How is oilfield trucking different than regular OTR trucking?

A lot more, there's no comparison there.

When I started I was averaging about $500 a day, $2500 a week to the bank as a single guy. My favorite gig was an oil gig that had me working 7-8 hrs a day making $400 a day while getting a free hotel room and since I didn't work a lot of hours that meant I could run on recaps working every day.

The most money I ever made was working up in Alaska, there's no HOS or cops so you work as much as you want to. I averaged about $3k a month to the bank as a single guy, plus I got a free hotel room and all the gourmet food I could eat. Some guys up there spend the whole day stopping at different places to try the food, it's one of the perks of oilfield work. Free lodging and food, so I basically pocket all that cash when I got no bills to pay other than my phone bill and you won't even need that since there's barely any cell service up there.

 

I have an oilfield trucking company is Williston, ND.

I have 2 schedules for guys;
2 weeks on, 1 week off for dayshift

4 weeks on, 2 weeks off for night shift

No matter who you are, while I train you I start you at $26/hour with OT after 40.

After training is done I bump you up to what your work ethic / experience warrants.

I’m legal and work my guys 6-6 shifts with 1 day off a week.

If you don’t live here, I provide a studio apartment just for you.

Apparently Williston was a bumhole back in the boom but it’s quite nice now a days.

At $26/hour you make $2268 / week with me.

 

I worked a full month in North Dakota hauling water before I ever saw a frac site in the daylight. It's the sorta deal where you take the shift that's available when you're the rookie.

You can make about as much money as you're willing to work for but common sense is necessary to survive. Screw ups are insanely expensive for the company you haul for and the oil company or disposals you haul to and from.

Some guys tear up equipment and don't get any work done while others keep the wheels turnin and stay out of trouble. If you can be the latter of the two you'll do good.

 

I wouldn't know about ND as I've only done oilfield in TX. I make more money doing oilfield but not significantly more. I averaged $1,500 to $1,800 a week doing OTR and could occasionally hit $2k on a really good week. Oilfield I average between $1,800 and $2,500 a week and can get up to $3k in a week if I really hit it hard. However what I like most about oilfield is that I don't leave Texas and I work 3 weeks on then 1 week off vs OTR which is 3 weeks out then maybe 2 days off. Also we get nicer trucks in the oilfield. OTR is pretty much all Freightliner's and Volvo's then good luck finding a job with one that can actually do the speed limit.

 

I love driving at night, where do I sign up?

 

There are no addresses or street signs in the oilfield. You have to learn how to read lease maps. Keep an eye on your odometer, you'll be counting miles and tenths on the lease roads. Don't even think about using the navigation feature on your GPS (if you even bother to get one) to get you there, you need to determine your own routes.

I use Google Maps and drop a pin on every location I go to, because they all look about the same from satellite view.

 

I don’t know about North Dakota, I’ve only worked in the Permian Basin of West Texas.

Here, if you were to say you wanted to live in the truck people would look at you as a flake. Most every place (Enterprise, NGL, Indeca, Oasis, etc) works a day and a night shift. You’ll need a place to live other than the truck because it will be moving when you’re not on duty. Rents have gone down substantially since 2018. You can find a 1 bedroom/1 bath in Midland for $800-850. Once you make the jump and get off The Road you can start living like a human being again.

 

Most company drivers are slipseating while living in a trailer park/man camp and most single truck owner operators are the ones living in the trucks.