BEST places to RENT and LIVE with family NEAR OIL PLAYS???

I left West Texas and came south.

Better pay, better location, better schedule. Better everything.

The main incentive companies use in W Texas is the fact they will hire anyone with a pulse.

 

I moved to Austin in Oct/2013 and found work right away. Great money, awesome schools, the area is full of #### to do and my family is very happy. I work down in the Gonzales/Hallettsville area with loads out of San Antonio.

Everyday I drive past terminals with help wanted signs out on their fences and have talked to plenty of crude haulers who say they are slammed. There is a situation to be found here in Texas that can accommodate any need you might have, you just have to come here and find it. If you want to make more (and pay more) then go look in Odessa/Midland, they have more work than you can physically do. They will bury you in OT and run a driver ragged and they will pay for it all.

I choose to make a little less but live in a much better area...not sayin that Odessa is bad, but come on, $900 a week for a flea bag motel?

I may not make the "big money" that the guys down there are making but I've found a way to make about $400 a day and still live in a decent area so I'm good with that.

 

I agree. Living around Corpus Christi is cheap and there are tons of companies right in town to work for. There's not as much to do as in Austin, but it's not a ghost town either. And there's always the gulf beaches and fishing, etc, which is why I love it here.

 

So do you think after your expenses on housing you end up in the same spot you would have working "odessa/midland"? 400 a day sounds good to me, how many hours each day and how many days out of the week are you working?

 

I pay $1600 for an 1800 sq ft house that is 10 minutes from downtown and ten minutes from the Salt Lick (awesome Hill Country BBQ!). This same situation doesn't exist in Odessa/Midland, I don't think I could even rent a studio apt for that...

I haul loads from San Antonio(Calumet) to Hallettsville (DCP Plant) that pay $215 per load and I usually do 2 per day. When I wait at the plant for any reason I get $35 an hour. Yesterday I left for work at 8 am and got home at 2 am, ran to loads and got stuck in line for 4.5 hours. Days like yesterday happen 2 or 3 times per week but they pay really really well!!!

I am home every night and when I go out it is 4 days out and 3 days off...but that time I use to work at my other job.

 

What are you hauling?

 

That sounds like a sweet deal, same question what are you haulin, what"s the name of the outfit?..

 

HD5 = pure propane and "Y" grade which is unrefined.

 

HD5 Transport out of Dripping Springs... am thinking about putting together a "How to get into this industry with little experience" thread. If there is any interest let me know.

 

Best bet is to go and actually visit ANY town in ND that you are interested in working in if you are going to be taking your family along with you. YOU need to see what works for YOUR family, because what I might find acceptable might be someplace that would scare your wife and kids off. Housing in places like Williston is very limited currently, but there are many new apartment complexes going up at this very moment, and will be opening soon. It's hard to advise on just the post you've written. Are your kids school age? Will your wife work? Is her field available? Daycare? Will she or you depend upon public transportation? What about medical care? Are you military and dependant upon Tricare/VA?

There's more to it than just pay. Look at the entire picture - mental , physical, emotional, and financial - decided what YOU and YOUR FAMILY can live with longterm, then go and see for yourselves which town/area is a good fit for you. I think you'll be surprised with what you decide to do after seeing the actual places and discussing with your wife.