on...

As far as OSHA, some companies, the bigger ones will require it. But, there is no one standing around at jobsites checking your credentials, let your employer worry about that, most outfits will not require it and or get you the required training and certs.

H2S, something you need to be aware of, small quantities can kill you within a minute or two. It is primarily found around well and production sites. If you are entering sites with known h2s, signs are normally posted prior to the site enterance, but not always. We do have some up here, but it is more of an oddity than the norm. You have more than likely encountered it before, we call it swamp gas, it has that rotten egg smell. If you are working anywhere around well and production sites, ie., hauling water or crude, your company should furnish you an h2s detector/alarm to wear on your person. Most guys clip them close to their nose, on their shirt collar or hard hat brim. They are about the size of a pager, yellow in color with a metal clip on the back and a small sniffer on the front.

Hope that helps!

Mike

[Justruckin]

Originally Posted by phoneman

Same thing is happening in Pennsylvania. House is $3500 a month(with maid service).

Really? Unreal up here too, rooms in basements are going for up to $1500 in Williston, 3 bedroom ranches up to $5000 a month and you pay the utilities. And they aren't nothing to write home about... But, more housing is coming on line, man camps are popping up as well as apartments with more reasonable, ie., affordable rents. It is the little guys putting the screws to us up here, they see us as a once in a lifetime cash cow. It is not cheap to live up here, Amazon Prime is your friend... My toilet paper will be here Friday

[DriverJ]

Are things going a little slow up there right Now? I was reading a driver job on some site today and the employer was warning that sometimes U could be sitting because things could be slow from time to time. Is that just this outfit or can that be all around. ?

[Justruckin]

Originally Posted by DriverJ

Are things going a little slow up there right Now? I was reading a driver job on some site today and the employer was warning that sometimes U could be sitting because things could be slow from time to time. Is that just this outfit or can that be all around. ?

Right now things are just ramping up from what little winter we had up here. So yes, it can get slow at times right now. But, that depends on what you are hauling and who you work for. Water hauling is hit and miss through the winter, right now they are just starting to get busy. Crude, is pretty steady eddy, but they slow down now and then because we have so much oil up here that storage and pipeline capacity do get a bit overwhelmed, but you will not sit long, maybe a day. That Keystone XL pipeline cancellation kind of hurt us as we were going to tap into it. Any construction driving, side and belly dumps, they are just starting to really get busy, they will be balls to the walls until this winter. Frac sand the same, ramping up, as there are around 400 wells scheduled to go in this year, and they will frac as many of those as they can get too.

Right now is the time to get up here, because it will be a real zoo up here in a few more weeks.

mike