Very informative, thanks Mike! I think I'll be putting in my two weeks notice at current job sooner than expected. Would you say most companies are flexible with the 3-on,1-off schedule? Say if I wanted to stay 5-6 weeks on for first month or so, then fly back to move family once I had housing setup. How much of a notice does a guy need to give a company to take that 1 week off? Or is that something that is set in stone? Like, "this is when you start, and these are the weeks you can get off"?

It depends on the company, some are locked in stone. But from my personal experience most will want you to work at least 4 weeks, before they will give you that week off. The companies I have been with have let me work up to 9 weeks straight. I would say the odds are in your favor to do what you need to do. Most of the outfits are pretty good about this stuff. Besides, after about the 5th week most guys get a little goofy, so they sometimes will make a guy take at least a few days off.

As far as giving notice for the week off, I always try to leave that date open, as usually once you hit that 5th or 6th week, they will want you to take some time off, so it is easier at that point to make my plans. Which is usually a weeks notice as long as the guys are there to cover. Like I said, it really depends on the company.

Mike

TCW,

If you are coming up, drive if you can. Many companies will put you in housing, but you will still need a vehicle to get to the shop. And, you may find that you and the employer are not a good fit, and that next job may be 50 miles away. Drive up if you can, just make sure the antifreeze is set to at least 60-, and if you can get a block heater do it. I had my Dodge dealer set my Ram to 80- and install the Mopar block heater, ran me $163 out the door.

Mike

On edit: you will need winter gear, possibly FRCs if your new employer does not supply them. I would suggest anything made of Merino Wool for long underwear or 100% heavy cotton, very fire retardent. If you need a set of FR bibs and parka, figure on dropping anywhere between $500 to a grand with a good pair of composite toed winter boots. Of course this will all depend on the work you do and if the employer will buy them for you, or reimburse after 90 days. If you are doing anything hazmat, you will need most, if not all of the above. So ask your possible employers about the FR gear and who supplies it. This is required PPE for most all no sites up here and should be supplied by the employer. Problem is, and I can see their point on not supply FR winter gear, is that allot of new guys that come up here do not stay long. This gear is not cheap, and I could see where it could put a dent in the bottom line. So if you can, budget at least a grand for the winter gear. If money is tight, Sidney Cleaners in Sidney MT sells used winter bibs and parkas. You can get a decent used set for around $500.

Yea my plan is to drive up. I have an suv, so if need be I can sleep in my vehicle for first few nights or few weeks if necessary, then I will. Being that you said the winter has people fleeing gives me hope that I won't have to sleep in my vehicle any longer than I would have to. Yea block heater was one of my concerns, I'll have to check with dealership and get quotes. I was never aware they can be installed as an aftermarket part. I've heard a few good things about power fuels so I think I'm more-or-less setting my sights on them to haul water. Any other pointers you have would be great info to hear. Thanks for everything Mike!

-TCWBANKS

Power fuels is a good outfit, and they do supply you the needed winter gear. If you are in contact with them, they should be able to get you cleared in around 2 - 3 weeks and get you set up in regards to housing upon your arrival. Now you do know they will house you temporarily, and then they will take rent out of your pay, normally around $1000 a month from the guys I have ran with that work there.

Also, if you do not have your hazmat yet, get on the Internet tonight, pay the $120 and go get your fingerprints ASAP. It takes 10 days to get the ok letter in the mail. The test is easy, and if you can get an enhanced drivers license in your state to get into Canada, spend the $25 and get that too. Having those two endorsements will really help you up here, as the employers can see that you are more than likely a safe bet. Like having a security clearance in the military, you have already been vetted.

The hazmat endorsement will bump you from twenty something an hour up into the $30 to $40 an hour range with the right outfits. That is nothing to sneeze at. So get your Hazmat if you do not have it before you get here. I know of some outfits paying up to $1000 a day to drivers to haul oil. It is a dirty job, but you can't make that kind of money without the HM endorsement.

Don't come up here in the winter without housing!
 

To all,

If you do your due diligence, have a clean or good driving record and no issues that stop you from getting a job anywhere in the country, you should have no problem securing a job with free housing up here. It may take a week or two longer to get here, but it beats the hell out of trying to boondocks in your vehicle when it is 30-. Don't even attempt it, as there is housing up here if you spend the time looking and calling employers up here.

Here is a good place to call, The Wagoners Trucking, most of you old timers know of them. They run a hotshot and flatbed operation in Williston and have very nice new and furnished housing right on site. You can walk to work. The pay is not the greatest, around $24 an hour w/overtime, you should be able to get 70 hours a week in easily. There number is 701-572-1402, Jayda runs the show there, she is pretty cool, but a bit demanding. Don't say I said that if you call. They would be a great place to start, and they are right in the middle of all of the action. You will have the opportunity to visit many businesses and talk to allot of people to get a good handle on what is going on up here, it would be s good place to get your feet wet up here in the patch. As I have stated before, most guys don't last long up here.

Mike

Yea I've had my hazmat before, now I'm kickin myself in the ass everyday for letting it go. And most jobs I see are asking for hazmat. At least 70% of jobs are asking for it...and as you said, it's the high paying jobs too. I actually do have a hazmat practice test I printed out online. Maybe I'll try and go take test tomorrow after work, if I get off in time. It only took your approval letter 10 days to get back? When I first got mine it was like a 6 week wait. Also, What do you mean go online tonight? for what?

$1000/day? i'm most definitely going to get my HME again. I'll be patient for up to $1000/day!

You need to go to a .gov website, just google hazmat license. It should get you to the .gov website that allows you to pay for your FBI background check. Once you get the letter in the mail, or in the system, you need to go down to be fingerprinted. Then you go to the DMV to take the HM test, letter in hand. I think that is the order of things, been awhile. A pain in the butt, but the payoff is worth it, trust me on that.

Mike

Yep, $1000 a day running oil out of the patch to the rail yard. The pay is percentage, usually around 26% if I remember correctly. It is not really that hard, just a real pain in the rear during the winter months. You have to climb up to the tops of the tanks (they all have stairways), strap the tanks, grind the oil and load up. More spring, summer and fall work in my book. Not something I want to do this time of year.

The guys I ran into that were making this money were with Wiley Bice out of Killdeer ND, just N of Dickinson off SR 22. Just google them, they are an owner operator company and can hook you up with the guys that own the trucks that need drivers.

Mike

FR Clothing, what you need to know...
 

A primer on FRCs, other wise known as Flame Resistant Clothing.

if you come up here to ND to drive a truck, odds are you will be required to wear FR Cothing. There are two kinds primarily up here, and I am not going to get into the different ratings as odds are you will purchase your clothing up here anyways, or it will be supplied by your employer.

We have two kinds of FR clothing up here, treated cotton and Nomex. The treated cotton is just that, treated like you would scotch guard a couch in your home. Treated cotton is the least expensive FR clothing we have up here, normally a pair of winter bibs and parka can be had for around $400. The issue with the treated cotton, along with the lower price, is that the manufacturers state that these are only good for ten to possibly twenty washings. Normally I am told ten trips through the washer and dryer and they will have lost all of their flame resistent qualities.

Now the Nomex is FR fabric that is supposed to last for quite awhile... Unless you subject it to fabric softener or direct UV light for an extended period of time. Working outdoors is fine, but leaving it in the car in direct sunlight is not good, as it will deteriorate the fabric in short order so I am told. The same applies to the treated cotton. Now, the Nomex, the same fabric the NASCAR guys wear, ain't cheap. A set of Nomex bibs and parka will set you back roughly $600 to $800. But, with proper care they should well outlast the treated cotton.

Now, why buy the treated cotton over the Nomex? If you are coming up here to haul water, the cotton will be fine. Most of the sites you will haul into will not be active, and rarely is the site FR rule enforced on us water haulers. Out of all the jobs I was on, I was only asked once about wearing FRs. Fact is, I didn't own any and no one ever said another word. Jeans and t-shirts were the order of the day for us water haulers. But, that will depend on your company, don't take my experience as gospel.

Now, if you are in the HM arena, get the Nomex if at all possible. Because odds are you will be getting dirty, and you will be doing quite a bit of laundry. Remember, treated cotton is only good for roughly ten washings and then it is essentially useless if, and God forbid, you need it to work.

The three main brands up here are Bulwark, Carhartt and Tough Duck. Bulwark is the most popular brand up here, as well as the least expensive. They are carried at most all of our larger Cenex gas stations and "The Home of Economy", as they are one of the largest retailers of FR gear in the state. They have several stores in ND, Williston and Minot are probably there busiest stores. You can get all sorts of clothing from oil field gear to farming, along with all kinds of shoes and boots. Should be your first stop for gear up here.

Like I said, Bulwark is the most common FR gear in the patch. Then we have Carhartt, probably the most expensive out of the lot. But, the quality of there FR gear is much better than Bulwark, except you will not find as large of a selection as Bulwark offers up here. Then we have Tough Duck, our Made in Canada gear, they have three items up here, winter bibs, a parka and coveralls. They have all three items in treated cotton and Nomex. The treated stuff is a decent price, but their Nomex will set you back around $800 for the bibs and parka. I went with the Tough Duck Nomex bibs and parka. It is made in Canada with US sourced fabric, not Chinese like the Carhartts and Bulwark gear. Also, the Tough Duck brand has high vis tape both front and back on the bibs and parka, something that I wanted, real easy to be road kill up here if you are not visible.

If you want to learn more about FR clothing, Flame-Resistant Protective Clothing | Bulwark FR - World's Largest Manufacturer of FR Apparel is a great place to learn more.

Now, what are the odds of being in a fire up here? Probably slim to none from my experience. Most of the fatalities up here are traffic related. And then heart attacks, crushing injuries and at the bottom of the list would be explosions and then fire. The accidents that I know about out here are far and few between that involve fire. I know of one such incident and that happened to a driver here at the gas plant I am currently loading at. It was a freak deal and nearly killed the truck driver. He was wearing his FRs, but the heat from the explosion was so intense, it went right through his FRs and melted the polyester blend clothing he was wearing under the FRs to his skin. So, 100% cotton or wool is your safest bet for layering under your FRs.

The most dangerous thing you guys will face up here besides the above, and where most new guys get hurt or have those near misses is dealing with "pressure", both low and high pressures, as most of us as drivers will be hauling some sort of liquid. And they only way to get it on or off a tanker is via some sort of pressure. FRs ain't going to save you there, so keep that in mind.


Hey, my propane bottle is full, gotta go....

And please excuse any errors in spelling and what not, this was typed on my iPhone...

Oh, the best and most reliable cell service up here is no longer Verizon. Long story, but AT&T now owns the backbone Verizon used to control. So if you need reliable cell service with fewer dropped calls, AT&T is it up here now.


Mike

What should I take to the oil patch?
 

Here are some items you will need and some things you should have if you have the stones to join us...

A vehicle, do not fly up here and expect to get around on someone else's dime. It is a 40 minute trip to the closest supermarket for me. And you will need to get to and from work or job site.

If coming in the winter, set your anti-freeze to at least -60f, and invest in a block heater. My Dodge dealer set me to -80 and installed a Mopar block heater in my gasser Ram pick up for $163 out the door. Do it! It is currently 14 below with the wind chill. I put a jug of water in my truck 14 hours ago, it is thawing in my fridge right now.

Two fifty foot 14ga extension cords for the block heater. If you can, get the ones that have the lighted plugs so that you know you have electricity getting to the heater.

Cell phone, AT&T has the best service here now. Verizon is now hit and miss. These are the only two carriers up here, no Sprint or Cingular. The iPhone is the most popular phone up here, and depending on your work can really save your butt with some of its available apps. Paperwork tends to go poof, Scanner Pro has saved my payday more than a few times. If you have an iPhone, or plan on getting one, this is the most popular case up here, makes the Otterbox look like junk...http://www.amazon.com/Ballistic-HC-C...720893&sr=1-23

Your CDL with tanker, doubles and triples, or no one will look at you, you need those endorsements to work up here. And if possible, if you do not have it, get your HazMat endorsement. That HM endorsement will bag you up to $20 more an hour up in this neck of the woods, I'm at $35+ an hour hauling propane. I drive around 150 miles a 14 hour shift and never break a sweat or even get dirty. It is $20 an hour to haul water on average, HM with the right outfit can bag you up to $1000 a day as a driver if you want to do the dirty work and get hooked up with the right outfit. See above in another one of my posts for one of those outfits.

Enhanced drivers license and or a passport. Good money to drive across the border to Canada.

Social Security Card

DD214 if you are prior military, I have been asked for it. If you do not have a copy you can get yours on the Internet for $10, google is your friend.

A blank voided check for direct deposit of your wages. Do NOT forget the blank check!

Prescription meds, bring at least a two months supply. We have drug stores, but they are mainly in Dickinson, Minot and Williston. CVS is in Minot, not seen any out this way. I think Williston and Dickinson have a Walgreens, but don't quote me on that. WalMarts are in Williston, Dickinson, Minot, Bismarck, Fargo and Grand Forks. There is a Sam's Club in Bismarck.

A clip board for your work paperwork and forms. I use a thin metal two compartment one I found on Amazon. It is not the best, but it works, just buy a box of band aids like my review states. Amazon.com: OfficemateOIC Top Loading Aluminum Forms Holder, 8.5 x 12 Inch (83206): Office Products

A hard hat, and nothing goofy like the cowboy hat one.

A Stream Light Haz Lo LED headlamp for that hard hat. It is the best one I have found for use up here and you will need one, unless you are Superman. It uses 3 AA batteries. Amazon.com: Streamlight 61200 3AA HAZ-LOTM Flashlight, Yellow: Home Improvement

Steel toed boots, or composite toed for the winter. I have a pair of pull on Timberland Rigmaster boots with the steel toe. They are good to around 10 degrees, after that the toes get damn cold. And as a side note, no one runs around out here inspecting your boots, just saying. Hint hint.... These are the boots I have, allot of guys on the rigs wear these and are my daily runners for the past 6 months, they are still like new... And they are waterproof. Amazon.com: Timberland Pro Men's Rigmaster Wellington Waterproof Steel Toe Work Boots: Shoes

For our extreme cold weather, look at the Baffin Derrick winter boots ($169 at Home of Economy in Williston) if you will be outside for more than say 15 minutes in the winter, YOU WILL NEED THESE or something equivalent. They are a composite toe and good to -148 f. They are pull on boots with built in gaiters, they are Mickey Mouse huge, just bring some tennis shoes so that you can work the pedals safely in the truck. http://www.amazon.com/Baffin-Mens-De...6719932&sr=8-1

If you are hauling water, you should look at a pair of "Muck" brand boots, they are waterproof and come in two versions, Arctic and Chore, both can be had with steel toes and are extremely warm and wear like your favorite pair of slippers. They are the boot of choice with water haulers up here. I wore tennis shoes to drive the truck, when I got on site, or at the water depot, i slipped on the muck boots, because they are to hot to wear continually if the weather is nice. And, you need to roll the tops down, or they will cut into or rub your legs raw. And yes, we tuck our pant legs into the boots up here, for good reason. They can be had for $109 at Home of Economy in Williston or Mintot. Amazon.com: The Original MuckBoots Adult Chore Hi Boot Steel Toe: Shoes

Gloves that are warm and allow you some dexterity. A good insulted leather type glove is best, and most stores up here sell glove liners which are very nice. A pair of mittens just in case too.

Wool socks, they will wick away the sweat and moisture. Cold feet up here can literally kill you.

Wool or 100% heavy cotton underwear, at least two sets or a combo of both. You will more than likely wear both sets together up here, as layering is the best way to go. Carhartt makes a great set of heavyweight long underwear if you cannot foot the bill on the wool stuff. Carhartt Cotton Top Amazon.com: Carhartt Men's Heavyweight Cotton Thermal Crew Neck T-Shirt: Clothing Carhartt Bottoms Amazon.com: Carhartt Men's Heavyweight Cotton Thermal Bottom: Clothing Wool top Amazon.com: Minus33 100% Merino Wool Base Layer 708 Expedition Weight Full Zip Top: Clothing Wool Bottoms Amazon.com: Minus33 100% Merino Wool Base Layer 709 Expedition Weight Bottoms: Clothing
Forget the Under Armour stuff, it is nice and makes a statement, but it ain't going to keep you warm like the above clothing in our WINTER climate. And I own more than a few pieces of Under Armour, just talking from experience.

Winter bibs and a parka, or insulated coveralls. If you can't afford FRs right now, don't worry, just bring something that you can layer up under that you think can handle -30f, that is if you come up between Jan and the end of March. If you can't get anything at home, you can get your gear up here. Just make sure it is natural fiber, like 100% Cotton. stay away from the nylon or polyester stuff. Go Cotton, and no one will bother you for not having FRs, unless you are into something weird like I am in, then hopefully your company will supply the gear or reimburse you 90 days down the line, which is SOP with many outfits up here, as most guys don't last more than a week or two around here.

A balaclava, FR if possible, Carhartt makes a nice one. And a neck gaiter, they are worth their weight in gold. Trust me, if your head and neck are cold, your entire core will feel it. When the wind kicks up here, it will bite right through you. DO NOT take this lightly, it is cold enough to kill you, so spare no expense for the proper gear, FR or not. Be prepared. You can buy FR gear later on if need be, no one is going to throw you off a site for not having it if you are a new guy. They will just give you a verbal warning and that will be it in many if not all cases.

Ski goggles for when the wind blows, so your eyeballs don't freeze and crack in your head. I bought a pair of Uvex, highly recommended up here... Uvex S390 Climazone Safety Goggles, you can get them on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...00_i00_details

A hoody, preferably an FR one. Buy one size larger as they shrink. And they are surprisingly warmer than the all cotton poly blend ones.This will be your last layer of defense against the cold before your parka goes on. You will need at least one of these, trust me on that. As it covers your head and the draw strings can be cinched up to keep the cold off of the back of your neck. Get a neck gaiter, and a balaklava, combine all three of these items and you WILL be nice and toasty.

Toiletries, bring two of everything, unless you know you will be near a town with a WalMart. That would be Minot, Dickinson and Williston.

Towels

Bedding, sheets, pillows, blanket... I use a Coleman sleeping bag as a comforter, $36 at WalMart, works great, especially when the power goes out. Ask your employer about mattress size, or if they even have a furnished room for you.

Air mattress, twin size is the best size to bring, as you may be sharing a room. Even if you do not need one, bring one as you never know, trust me on that.

Tools, bring what you would need to do simple work on the truck. And a screw gun, God I miss my screw gun and that box of bits and drills.

A pair of coveralls, because more than likely you will be greasing your truck on a regular basis, because if you don't, ain't no one else gonna. Shops are far and few between out here. Most all truck repairs and service is done on the side of the road up here. And that is no lie.

Internet connections... Some places have it, most don't. I have the AT&T Sierra card, it is 4G and is honestly very fast. The only problem is that you are limited to 5GB a month, then it is $10 a GB if you go over. Wait until you get up here to get one, because you may luck out and have a home with internet. And bring a laptop, you will need this more than you think. if the spam hits the fan at your employer up here, the internet is the best way to find a new place of employment, Craig's List and the Williston Shopper are where the jobs are found, the really good jobs will be by word of mouth.

Getting mail or packages... If you are in a house, you are golden. If you are in a trailer like me, you are more than likely out of luck. The Post Office in my town has an 8 month wait for a PO box, other Post Offices are up to a year or more. You will have to get creative if you wind up in my boat, hopefully your new employer has a manned address or office, I have had two packages stolen in the past two weeks.

I hope this list helps, there is probably more that I could add, but this is the most important stuff that comes to mind at the moment. Don't worry about getting FR gear, just make sure it is 100% cotton outerwear, like Carhartt bibs and parkas. Stay away from anything with nylon or polyester in it and everyone will leave you alone. Stay with natural fibers like wool and cotton, which is the best in my book anyways. I have the Under Armour gear, but in all honesty, it ain't that great.

And if you are reading this come say the end of April, or beginning of May, jeans, t-shirts and tennis shoes are the normal wardrobe. Just don't screw around with our winters, and you will be just fine.

Oh, and if you are a Golfer like me, bring your sticks, there are some very nice courses up here. A good way to keep ones sanity in my book.

Mike

:D :D :D

That is the funniest chit I have ever read!!! You are sounding so much like a recruiter shoveling chit like that!!


$500 a day.....if you work 20 + hours a day....maybe.


If it really was $1000 a day....for a 14 hour day.....THEY would have bodies lined up across the state standing in the line for that job.

The reality of that wage...closer to $310 to $380....for that 14 hour day.

MAYBE the truck could average $1,000 per 14 hour day. IF a driver was able to load and deliver three, 40 to 50 mile loads.....That is figuring 230 barrel loads at $1.56 per barrel on 45 mile loads.. That is also figuring EVERYTHING goes exactly right and you actually were able to deliver three loads. Wiley Bice or any other crude hauler is not going to give a driver 100 percent of the revenue....and I gave my estimate a 30 cent per barrel bump from OK-CO-TX-LA current "to the truck" rates. Unloading at a rail yard into the cars eats up time.

Promote the job opportunities. The jobs are real........but.........BE REAL about wages.

So what outfit do you work for up here? Just curious, as you seem to KNOW so much about the goings on up here...

Here is the deal, you are not going to walk into these higher wage paying jobs off of the street unless you know someone, and most of all proven yourself up here. And yes, drivers are lined up for these particular jobs, openings do happen, but it still boils down to who you know. And if you are not up here working, it is pretty hard to find these jobs. You will not find these better paying jobs advertised on Craig's List.

And then we have to clarify that we are not running little 130 bbl tankers up here to haul crude. Many are up to 20,000 gallons with multiple axles, along with pups. Take a percentage of that load and do two a day... The guys I know with these rigs, yes drivers, have no problem bagging some serious coin. It is happening every day up here, this ain't West Texas. God forbid we let the facts get in the way of your opinion.

Here is how trucks are paid up here...

Water trucks, flowback and production trucks make anywhere between $100 - $145 an hour.

Crude, by the hour or by the barrel, rates are all over the place, from $100 up to $175 an hour. Then the barrel rate which are private contracts that that are not talked about, but the drivers do very well that work for these companies.

You have to understand that there is not much up here, but their are oil wells, an insane amount of them, and they are everywhere producing oil every second of the day. We are on line to break a million barrels a year in production. Currently pipelines are going in to connect all of these oil production sites to railheads and other pipelines to keep the oil moving. Problem is is that the work is going slow. So, we have trucks that run 24/7 up here to keep these production sites from spewing oil, you just can't hit a switch and stop this oil from coming out of the ground. So, these oil companies need trucks, and we still have a shortage of both trucks and drivers, it is called supply and demand. So, if you are a Wiley operator, and a good negotiator that lives in the patch... So you tell me why a driver on percentage could not make $1000 gross in a day? I ran with these guys out here, and thought about joining up with them, but they had no housing and I was still very green up here, so I passed on the offer. Would I jump at it again if offered a position? I might, but I honestly have other plans. Work smarter, not harder.

Mike

Seriously. You really want to go with that attitude??

First and foremost. IF I wanted a job in North Dakota working in "The Patch" I have enough "contacts" that I am certain I would make whatever the top wage for the position is. Seriously. I'm not your average country "Bumpkin". I've been around. I've hauled some weight. I moved to Texas to be warm. This is NOT my first "go-round" in the oilfield.

As far as the Barrels the trucks up there can haul........tanks are limited in the numbers of axles they can have under them to an extent. One axle only allows an extra 1850 pounds of cargo. But let's say that the trucks in NoDak are hauling that mystical 20,000 gallon figure you threw out there. That 20,000 gallons is 476.191 barrels. At 78 gravity, the truck is going to be about 146,500 pounds, give or take. So the truck is still under the 200,000 weight that No-Dak allows on COUNTY ROADS ONLY, in OIL PRODUCING COUNTIES ONLY. At 17 gravity, IF the driver choses to put 476.191 barrels on the truck, the gross weight has jumped up to 211,550 pounds...give or take. These weight examples are IF the gravity is corrected to 60 degrees API.

The Canadian and Michigan "Super Tanks" typically only haul about 320 barrels max.....and those are some serious wagons.


North Dakota Association of Oil and Gas Counties - County Truck Permits

http://www.ndenergy.org/usrfiles/pi/...20Schedule.pdf


My current trailer isn't 130 barrels, because I don't haul water. I have a 200 barrel trailer and a 84,000# over-weight permit, which allows me to run on any road surface EXCEPT the Interstate system, down here in Texas. If you haven't heard.....the entire state of Texas is an oil and gas producing area. It's not something limited to a few counties.

Now. Do you want to talk about how much time is involved in loading the oil onto the trailer(s)?? 190 barrels can be loaded in about 38 minutes. The "standard" production tank is 400 barrels. Some are 500 barrel. Some are 1000 barrels. Tank batteries can run from 2 tanks to 20 tanks to 100 tanks. 99% of producers require "split" tickets if a oil is pulled from more than 1 tank to build a load, because of the numerous investors involved with each lease. Here in Texas, they "co-mingle" the oil produced from multiple wells on a lease. Every drop of oil a truck removes from a lease is expected to be accounted for. The buyers really get pizzed when the drivers fail to test the oil and haul the produced water as oil.......Something that happens all to often.....because drivers are more interested in hauling ***** than in doing their job. The producers love the lazy driver....cuz the producers don't have to pay to dispose of water hauled as oil.

Take that attitude to No-Dak, use larger trucks.......larger volumes.....and the problem triples.

Now....do you want to talk about how long it takes to pump that load of oil off into a rail car? A car that.........by your 20,000 gallon figure......... can only take 2/3's of the truck's load? Splitting that load requires more paperwork to chase the oil. Paperwork requires time from the driver.

I have weight charts to help me figure 'legal" load capacity. I have tank charts to help me figure outtage volumes......or I can just take a minute and do the long math and reach the same figures with my calculator and production tank size / volumes.

I do my job right. Every time. I am "old school" oil. I do not reject a load because there is to much much water in it. If there is to much water, and I can get a legal....PROFITABLE...load by filling the wagon, then pumping back the water after 20 or so minutes, I do that. I do it this way, because a rejected load takes time and money to replace. If I am going to lose something, I am going to lose those minutes...not hours, gallons of fuel and more empty miles chasing oil.


Again. IF there really was a $1,000 a day wage available...there would be lines of QUALIFIED drivers standing in the cold for them. DO NOT assume that "OIL" is some mystical dragon to be feared. I know several hundred men and quite a few women whom are perfectly suited and well qualified, to drive those "Big Rigs" in No-Dak. Most all of them haul chemicals that are far far worse than crude oil. 99.9 percent of those chemicals are made from crude oil.

I know several folks whom have relocated down here from N0-Dak...Montana and Wyoming....because they can make just as much "per day" here....and be warm doing it. There are folks from Florida, New Jersey and other points working down here...some legal hours...some not...and making between $320 and $430 a day. Those whom claim to make $500 + per day...refuse to show a pay stub........look like their eyes are dragging in the dust.........and smell like chit.

Thanks...but no thanks.

Tomorrow I finish training a man to haul crude, whom came home from Iraq last month. The day after tomorrow I start training another man, whom just quit his job in Afghanistan, to haul crude.

justruckin


I think you sound like a guy that is excited about what he's doing. Maybe I'm just not as jaded as others.
If you are recruiting, I hope you get paid. :o

Everything you said makes sense. and if we were to relocate it would be some place cold, seems less people are desiring those jobs.

For me personally, I'm sick of my town and place of birth to basically replace me with non-natives and bi-linguals. If that means I need to move to colder weather.... so be it. I looked up Mercy Medical Hospital there in Williston.... no where on the application for jobs I qualify for did it say prefer bi-lingual. Can't say any of that for the hospitals in my area.


You answered all the questions I had about block warmer and fly/drive. Husband and I were looking to fly in to Sloulin Inter Airport, but both the price and your comments have helped me to re think that. I found some place he can apply for from home. He has all his endorsments with Haz, provable recent OTR, and a current job. So its just a matter of finding a good fit.

Thanks for your help!

Simmer down simmer down now | Free Video Clips | SPIKE

Sorry young lady.....But this isn't my first time at the rodeo...and I have more than one functional calculator. I can live with "Fish stories". I draw the line when those stories are about money.

If I thought for one moment that there was the possibility of a $1,000 per day "pay-day" for driving a truck as a "company hand", I would already be in No-Dak with my insulated Nomex and snow packs ready to work.

I already said I have talked with folks whom have come down here from up there, simply because they can make the same money per day here as there....and be warm doing it. It was 83 today (01-17). It was 47 when I walked in from the truck a few minutes ago.

Dd214
 

ex military should never pay for a DD214 its free from the V A admin but it takes a few weeks to get

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.

:roll3:

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

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

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

Going to ND in a few weeks, or sooner.
 

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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?

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...

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

Thanks a lot Justruckin!!!!

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

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?

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.