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

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by paulcouto, Sep 7, 2011.

  1. paulcouto

    paulcouto Medium Load Member

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    Sep 7, 2011
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    I'm in a little town called sonora but a guy like yourself can find a oil field related driving job in a huge portion of texas.

    First of all, i dont know what kind of money you are making at your job, so i am not expert enough to say if you are potentially leaving more money to make less money by coming to texas. All i can say for sure is that you can get a job here and that would be the least of your worries.....as a matter of fact, finding a oil field driving job here is a "non issue" as long as your driving and background record is relatively clean.

    To make more money to start than a rookie like myself, you are gonna need more than just driving experience. You are gonna have to know about the oil industry and the certain criterias that go along with your particular driving job to make you more valuable. You may have to reinvent yourself and learn at first and then move into a spot that suits your needs as far as hours, money, big company vs. small companies and how they treat you or how you want to be treated or what kind of work environment you want. Its all out here for a guy who wants it. This is evident by what "slodsm" has been posting in this thread. Perhaps you may want to pm him because he is the experienced guy and i'm still pretty green to all this.

    In my particular direction to start, i chose experience and a career and didnt chase money. Thats why i was tickled pink with getting an interview with nabors. I thought i'd have to "work up" to nabors but I got to start out with them. I am putting in my time to become expert in my field from communicating and being as helpful and professional with company men and pushers and other field crew workers... all the way down to never grinding a gear in my truck or producing very clear and concise paperwork.

    For any stone cold rookies, all i can say is come on down and grab it, but for you, i think you should research a little more and make sure you know what to expect as far as money goes. Theres no doubt that you will like everything else about this particular field to start, that i'm sure of.

    I tell ya, theres nothing neater to me than driving miles down a lease road and pulling up to a huge drilling rig and the dust is blowing and theres just so much going on......loud diesel generators roaring away, big huge electrical boxes with hundreds of cable wires going to god knows where and what, rig crew guys walking around (all with the same look on their faces), BIG HUGE pulley hooks the size of a small car pulling up pipe and everything on that rig tower is shaking and clanking and the bright lights blarring and then youre wondering if its ok to walk in certain areas or you hear a guy yell and you jump out of your shoes thinkin youre doing something wrong and it turns out none of those guys even acknowledge youre there because they are just so #### busy......oh and some of those old company men and pushers lol, got to respect them, theyve seen and done it all i'm sure, some have been salty with me but i just think of it as "love", I know they earned their little spot in the world. But the amazing thing is that this virtual little city might have been down the road a mile or two YESTERDAY. They dont waste no time moving these rigs and they got it all figured out. Its awesome.

    Man its great! Cant wait to wake up at 4:30 am tomorrow and start another day!
     
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  3. Trashtrucker1265

    Trashtrucker1265 Road Train Member

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    Dec 14, 2009
    Inverness, Fl
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    I appreciate the detailed response. Like you I enjoy the challenge of the job and the off the beaten path feel, but up here in western PA off the beaten path can get you in a world of hurt if you're not careful, toss in the snow and the ice and it becomes that much more dangerous. Simply put I never expected to be in PA, my wife was offered an opportunity to go to nursing school here and we decided to give it a shot and I ended up in this area of trucking . If it wasn't for the miserable weather here I would think about staying, but I absolutely hate the cold and can't stand the thought of another day not seeing the sun, currently we haven't had sunlight for 4 days....Talk about a downer.

    I would like to think the next place the wife and I relocate to will be a permanent thing, I'm sick and tired of moving. I lived in Florida all my life and can honestly say I think it was best that I left because I found out there are companies out here that do give a #### about their drivers. Florida employers could give 2 craps about their guys because the economy there is absolutely awful and Florida based companies have the mentality of "if you don't want to do it for this money, there's a hundred other guys that will". I'm paid very fairly where I'm at and treated with respect, I wish I could take this job south with me. Maybe I'll talk them in to opening a division in Texas, here's to wishful thinking.....
     
  4. paulcouto

    paulcouto Medium Load Member

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    i'm sure you can find this in texas, just dont know for the same money to start is all. Here at nabors, a driver has no excuse, nabors gives a lot here and they never push you. All they want is you to work a lot of hours, 12 minimum i believe but everyone in the oild field works a lot of hours, it just comes with the territory.

    My shortest day so far was 14.5 hours. My usual is 15 hours because we cant work more than that by law. If it turns out youre running late and out at a well or rig past 15 hours, you stay where you are and they will come and pick you up.....and you get paid for all that.

    Also, you get an hour to do your pre trip and get ready, if your truck aint up to snuff, you can refuse to drive it and they encourage this behavior, not preach it and then condemn you when you practice it.

    Just the other day, i had a truck that wasnt holding air pressure on the leakage test. Me and my trainer brought it to the shop and swapped trucks. The next day, the truck was supposedly fixed and i inspected it myself, it still wasnt working properly but it was determined it would be ok untill they could get a new control valve. I could have refused the truck if i still wanted but it was only a very slow leak and the air pressure was fine as long as the engine was on and compressor running. I then did a low air warning test to make sure the device worked and it did, so i figured the problem was minor and a good employeee works around those sort of things. I just made sure to look at my air guage more often and went on about my buisness.

    All i know is that this company i work for, you dont have to "not make waves"......that sort of stuff can cost you your job here if dont point out things that are wrong.
     
  5. Ezrider_48501

    Ezrider_48501 Road Train Member

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    Apr 2, 2011
    bismarck, nd
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    for someone who does not want to work as meany hours there are some companys out here that run 2 drivers per truck 12 hour shifts, typicaly one guy will drive out in a pickup and take over at the end of the shift the other will then drive the pickup back to wherever they are staying. however i want as meany hours as i can get and take full advantage of the oil feild hours of service exemptions and meany times stay on the pay clock 24 hours a day. (can split the 10 hour break, in 2 periods any time sitting on location can be logged on line 5 and NOT count against your 14 hour clock this time can also be used for your split sleeper berth only 24 hours required for a reset)
     
  6. dirtsquirter

    dirtsquirter Bobtail Member

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    Aug 26, 2011
    rmxer08@yahoo.com
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    Still waiting for the US Embassy in Manila to schedule a interview date for my wife's visa, then I am heading back to the states to renew my CDL in RI. I think by the years end I will wrap everything up here and be on our way. I really have been planning to drive up to N. Dakota, but reading about your experiences just may change my mind. Believe it or not, I think I may like the weather up there better than the hot and dry conditions in the Texas area. We want to raise our son in a family friendly town, and been looking at the black hills of S. Dakota as a family base, and a 5 hour drive up to the Williston area. My poor wife won't know what hit her when I bring her up to the Dakota's in Jan. Being from South East Asia all her life, she just may think I lost my mind. :biggrin_2559:
     
  7. Ezrider_48501

    Ezrider_48501 Road Train Member

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    bismarck, nd
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    comming from someone that has lived in nodak for the last 7 years the winters can be brutal-40* + 40 mph winds blowing snow, and way too long. beautifull summers however
     
  8. paulcouto

    paulcouto Medium Load Member

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    Personally, i think for your situation, texas is better. That heat and less pay in texas outweighs alot of what dakota is going to throw at you. We got air conditioning in these trucks and youre not outside that much to make the heat an issue compared to those dakota winters. Ive heard you may have to change those chains on your truck 5 to 6 times a day and i guarentee just that endeaver alone is going to get old real quick. I still like the idea of the challenge of dakota because i enjoy things that are hard.

    You are really limited there too if you dont have a residence in williston. Not all companies provide shelter and some only offer it for 3 months. Theres alot of question marks there if you dont have things set up in advance and if you get caught up in a bad living situation or work situation, you gonna wish you wasnt ever in that town. From my research, i just know dakota is no joke, its a tough place when you compare it to the texas situation where housing is cheap and plentiful and the jobs are just as booming with no extreme cold and all kinds of other crap to deal with.

    Just my opinion but if you want to go for it, then i wish you well and a part of me is jealous......deep down i still feel a calling to dakota, the challenge sound extremely exciting. However, ive made my bed now and i'm staying extremly loyal to nabors for a while.
     
  9. dirtsquirter

    dirtsquirter Bobtail Member

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    Aug 26, 2011
    rmxer08@yahoo.com
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    You make a valid point about Texas versus N. Dakota. I am still going for the Dakota's and I'll tell you why, not only is the pay better, but I think the area of the country is hands down a better place to live. I want small town, quiet, and low crime. I don't want to be in an area where there are gangs, drugs, and just the all around filth that comes with cramming a lot of people into a popular area. I know it will be much harder, but most things that are worth anything in this life are that way. I am hoping, like you, to find that company to stay with, and just give them my best. I also realize you can't escape all the crap from the big city's but up in the black hills it looks to me like a wonderful place to raise my family and spend time with them on my days off. -40 below and 40 mile an hour winds? Believe it or not I welcome it after living in Philippines for 2 years. This weather here is much better than say Florida in the summer, but between the ants, flys, mosquitoes, ####roaches and humidity, I am looking forward to a cold, snowy winter where everything is either dead or hibernating until the first thaw. :yes2557:
     
  10. Svoray

    Svoray Medium Load Member

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    Feb 3, 2011
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    Welcome to Texas!

    I'm a native life long West Texan who only just recently joined the oilfield. I got my CDL on a Friday and started applying for jobs the following Monday. I never got passed Wednesday before I had a company sending me off for a drug test and Physical. It took almost two weeks for the testing and results. The following Monday from there had me at work sweeping the shop. Half way through the next day I was assigned a trainer. In 4 wks ( took 4ks to receive my Hazmat letter) I got my own tanker hauling diesel for Hydraulic Well companies.

    I was brand new to trucking, outside of CDL class my only experience with a big truck was a small ride along with my sister's husband. So my start out pay was low but the over time more than made up for it. All in all I take home 800.00-900.00 a week. Now there is times when I have to spend the night on a site which has bumped my take home to 1200.00 a week. The hours comes out to 12-16 hrs daily on average and what I call working late equalling 20-48 hrs straight on one day/night.

    Problem, due to the oil boom, housing is almost non existent here in Midland/ Odessa. People are living out of hotels. We got people living trailers at the yard as well as a local motel. So yes, there are jobs here but I would make sure you have a place to stay before committing to anything.
     
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2011
  11. Dyancej

    Dyancej Bobtail Member

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    Sep 15, 2011
    Las Cruces, NM.
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    Sounds like the job is going great. What are they starting you off at hour wise (If you don't mind me asking)? Hopefully I will start my classes in a week and be down there in a month after that.
    Been great reading about your start up there.
     
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