Originally Posted by nd-newbie

I can back up what you said. The oil patch is rough work, partially due to the climate up here in Winter. But then, so was mining work during the gold rush. This kind of work is not for the pampered man, and assuredly not for someone who needs to work in a clean, healthy, air-conditioned and fancy environment. If this is you, stay away!

Standing outside in -70 (before windchill) is suicide without tons of layers, good PPE and a willingness to get cold anyway. ND in the winter is not suitable for man or beast. Haulers MUST stand out in the elements with the pumps while pumping. Sure, you can jump back in the truck and heat up anytime, as much as you like (unless there's a line). But you must turn off those pumps before you get warm!

I returned to ND recently and am now seeking a job in the oil patch. My two years of CDL time with vans and tanks as a safety instructor made me hungry for some real financial opportunity. Yes, if you are hiring to work solid drivers unafraid of winters and oil roads for 70+ hours at great money, you are welcomed to call me. seven 0 one 5 eighty 98 forty two.

I have taken rides with Missouri Basin employees and well service contractors, to get a feel for what they do. Mostly fresh and production water.

The company drivers are pretty much kept legal 12-14 hours per day, inclusive of pre- and post- trip, and yes they are straight with their log (singular). These drivers earn $17 per hour after training ($20 for nights), drive 5/2 and 5/3, and are followed more strictly than non-employees, but their benefits are worth $10 more PER HOUR. Think about that if you have dependents. If little Johnny needs special meds... if little Suzie needs oral surgery... if the wife needs Cancer treatments... your decision should be to drive for the company. My opinion. The big companies will offer housing, some on a six-month only basis, FREE. That helps, especially if you are coming from a financial position somewhere between broke and indebted.

The contractors are a different animal. The trucking company owner grosses $130 per hour for every truck running. Think about that. And these well servicing companies send checks to the contractors like clockwork. That is why contractors are expected to work 14+ hrs/day. I saw some firms' (no names) trucks in line for a load before the company drivers even got to the yard, and those same contractor trucks were just getting in line AGAIN when the company truck drivers were on their way home for the night. The small firms pay NO BENEFITS. Some even want to pay you by 1099, which means you pay both sides of your payroll taxes. Ack!!! Nevertheless, contractors start between $20-$22 per hour if you have a few years of CDL time, up to $25/hr within six months, up to $30/hr after a couple of years. Be willing and ABLE to work 6+ days per week and 14+ hours a day, and be ready to get barked at when you want a day off. Plug this into an Excel spreadsheet: =(40*30)+(44*45) --- serious money. Housing assistance is just as likely as with a big well service company job. Beware of their digs, though. I saw some contractor rigs where the driver lived, slept and drove. If you are any breed of clean freak, you will balk at the worn, nasty sleepers offered by some of these firms. If you can sleep in a doghouse, complete with the dog (think about it, the dog doesn't get out much) and other driver's PPE scattered about, forget the issue!

In general, oil patch work over any extended period (years) is not for the family man. However, a single guy shouldn't think twice. Get up here!

Conclusion: In my opinion, the oil patch IS the only remaining American opportunity for the common man with a CDL. Did you hear me? YOU CAN STILL WORK YOUR BUTT OFF, BUY A HOME AND LAND (not up here in the oil patch though), SAVE TONS OF MONEY AND PAY OFF ALL YOUR DEBTS BY WORKING HARD.

Good post. But you made working for "contractors" or leasers way too glamorous. Missouri Basin (or any other "big" company) owns the work but does not have enough trucks to handle it all. They "lease" trucks on that pick up the slack. Oil companies pay Missouri Basin and then Missouri Basin pays the leaser trucks, the lease truck bosses then pay their drivers. Oil companies pay in 30, 60, 90, 180 days. You have to be a big company to wait that long for payment. I highly discourage working for owner ops. Why work for them when you can work for the company that owns the work. Some owner ops are legit but most string their drivers along for paycheck cuz they don't have cash to flow. A lot of big companies pay better than 17. Most are 25ish with some even more. Shop around. Lots of good jobs.....even more crappy ones.

And the -70 before wind chill is BS.

Originally Posted by ac22

good post. But you made working for "contractors" or leasers way too glamorous. Missouri basin (or any other "big" company) owns the work but does not have enough trucks to handle it all. They "lease" trucks on that pick up the slack. Oil companies pay missouri basin and then missouri basin pays the leaser trucks, the lease truck bosses then pay their drivers. Oil companies pay in 30, 60, 90, 180 days. You have to be a big company to wait that long for payment. I highly discourage working for owner ops. Why work for them when you can work for the company that owns the work. Some owner ops are legit but most string their drivers along for paycheck cuz they don't have cash to flow. A lot of big companies pay better than 17. Most are 25ish with some even more. Shop around. Lots of good jobs.....even more crappy ones.

did you received my pm , thanks drivers

Couple of drivers posted that they were told they had to get a ND license. You do not. Lots of our drivers are non residents and have CDL's from other states. No big deal. If you do want to switch it, ND gives you your license while you wait. The guy that got told another driver was hired, sorry to break this to you but something in your background didn't check out. That's the standard response of any employer when they decide not to hire you, usually if Power Fuels doesn't hire you it's because of your background check. If you don't meet the requirements they'll tell you straight out what you need to do. Don't know where these lowball wages are coming from but I make about $425-$450 a night depending on which company I'm hauling to. The shift is 12 hrs but you can shave a couple hours off that for various things. There are also other bonuses and it ends up to be better than 100K a year. I could make more if I wanted to work 6 days a week every week I guess but I have a wife and kids at home. I am home every night (well every day I work nights). I got your pm jvar I sent you an email. Hope I was of some help.

Originally Posted by LightsOutND

Couple of drivers posted that they were told they had to get a ND license. You do not. Lots of our drivers are non residents and have CDL's from other states. No big deal. If you do want to switch it, ND gives you your license while you wait. The guy that got told another driver was hired, sorry to break this to you but something in your background didn't check out. That's the standard response of any employer when they decide not to hire you, usually if Power Fuels doesn't hire you it's because of your background check. If you don't meet the requirements they'll tell you straight out what you need to do. Don't know where these lowball wages are coming from but I make about $425-$450 a night depending on which company I'm hauling to. The shift is 12 hrs but you can shave a couple hours off that for various things. There are also other bonuses and it ends up to be better than 100K a year. I could make more if I wanted to work 6 days a week every week I guess but I have a wife and kids at home. I am home every night (well every day I work nights). I got your pm jvar I sent you an email. Hope I was of some help.

If you don't meet the requirements they'll tell you straight out what you need to do

on my personal experience they never told me what to do to improve even with my two years , clean criminal,one car pool lane ticket. something happens there that dont want to tell me . maybe its because working or an O/O dont count as expereince.

Originally Posted by bennythejew

I'm wondering if anyone out there can help me find out about driving for an oilfield (or any other position that will get me home nightly)? I'm brand new to trucking (though it is in my family), still in driving school, and I have a young family and would like to find out about companies that might get me home every night to see them. My wife is especially wanting me to look into this.. I also need to be able to pay the bills with new job, flatbedding seems to be pretty good, but she wants me home EVERY night if possible. I would like to, also, but I also want to be realistic about trucking. HELP!!!

(Has anyone heard anything about McElroy or PGT trucking? I've talked to recruiters and they sound great; they're not huge companies, and I can't find any drivers to talk to...)

Benny, be wary and careful about which company you go to. These oil companies will lie, especially to out of staters. They will promise a certain amount of money and tell you that you'll have time off and when you get there you find your making 70% of the money that they promised and working 7 days a week.
My suggestion is that you talk to the drivers themselves and get the scoop on what is going on. It might be worth it to take a vacation and go out to the oil fields. Stop in at one of the local truck stops and talk to the drivers. There should be 10 or 15 different trucking companies that will pull in and out of the truck stop everyday. They will tell you what they are really making and what the hours and time off is like.

I have hauled both sand and water to the oil wells. Sand usually pays a little more than water but the hours are erratic. As a sand hauler you might work 18 hours one day, 11 the next, 20 the next, and 14 the next. As a water hauler you usually work 12-15 hours a day with a day or two off every 6 days. But there are some outfits that only work 60 hours a week, and others that work 100 hours a week. I personally like 80 hours cause I can still make good money but also have some free time.
North Dakota is the top dollar state to go to right now. Wyoming pays alot also. Actually, any place that's isolated, cold, and lonely pays top dollar. This is because no one will go out there if they pay low wages.
The going rates that I have seen for water haulers is 16 to 18 and hour in Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas. This increases to 23 to 28 and hour in North Dakota, parts of Wyoming and Montana.
Sand haulers usually get paid by the load and will be paid higher in North Dakota.
It's a messy, muddy, snowy job. Most people last for 3 or 4 months. If you don't like the snow and cold I recommend going to Texas or Oklahoma.