Jobs in ND Oil Patch

**paulcouto** · 11.09.2011

Originally Posted by plater1

the best i could find for water haulers was $15hr in the Midland/Odessa area. but, i only looked for a few days there could be better i just couldn't find it.

yes, thats about right. Theres too much talk out there about this company pays this and that and when you investigate it, its bs or there is a catch to it.

What i like to do is think about how much i can save and not how much i can make. North dakota pays more and the high paying jobs is not "story" like it is in texas. But if you make 6k in nd but it cost you 2k a month to live and texas you make 5k and it costs you 1k a month to live and you dont have the harsh winters.......well you do the math.

An rv obviously solves a lot of problems but then thats another ball of worms. Good rv's arent cheap.

**popmartian** · 11.09.2011

Times are tough and its good to see jobs for drivers are still plentyful. We run across (94) 2 weeks ago, get ready for for some "####" its cold weather,

**Big John** · 11.09.2011

Originally Posted by paulcouto

and who my friend in Texas is paying 20 bucks an hour to start hauling water?

The majority of companies dont pay that much or there is some sort of catch to it. I am speaking for new drivers.

Well my friend I said Oklahoma and it may be the same in Texas but not for sure. Never said anything about hiring newbies here in Oklahoma. If you have experience some companies are hiring water haulers at $20 an hour on the night shift with benefits and new trucks. They are having a hard time finding drivers so the pay goes up to attract experienced drivers. Day shift pays a dollar or two less. Rig movers are making around $25 an hour with experience and crude haulers are in the $70k to $100k a year depending on who you work for. Yeah some companies may train a newbie and I am sure you will start out a lot less but I was talking about experienced drivers. An experienced driver I would not drive a truck in the oil field for less then $20 an hour, these company's are in need of experienced drivers that can pass a drug test and show up to work and do the job, you need to negotiate if you have the experience and look at every company in the area.

Their is no catch to getting a good paying job in the oil field and it is not easy work. Companies are paying high wages because they need the workers to make things happen. A water truck in Oklahoma can gross up around $4,000 plus a day running 24 hrs but a new truck with pump and a water trailer will run a little over $200k so if I was making that kind of money and had that much invested in my equipment I am going to have some good drivers and pay them good money. Wages are better in North Dakota but it is going to cost you more to live and eat up their plus you will deal with the winter weather. What I am just telling some of these guys you can make good money driving here in Oklahoma and the cost of living is cheaper.

**paulcouto** · 11.09.2011

Originally Posted by Big John

Well my friend I said Oklahoma and it may be the same in Texas but not for sure. Never said anything about hiring newbies here in Oklahoma. If you have experience some companies are hiring water haulers at $20 an hour on the night shift with benefits and new trucks. They are having a hard time finding drivers so the pay goes up to attract experienced drivers. Day shift pays a dollar or two less. Rig movers are making around $25 an hour with experience and crude haulers are in the $70k to $100k a year depending on who you work for. Yeah some companies may train a newbie and I am sure you will start out a lot less but I was talking about experienced drivers. An experienced driver I would not drive a truck in the oil field for less then $20 an hour, these company's are in need of experienced drivers that can pass a drug test and show up to work and do the job, you need to negotiate if you have the experience and look at every company in the area.

Their is no catch to getting a good paying job in the oil field and it is not easy work. Companies are paying high wages because they need the workers to make things happen. A water truck in Oklahoma can gross up around $4,000 plus a day running 24 hrs but a new truck with pump and a water trailer will run a little over $200k so if I was making that kind of money and had that much invested in my equipment I am going to have some good drivers and pay them good money. Wages are better in North Dakota but it is going to cost you more to live and eat up their plus you will deal with the winter weather. What I am just telling some of these guys you can make good money driving here in Oklahoma and the cost of living is cheaper.

no, thats not what you said before but thanks for now clarifying.

I think its important that people reading these threads know the facts. A guy like myself comes out to texas and gets a job. Its not bad paying but it isnt great in my opinion. Then, you start "hearing" all this stuff about companies paying more and thats why guys jump around and find the grass isnt greener all because of the bs they hear without investigating first.

For instance sir, a company like "plains", you hear about all this money they are paying. You investigate and you find the money is ok but the better pay is at night time and it depends on what location you work at too because the job pays by the load. You see, thats a "catch" right there. Then you hear about their great safety bonus for 3k every quarter. Well, if youre caught with low tire pressure or something "unsafe", you get 300 bucks knocked off your bonus. If you back your trailer into a daisy, kiss your bonus completely goodbye. At one facility, i hear there is a district manager who goes out of his way to find something wrong with your rig so he can chip away at your bonus.

Now, to be fair, i hear most guys are getting their full bonus but some arent. The point is, when you read an advertisement for a particular company and all this money they are paying, theres usually more to the story.

I heard "basic" pays by the load and you can make all this money and stuff. I called them and it was hardly the case. Most of these companies basically pay the same. The good companies that truly pay better and less bs are typically not hiring often or they seriously require experience.....this means they keep their drivers, and other drivers, even experienced drivers, got their names on a waiting list.

Its real simple. You truly want to know who's good? Find out who isnt hiring, its as simple as that in most cases. I think its important to clarify these things because a new driver looking for something better can go backwards if he jumps around or can get extremely distracted because you think there is something better out there......well there is better out there but not for newbs and even experienced guys might have to wait as well.

This is what i know about texas so far. A guy can keep digging and maybe find a better oppurtunity but ive found its a waste of my precious time considering i work 70-90 hours a week.

Its just like this bs i hear about driving in iraq. "oh you can make 250k in 6 months tax free" and that is straight up b u ll sh it.

**Gisquid** · 11.09.2011

Amen to the Brother!! The only guys getting that kind of cheddar oversees is the "Spooks"

**Big Duker** · 11.10.2011

Originally Posted by Gisquid

Amen to the Brother!! The only guys getting that kind of cheddar oversees is the "Spooks"

There are some others making $ 200 k plus but most are way up in safety, Quality Assurance , or upper management. But you are right. Retired SF, SEALS, AF CCs, others from Special Opps can bring in some real money. But they earn it outside the wire too.

**Seattle206** · 11.10.2011

Originally Posted by georgeandson

I think its a basic rule they use "why should I pay 25 an hour when someone will do it for 15 an hour?..."

If someone will not do it for 25$ an hour you better bet there is a major catch to that. Thats big money. 40-60 hours a week at 25 an hour is nothing to turn away from unless something is really risky. IE -40 weather or 2 feet of snow or no housing at all...

But thats all speculation. I have never been to ND. I have been reading and following it for some time. But never been there. So my post is pure speculation....

Just to add to your speculation. I can confirm being originally a Midwesterner that the cold there can be hell on earth. I have been through North Dakota a few times. The plains are all flat in the Midwest. Plus they are close to the mountain region of Montana. The wind funnels down and just runs havoc on them.

**Stilgar** · 11.10.2011

Originally Posted by Big Duker

There are some others making $ 200 k plus but most are way up in safety, Quality Assurance , or upper management. But you are right. Retired SF, SEALS, AF CCs, others from Special Opps can bring in some real money. But they earn it outside the wire too.

I can tell you first hand there are no Truck Drivers making 250/6months in my sandbox. Not even close. Like my other Brothers said, only the QRF / Private PSD guys are doing that and like you said Big Duker, they earn it.

From what I can tell, the guys in ND are making what our guys are making without the overseas income deduction. (I think it's at 90K now)

Be well,

Stilgar

**paulcouto** · 11.10.2011

yeah, for 6 months 250k tax free i'd go anywhere, any time and do just about anything.

Theres no doubt that there is more money in nd but you got to be set up for it in every way possible. A decent rv, the right clothes, a 4 wheel drive etc. etc......you come up there short on anything and i just know its going to multiply that hell that awaits you in the winter.

It rained a few times here in tx since i been here and i experienced just a little of the infamous mud here. I call it suction soup. You can barely walk in it without almost falling on your ###.......its going to get worse and it is now getting a little chilly. The other night, it started raining and my windows fogged up out of no where at night and all of a sudden i had to go from 65 mph down to a slow crawl in seconds because i litterally couldnt see out the winshield with some turns coming up and the reflectors on the road basically disapeared, it scared the hell out of me. Thank god i was empty at the time.

I can only imagine how bad its going to get in ND. Anyone going up there half ### prepared only thinking about the money is going to be knocked on their ### in my opinion.