Alberta oilfield driving jobs

BoomTruckin I appreciate your help earlier on.

Is there anyone else here that works or has worked in a company in the Alberta Oil Patch that might be hiring Class 1 Drivers at the moment? If so, would you mind shooting me a quick pm with the name and email/number of a contact there so I can send my resumes out to?

I am looking for a 15 days on 6 days off type of set up.

I am ready to make the move out there immediately but would prefer to line something up before heading out there because my "nest egg" is very small at the moment hehe.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

And no, I am certainly not averse to learning how to frac!!

Cheers!

 

You don't need class I experience to get in the hall. Any rigging exp you get from frac'n would be useless for a crane operator.

Take it from a 955 member.....

 

i went to the info session in january, the only reason i got my class 1 was because it was a prerequisite to apply. i have already applied and passed the written test a few weeks ago. its a competitive process though and they get a lot more applicants than they have space for.

I dont have a lot of experience in either construction or driving. My background is a tile setter. The training coordinator i spoke to just suggested i get some driving and rigging experience to better my chances of getting into their mobile crane operator apprenticeship.

i appreciate both of yours' help and advice you can offer me would be greatly appreciated.

 

When I first started my apprenticeship I got the job first (Sterling) and actually worked there for 6 mnths before hall realized it. I got the job because I called every Thursday at 08:01 for almost 5mnths and asked about any openings. Every week I got the same response, "we are not hiring and won't be, don't bother calling" and I said every week "ok, ill talk to you on Thursday". Finally Russ said if you're gonna keep *#@!ing calling me you might as well come in and meet.....I startd on the Monday.

Point is call around (better to show up on door) to the crane companies and hall (on a regular basis and ask questions, especially "how do I break in?" I would swamp/rig on a boom truck before frac'n (they don't rig in the crane sense) if you really want to become a crane op.

 

Perseverance pays off, I have been applying for 8 years. I moved here from Ontario knowing that Alberta was my best chance of getting into mobile cranes. I have applied at the union in Ontario, sask, Manitoba, Alberta and tried to in BC. You gotta just keep knocking on doors. Ultimately is was Kijiji that helped me get the job. Who knew!

Swamping on a picker truck is probably better than frac for sure.

If you get into frac, get into wellhead isolation. They always use a picker and get you your well head boom truck ticket.

 

Sask is a great place b/c the economy is still growing and there is a number of non-union outfits...both crane and boom truck.

 

forget about tring to get on that way, seriously. I know guys that are 3rd generation crane guys in BC and are wicked with that still took 2 years getting an apprenticeship.


If you serious move to edmonton and get a job as a labourer with a crane company, if your good they will indenture you.

i speak from recent experience.

 

Another option i considered is going through the college of new caledonia in mackenzie they offer a mobile crane core apprenticeship training. theyre ITA recognized but id still have to find an apprenticeship after i did the course. Its a new course and apparently theres only been about 13 guys whove done it so far, IUOE said theyve hired one of them. the person i talked to at CNC said 3 others found work in AB, but wastn sure on the others which sounded a little sketchy.

but it is ITA funded and IUOE hired at least one of them, so it couldnt be that bad right?

 

You guys should look into hydro company's. lots of them use cranes and have picker trucks and pay really good

 

I recommend canyon for anyone on the job hunt right now. After watching a clusterf!ck of them setting up their equipment on a lease I am pretty sure their only employment requirement is a pulse.