A Newbie CDL's Adventure in The West Texas Oil Fields.........

I am 54 y/o and turn 55 in December. I am about 35 lbs overweight but I work out by lifting weights and riding a bike. Well not in the last few weeks that I have been out here, but when I can I plan to start to work out again. I am not having any problems working the WTOF. The days are long 10-14 days hours, but the work is not that difficult, and there is a lot of sitting around........ I know several guys who are much older than me out here and they can cut it. Don't let you age deter you.

 

Looking for work in the Texas Oil Fields? Check out this web site workintexas.correspondence@twc.state.tx.us

 

"Life in The Man Camp" - This is the second installment in this Thread that I started to chronicle my adventures in the West Texas Oil Fields (WTOF) as a newbie CDL driver. If you are reading this thread to try and find a job in the WTOF - don't bother reading this yet. Go concentrate on applying for positions, after you score a job, if you are going to be living in a Man Camp, then come back to this.

Live in a Man Camp? WHY? Well, simply put - it is FREE. So, along with a decent salary, I do not have the expense of housing. And, housing is at an absolute premium in most of the areas that are having an oil boom. What is the sense of making a decent salary if you have to turn around and give it back in living expenses? Man Camp = No monthly rent or mortgage, no utilities, all that I have to supply (buy) is my own food. In a very real sense, the Man Camp is a 7-8K yearly perk - tax free. That is a pretty good deal - but, there is a down side. Before I tell you what the down side is, let me ask you this.......

Have You Ever Served in the Military?
Have You Ever Lived Aboard a Ship?
Did You Survive Kindergarten?

If you answered Yes to any of the above, then you can probably handle life in the Man Camp.

The biggest single drawback to living in the Man Camp (MC) is that I have to share a room. You do not have any privacy at all. The MC is housing placed on skids that are placed next to each other then attached. You have a really nice Commercial Kitchen. Some MC's have cooks that prep the meals, we have to cook our own. Personally, I prefer that. On my days off, I cook enough for the week then eat left overs the rest of the week. I prefer to "heat and eat" than to have to cook when I get home. I brown bag my lunch, actually, I pack lunch and dinner, plus snacks because when we go out in the AM we might not be back for some 14 hours. One could hit a truck stop or a convenience store and eat junk food, I try to avoid that. Roller Food, not for me.

The bathroom is a long hallway with sinks lined up one next to the other, six in total. And, there are three shower areas with a commode; the showers do have a door, so you do have privacy when you shower and use the toilet. OK, this is a man thing, but the bathroom has a stand-up urinal. I swear I am going to have one of those installed in my house. I kid you not! No need to lift the seat or aim; just stand and drain........ The MC does have free TP. And, there are two washers and dryer, again, free.

There is a Common Area with a huge digital TV with cable, and an exercise bike, a couch and lazy boy recliners. That is about it. The problem, the thing that one has to adjust to, is that everywhere that you go in the MC, there is someone there. You have no privacy. There are a total of 19 of us here in the MC. But, because we have different schedules, there might only be 2-3 of us in any one place at any time. No women........... There is a cleaning service that comes in on M-W-F and cleans the common areas, we have to clean our own rooms.

But, the whole idea of being out here, how the system works is this; "You work a but-load of hours in a short amount of days, ie, 14 hour days for four days, then one day off, or 14 hour days for five days then two days off. The idea is to rack up forty hours quickly, and then get into Overtime Pay, that is how you make bank.

So, in reality, by the time that you get to the MC after a 14 hr. day, all that you have time for is to shower and get to bed to get ready for the next day. I came out here to work, not to hang out at the MC and socialize.

My first week in the MC, what I did was to employ some basic skills that I learned in Kindergarten. I did not say much, I kept my mouth shut and my eyes and ears open. I studied the personalities of the MC residents. Who were the loud mouths, who were the wanna-be-bad-###, and who seemed reasonable. One big plus for me is that I am fluent in Spanish, and in the MC in West Texas there are a lot of Hispanics. One could easily get along at the MC (and in the Midessa area) speaking only Spanish. Some of the Spanish speaking guys accepted me quickly. I am now settled in, and everyone (for the most part) gets along pretty good.

The biggest single problem is that some of the MC residents will help themselves to your food - that is, steal your food. If they get caught, they get kicked out of the MC and maybe fired. Or, they might get their ### kicked here on site.

BTW, another big plus of the MC is that it is across the street from where we report to work. So, no need to drive, no cost for gas. Every other day I start my car just to keep the battery happy. To me that is a plus, no cost for gas, and no lost drive time to and from work; that equals extra sleep time.

The company that I work for pays some 3K after 3 months if one relocates for the job. So, if one buys a mobile home, or a home, and moves out of the MC, you get 3K. Not a bad deal. You could use that as a down payment on a house or mobile home. The problem is, where are you going to find a home, or the land to put a mobile home on? As I said, all housing costs are at a premium. It is even difficult to find a lot at a trailer park or a travel trailer park - and if you do, the prices are usury.

So, for now, it is life in the Man Cave in the Man Camp. In time, I might invest in a mobile home or buy a house in this area. I may as well take advantage of the 3K relocation bonus. But, then I would have monthly bills, however, I can easily sell the home so long as the oil boom lasts and the price of oil stays high.

Well, that's about it for the life in the MC topic.

The next and final installment will be on "What I Do At Work On A Daily Basis" or "Why Do I Have To Go Kill The Rattlesnake Just Because I Am the Newbie?"

31N90W

 

Man Camp (MC) Info - Epilogue.

Wait, Wait, Wait............... there is some very important information about the MC that I forgot to mention.

And, this is IMPORTANT - What to Pack!

When I packed to come out here (to West Texas) I GROSSLY OVER-PACKED! Man, did I ever freaken over-pack. If I only had known.

I basically brought five (5) sets of everything. Five shirts, 5 underware, 5 sox, several jeans and slacks............ don't laugh........ I also brought a dress suit..... shoes... and on-and-on. I even brought my Humidor for my cigars.

The problem is that my personal closet in my room is about 2' wide, 3' deep, and has enough space for about 10 hangers! I had to store a bunch of stuff under the bed, and in an open closed in the hall. And, the closet does not have a lock. So whatever you bring, know that it might walk.

If you are going to be in a MC, decide what you are going to bring, then only take less than a third of it! Do not over-pack; as I did. If I could go back and pack again, I would bring 5-6 sets of undies, socks, tee shirts, one dress slacks, one jeans, some PJ's, and maybe 2-3 dress shirts. You see, the thing is that we are given uniforms (or costumes) and you are in your uniform most of the day. You only need some cloths for when you are off, and it is easier to simply replace (buy) what you need, than it is to tote a bunch of stuff with you.

So, pack LIGHT, very light, than add as needed. This only applies to a MC. If you are going to rent an apartment, or sublet a room in an apartment, then you might want to pack a little more.

31N90W

 

Vacuum Truck - Mostly Water