ND For New Graduates?

The real money is in ND fresh water to frac sites.

I was a fresh grad out of CDL school when I came here. Start sending resumes to every job lead and posting NOW. Arrive in ND ready for arctic weather. The big haulers buy your clothes etc but they take weeks to hire. If you want to get working faster, buy your own so you are ready for opportunity.

Hit the truck stops (Williston, Tioga, Stanley) from 6am-8am and 6pm-8pm. Ask a hundred guys per day who is hiring new cdl drivers for fresh water hauling. Call leads immediately. If you are persistent and can return calls promptly, you should be busy with interviews your second week up here. DOT exams, plus agility tests for the big haulers (like MBI) and their contractors, where you tie knots, thread nuts onto bolts, pick up a box and walk around the room, take another week. Paperwork. MVRs. Reference checks (sometimes). Drug tests (usually).

Send out your resumes NOW. Do not put the date on your CDL school attendance until later. If you are not here or on your way out here when leads call you back, they will likely trash your resume. Be ready to use up several tanks of gas driving all over the Western half of North Dakota and eating truck stop food for awhile.

All I can say regarding which companies to watch out for are those that don't pay weekly (unless they're the big haulers), those who want to hold your first paycheck for a month or longer, and those who pay commission instead of hourly. It is too easy for drivers to get screwed if they drive on commission. Before I worked both hourly and commission jobs up here, I held the opinion that commission hauling made more money. I have changed my tune. Commission driving is more dangerous and more stressful. I have written on this topic elsewhere on this board.

 

If you really want a job in ND you will get one no problem. Probably hauling water to frac sites. I came here as a recent grad and its pretty easy stuff. I had the advantage of growing up in alaska which subsequently provided me with familiarity on ice, ability to chain up, and easily handle the cold. I also already knew how to back up. You will be backing up a lot, and if your not good at it your going to hear about it from a Bunch of people that seem to be easily bothered. Money is good I'm taking home 1500-2000 a week, not bad for someone that just got their cdl December 18. There are people making less and people making more. The issue of running overloaded is a tricky one. A lot of the main roads are 8 ton roads so its pretty easy to not go over that with a 5 axle truck. The issue is when you turn off the main road to go to the frac site. If your running 120 barrels you will most likely be overweight. Here is what I do: my company is smart they never tell us how much water they want us to haul. The decision is mine. If the frac isn't right off an 8 ton road then I only take 100 barrels(instead of 120 or 130). Or less if for some reason I think I have to do that to be legal. Remember 1 barrel is 42 gallons and water weighs 8.4 pounds per gallon.

 

Showing up with 100 barrels is a good way to get your company way down the depth chart. Lots of barrel bids now 130 bbl trailers are on the way out. We run 180 vacs and 190 gear pumps in warmer weather

 

I advocate hourly jobs. Yes, you make just as much as commission in the long haul. Then, there is no temptation to load heavy. When hauling for speed, there is no incentive to be safe or legal. And when haulers get tired in the oil patch, they take chances. So, do what you can to avoid the temptation to screw your MVR on violations and a pricey overweight ticket. Getting one too many tickets in three years can force you to another company (at best) or sideline you from driving at all (at worst).