Worth a Career Change?

Unless you KNOW the boss and got this job all lined up...then its likely you will have to put in at least ONE year as a rookie before you would be qualified...and by the way...North Dakota is NOT for wimps AT ALL! And rookie pay SUCKS!

 

No experience truck driving jobs in ND are almost a thing of the past. I supervise for a very large company in ND. If you don't have at least 3 years OTR EXP. I will NEVER even get your resume' on my computer.

 

The thing about oilfield work is that it doesn't pay any better by the hour than the job you have now (your in the $20/hr range... similar to a lot of the oilfield jobs)..there is just a lot more hours available in the oil field. Yeah, a lot of those hours would be OT hours, but it's gonna cost you more to live in the oil field too...so like someone else said... you could actually achieve the same financial result by just getting a second $20hr job at home...provided that opportunity is available.

A lot would depend on how secure you feel at your current job... what you would be walking away from. If the current job is a job you could replace easily... if you wouldn't be giving up a lot of seniority/benefits etc... then that would make the oilfield less of a gamble.

For what it's worth... even on the low side, you should be able to make at least 60k in the oilfield. Many of the average jobs in the oilfield will double what you are making now... but don't forget the higher costs of being there.. the longer hours, the dangers...lots of dangers...lol. As far as retirement plans go...some of these oilfield jobs have unbelievable benefit packages and 401k plans. I know of one company that matches 100% of you first 15%.

 

Also most of the good jobs want at least 2 yrs exp plus all your endorsements

 

Anyone want to bet we have an oilfield crash in 2 years. It has always been in approx 7 yr cycles. I was there for the one in 83 and it were'nt purty Ma!

 

Another consideration is your age...a 44 year old man is an old man in the oil patch. I was 24 when I went out there in 1981. I went in November when the guys with good sense were heading south for the winter. I was hired immediately. You make your money by working sheer hours, not on the hourly and as others have pointed out, the cost of living is an outrage in those boom towns. There are many dangers out there, some of which are fatal. If the business crashes again, which happened in 1983, it gets ugly with a whole lot of people looking for jobs and none available. I went over the road after the crash and haven't been back. I'm too old to live through that again...the good part was that I learned to drive a truck in some of the worst conditions imaginable...over the road was like a vacation after that ordeal.

 

I was up in North Dakota a couple of years ago. I'd say that if you don't mind snow and temperatures of -30 or 40 degrees, I'd say go for it. Also, if you don't mind not being able to take a 10 minute break in a 12 hour period, you're good for alot of jobs up there. They tend to make you work for every penny you make up there.

 

Even driving specific jobs like water and crude? I have seen several 40+ year olds come through this oilfield forum and chronicle their journey. They all seemed to get jobs, even straight out of driving school. --Not sure if they stuck it out, but they got jobs...

And another thing I have noticed as I get older, my stamina is way better then when I was 24. At 24 I would sleep 12 hours a day if I had the opportunity. At 44+ I am lucky if I can stay asleep for 6, and 4 hours is enough to get by.

Older guys may not move as fast, but they seem to keep going, and going. In general.

But maybe Texas would be a better fit for an older rookie?

 

I work alongside 60-70 year olds.