oilfield and the 10 year work history

I figured as much. I have a long history with the three companies I work for and stellar reviews, to boot. They don't want me to leave, but I want to work closer to home. Thanks.

 

Reply to MP3 CB...

I, too, want the hourly pay and overtime! I'm not interested in percentage of load pay, and for reasons I described in the earlier post. I don't want to make any blanket statements about all companies, but it has been my experience that companies who pay hourly tend to run newer, and better maintained, equipment because breakdowns cost them the driver's wages when the driver is sitting, and broken down, rather than driving. The construction company I drove for ran ratty, poorly maintained equipment because the driver's breakdowns cost them nothing. They also hired kids with little mechanical experience to work in the shop because they could pay them minimum wage.

For any trucking company who thinks hiring unqualified mechanics at minimum wage is a cost saving tactic, here's my story!

I had an oil drain plug fall out of my truck on a two-lane highway because the kid "buttoning up" after the mechanic who replaced the oil pan gasket forgot to tighten it. The drain plug wasn't leaking when I pretripped the truck (the oil was too cold), and nobody noted that the oil pan gasket had been replaced in my vehicle inspection book. If they had, I would have rechecked the truck thoroughly once the engine was hot. There were no notes, and so there was no reason to do more than a cursory reinspection after I got loaded at the cement plant. I jumped on the highway and was travelling about 60 mph when I saw the oil pressure drop. I pulled to the shoulder and stopped as quickly as I was able, but fully loaded, double bulk cement tankers take a while to slow, and then stop, and I was on a bridge with a sharp turn and no shoulder for 1/2 mile. The oil was hot, and so about half of it was lost on the road where a motorcycle hit it, skidded out, and wrecked. A car hit the motorcycle (but not the rider who had baled), skidded, and then hit another car. It was a domino effect until all lanes were blocked and pieces of mangled cars were strewn for a mile. The highway patrol showed up, and they weren't happy about a multi car collision that stopped commute-hour traffic and had the highway blocked for hours (I didn't know the extent of the wreckage until I heard it on the radio and CB because the first collision occurred on a sharp curve behind my truck) . However, I wasn't cited. The cop said there was no way I could have foreseen an oil drain plug falling out, especially since the shop failed to note they had worked on the truck. It was my duty to check for oil under the truck, not the torque or tightness of the drain plug. The cost to the company was massive, and could have been much more had there been any serious injuries. Thank God, there weren't! The incident wasn't reported on my DMV or DAC. However, I was still ticked because a dumb, unqualified kid playing mechanic for $8.75 an hour could have cost me my driving career, and people could have been seriously injured or killed in the ensuing pile-up. And, I was stuck at the scene of the accident most of the day, but I didn't get paid a dime. The company paid percentage of load, and since my first load had not been delivered I made no money.

OK... sorry... but i just had to throw that story into this post! It's a perfect example of companies who have nothing to lose (in driver wages) by paying percentage of load and who try to cut corners on maintenance! I'm not trying to be dramatic, and I blame myself for being naive and not checking out the company (and educating myself about wages, and such) as much as I blame the company for being cheap. Throwing these stories of my mistakes into a public forum is very embarrassing but if my stupid mistakes and stories save one driver from a similar experience, it's worth it to me!

Back to North Dakota...
The company who has hired me is not the best, nor the worst company in North Dakota. They are average in terms of driver's compensation. Average is okay if the housing is decent. If I get there, and the housing is horrible, I can leave and head home or stay and find a company with better housing. It's just hard to choose a company from California because there are few posts describing housing conditions at different companies. I haven't seen anything awful about the company, either. I did see a few posts about equipment issues, but the company has replaced most of their trucks and trailers recently. I tried PMing a member of TTR who actually lives in North Dakota and drives for the company that hired me, but received no response. If anyone has information, good or bad, about specific companies, I hope they will PM me. I won't pry into their personal details, and would greatly appreciate specific info.

In any case, I believe I have made adequate arrangements to ensure that I can leave, and go home, at any moment if warranted. I'm going to give it my best shot, and I'm very determined to succeed (I have invested a lot of time and money into the training and certifications I need), but I won't be a prisoner to North Dakota if things don't work out for me.

I think it will work out for me, if I keep everything in perspective! I have high hopes, but low expectations. I'm not banking on getting rich. I just want to earn a living. I'm also more amiable than most, and adapt well to new situations, surroundings, and people. I'm not set in my ways, but I'm confident of my ability. I'm not a Super Trucker, and I have nothing to prove to anybody except that I am competent and capable of performing the job in a safe, efficient manner. I'll keep everyone posted about how it goes, and will emphasize the housing and living conditions in my posts for others who find the internet lacking in these areas. And, thank you MP3 CB! I appreciate your thoughts and serious comments!

 

Good Luck sexystuff911 stay safe and if things don't work out in ND there is always Texas.

 

Mix them up! Variety is the spice of life!