I'm a stone cold rookie, gonna work the texas oil fields

North dakota on average pays about 5 bucks more an hour than texas in the oil field related driving jobs. I decided on texas because its easier to find a place to live here and the weather is more consistent. You can make more money in dakota but there is definately a price that comes with it. The winters are no joke there. If I myself had a place to stay there for sure, i would have went to dakota mainly for the challenge and not the money so much. Since I was limited on time, funds and experience, texas was clearly the best choice for me and my situation.

I really dont know what the best way is to find a company to work for fresh out of driving school. That was the same situation as mine. I just simply read everything related on this site and googled and or craigslist the rest. For instance, go to craigslist and look up the driving jobs on there for texas or dakota. Then call some of the ads that have a phone number. When you talk to whoever is calling the shots, if he or she doesnt want you, then ask who would. Thats how I discovered nabors.

Let me make this clear though, i work 15 hours a day at nabors, its not for everyone but it is for me. I'm sure a person can find less hours at another company but long hours and the oil field is fairly synonimous.

 

I would just throw those resumes in the trash and just come on down. This is not starbucks land where they want a resume and a college degree just to even consider you for an interview at mcdonalds. These are the kind of jobs and places where looking a man in his eye and showing him how much you want to be a part of the oil field is ALL the resume you need.

Remember now, i drove 1700 miles just on a man's "word" to come in for an interview in which he basically said "i can just about guarentee you the job as long as your driving and personal record is clean"......that was good enough for me and I knew from his voice and the research i did, he wasnt blowing smoke up my butt.

Training is not written in stone. It depends on how bad you want to learn and who they send you with. One guy likes to do all the driving, so i pick his brain and he answers all my questions. One guy lets me drive all day and gives me advice and answers my questions. Another guy does all the driving but gives me advice i would have never thought of. At nabors, its laid back and nobody is in a hurry. You have to take iniative and talk with your supervisors and let them know how YOU think its going and if YOU are happy with your training. Personally, i think if a person was really motivated, you can be ready to drive on your own in about a month.....theres really alot of stuff to know, espeacially paper work, but other companies may be easier (or harder, i wouldnt know).

As of right now, I'm very happy with everything. Your pay to start out and train is the same as when you get certified to drive on your own. I really dont know how to get more money or raises or how it works because i am not interested in it right now. I'm just interested in becoming the best driver i can be and then inquire about more money if i feel i'm worth more over time. You get paid by the hour no matter what. If you get caught in a flood and youre floating down river, YOURE GETTING PAID. This is not swift and cr england, this is the oil field where the big bucks are. You pull up to a rig and got to wait in line to load a tank or pit, THEY ARE THE COMPANY YOU ARE WORKING FOR and the fact that you are sitting there waiting is the least of their concern considering they got a huge drilling operation running worth millions of dollars. You just sit and wait and be ready to jump when they ask and you sit and get paid.

Believe me, all this stuff i'm trying to explain is just like the stuff i researched. It sounds incredible or too good to be true, but when you actually come out and drive for someone, you then see with your own eyes how true it all is. Its really great and its cool to be a part of it all.

 

i wouldnt work for 700 a week net, that was an otr job i declined in california to work the oil fields in texas. That crappy otr job was for 10-12 hours a day which i knew was gonna be more hours than that, so thats why i went for the oil field job because for basically the same amount of hours (maybe a little more) i could make alomost double hauling tankers in texas.

If you got a cdl with a tanker endorsement and clean record, then its a simple matter of making some phone calls or better yet, just get yourself down here and knock on the endless companies who are looking for drivers.

I drive down the road on my job here and it dont take more than a few minutes on average to see another tanker comin the other way doin the same thing. You both wave hello and go on about your buisness. The tanker process for these rigs and wells is virtually endless. Theres always a need for drivers in the oil field. Sounds hard to believe but its true.

 

if you got a clean record then "scoring a interview" is the same as you got the job. Keep us posted and congradulations.

 

so when are you coming out here friend?

 

Yes, dont see any reason why people would even consider otr unless that was their true passion and or desired lifestyle. Money is not everything and i dont think it should be a main factor, but bottom line, money is a good thing. Thanks for posting in my thread.