Looking for advice, info, and suggestions for oil field trucking.

Schneider and I believe FFE might be able to get you started in the oil fields

 

From what the old timers around here say you should get on a fracing crew. You'll make more money and learn a lot more about the business. Your cdl and endorsement would come in handy but you wouldn't be driving all the time.

Young guys like you can really make the big bucks in the oil fields.

 

Im from NYC and thinking of moving to Texas to start in the oilfields. Im in the process of getting my cdl permit. Should I put myself through cdl school here or try to get on with a company? If so, does anyone know which companies take on rookies? Any direction would be greatly appreciated. Also, upon arriving I probably won't have any housing lined up. Would sleeping in my van damper my chances? I was thinking of setting up a p.o. box for mail/address purposes. Any thoughts?

 

In texas, you can try FFE and Stevens Transport, who both have tanker training divisions.... they are both bottom feeder companies who make their money as training companies. Rookies, with no experience, could show up in person, at fresh water companies, frac crews, and wire line crews. But do not expect $20 per hour, and do not expert overtime, as trucking is exempt from paying overtime.

 

If you have a cdl most frac companies will hire you. You can expect to make 70-80 your first year with really good benefits. If your young and able don't waste your time driving a truck. Get into something like frac, coil tubing, wireline or tools. You'll make a lot more money, better benefits and have lots of opputunity for advancement.

 

Me99, could you give a general idea of what an avg. day would be like for a new-hire on a frac crew?
Unloading, assembling, banging on steel, operating machinery, taking it all apart, loading and drive to next location is what I can gather from reading this board.


Even though I just started my first oilfield job 5 weeks ago, working on a frac crew is STILL stuck in my head. I don't even know if I would enjoy the work but I have seen adds showing; a starting annual salary of $70k-$80k, excellant benefits, 401k, a schedule of 2 weeks on and 1 week off, learning a "real" skill (that I believe can take you around the world) and the ability to move up the ladder really keeps me thinking about trying to hire on with a frac company. But I wonder if that line of work is for me. I would not ask that question if I was 30, but I'm a 49 year old slim guy who has had an easy job for the last 15 years; before that I worked in horseshoeing and on dude ranches so I enjoy working outdoors. I find it hard to get to the gym so I like to get exercise from work. I just wonder if they push the crew to go, go, go or they let new-hires ease into the work. On ConocoPhilips leases I have worked on the company man often reminds us of the heat index and their policy of a 15 min. break every hour.


Even though I was a fresh CDL-A graduate with tanker/ hazmat but no experience of any kind in this industry, I landed a job as a Vacuum truck driver. I'm very satisfied with this job, I really enjoy it. Truthfully, its fun and easy. One of my trainers often said to me, "easy money". I started at $16/ per hour with a promise of a raise after 90 days. All the drivers here make $20 and I just earned another trainee, hired at the same time as I, makes $18 so I may be at $20 faster than I originally thought. Even though its been slow for the past month, my 5 week avg. gross salary is $1,230. So it's all good right now. But since its an easy job, almost anyone can do it. I've heard it mentioned, "drivers are a dime a dozen" and I would guess this also includes vac. truck drivers. This job is not a "Skill" that one can take around the world. I see no career advancement in this line of work. I'm driving now and after 10 years with this company, I'd probably still be driving. We've got one driver who is 68 years old and another who is 77 (seventy-seven) years old!

My company offers "bare-bone" health insurance for driver only, 1 week paid after a year and 2 weeks after 2 years, but that's it! Nothing else! Having said that I'm am still thankful for my job.


Any thoughts or opinions?

 

I don't know how they do it in Wyoming, but in Texas time and a half after 40 hours is the norm. I wouldn't be out here working 70 hours per week if it wasn't.