Trying to find out about Oilfield trucking!

Discussion in 'Trucking Jobs' started by bennythejew, Feb 22, 2007.

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  1. bennythejew

    bennythejew Bobtail Member

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    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...)
     
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  3. notarps4me

    notarps4me Road Train Member

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    Mcelroy is a decent company. Home on weekends, flatbed. Where do you live? I used to work in the oil fields in KS. I had a KW and pulled a tanker. We had a flatbed trailer that 1 guy ran. Had a dozer on it. He was the operator. We also had frack (sp?) trailers that was pulled out to the site. The tanker was tough in the winter. Hauled salt water to the rigs. KS is cold and hooking and unhooking the hoses I would get wet. This was back in the early 80's. Was home every night tho. Hope this helps.
     
  4. Cymerax

    Cymerax Bobtail Member

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    If you're willing to relocate to Wyoming I hear there's jobs paying top dollar cuz they can't get enough labor - coal mine haul work is also paying well I believe....
     
  5. bennythejew

    bennythejew Bobtail Member

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    Thanks for the advice! I live in Texas, looking in the south-central (around austin-San Antonio region...), trying to find out what requirements (i.e. experience required, etc...) are needed, and what the pay is like. If anyone knows of any companies, please let me know. I can't seem to find them as easily as trucking companies. Also if you know any companies NOT to work for, or you left the oilfield business, please let me know why. I'm not afraid of work, but I'm also not going to kill myself for a bit of money, just want to know what to expect.
     
  6. notarps4me

    notarps4me Road Train Member

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    The reason I left driving for the oilfields was one of the places I delivered to offered me more money to work on a rig than drive a truck. I worked on a pulling unit. We serviced the wells. Very dirty job. Had to wash my hair with dawn dishwashing soap and I could never get the oil out of my clothes.
     
  7. SKYLE

    SKYLE Bobtail Member

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    I am changing careers and looking at the oil/gas industry as well. I just got hired by Halliburton, they pay you during the CDL training portion, as well as paying for the training. I have a opportunity to drive for the cement or frac division. Is there anything I should be concerned about? I wanted something that was local and not otr. Looking for advise, concerns I should think about or comments.
    Thanks
     
    Hatley Thanks this.
  8. notarps4me

    notarps4me Road Train Member

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    The only thing I did not like about the frac trailers was when they came back in the yard we had to hose them out. The trailer had rods inside that ran from side to side. It was a 2 man job. One to climb on top and look down at the guy hosing it out in case he passed out. So he could get help. There was a strong chemical smell in the trailer. The inside would have a gel like sludge covering everything. You would have to climb up and down the rods and hose everything out. If I remember right it was methane gas.
     
  9. bear-legs06

    bear-legs06 Bobtail Member

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    In my experience with the Oilfield industry, if you are looking to be home every night this is not what you are looking for. I worked in the Oilfields, driving all kinds of trucks in the woods via two tracks and pushed and pulled by dozers. I am not talking about small dozers either. My schedule consisted of being on-call 21 days and off for three days. When I got called in I would be gone from anywheres from 8 to 72 hours. I was very rarely home every night. Driving trucks for the oilfields consist of doing more than just driving the trucks. Unfortunately, the trucking industry is not just a job it is a lifestyle and it is quite hard to obtain a local driving job to be home every night. At least that is what I have encountered and I have had my CDL for 13 years.
    Barry
     
  10. bear-legs06

    bear-legs06 Bobtail Member

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    1) Watch for the pressure in the bulk cement trailers. DO NOT open any of the hatches until you know the pressure has been bled off.
    2) Plan on getting rubber boots that go to your knees because you will be working in all weather conditions that you can imagine.
    3) Make sure that you get warm clothes for the winter.
    4) Make sure that you have plenty of water to drink in the summer.
    5) Just do your job to the best of your ability and don't get into any of your co-workers business. The boys of the oil/gas fields are a kind of their own and you don't want to get on their bad side.
    6) Be prepared to drive on two-tracks in the woods and being pushed and pulled by HUGE dozers.
    7) Plan on physical exertion everyday.
    8) Always watch what is going on around you. Everything on the sites can be dangerous.
    9) Plan on extremely long hours and being gone for days a time or being on call for long stretches before you get your days off.
    10) The oil/gas fields have their own set of labor laws.
    I know this because I use to work for an oil/gas field service company and with the things that I experienced I would not do it again or encourage any body else to do it. It is REALLY STRESSFUL!!!
     
    Shep Shiloh and Hatley Thank this.
  11. drive55cat

    drive55cat Medium Load Member

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    If you look in the FMCSA handbook, you will see that oil operations are completly different and seperate from all other driving regulations. drive55cat
     
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