End of Oil Fields for me

Wymon · Apr 9, 2013

This has been an excellent thread. Great posts by Ezrider. I grew up in Alaska in the territorial days and have experienced the "boom and bust" cycle many times. The money was great during the Trans-Alaska Pipeline construction, the heyday of the Bering Sea Crab fishery and the early days of Prudhoe Bay, but when it was over a part of me was always happy to see it go-It does take a human toll. It seems that what is just as important as your plan going in is your plan for when the boom is over-sometimes there are good opportunities to be had there as well-they may just be different-it's all in how you do the math!

Rockdoctor · Apr 11, 2013

grusco said: ↑

I came to North Dakota oil fields in October. Been hauling water for a company here. I really liked the guys I work with, management is okay for the most part. I was paid hourly. Scheduled for 60 hours a week at $22 an hour for the first 40 then time-and-a-half. Most weeks I worked about 63 to 65 hours. Had a few that reached 70. This company wants you to work 8 weeks then will let you off (unpaid of course) for 8 days. I pay $700 a month to rent a room in a 3 bedroom manufactured unit. Three of us share a bath and kitchen. There's no living room. We drive Mac trucks (mostly, there's a few Western Stars). Most are auto-shift with a few 13 speeds (my preference).

As I outline the living and working conditions I realize it doesn't really paint a picture. Let's focus on driving conditions first. Hauling water you spend about 20% of your time on state highways, another 40% on county roads (many with 6 ton weight restrictions) and the rest on good ole country gravel roads. The county roads and country roads are horrid. Many are like wash boards that are so rough at 25 or 30 miles an hour your truck will start going sideways it's bouncing so much. And the dirt! Inside of the trucks are filled with red dirt and dust. You can wipe it down all you want and the next day it's back again.

To load and unload you use heavy pressure test hoses. When it thaws in the spring there's mud everywhere so you're handling 30 feet of mud coated hose. In the winter those hoses are so stiff they will hardly bend yet you have to bend them to get them on the fittings. Speaking of mud, these roads get super muddy when it rains or thaws. That mud is about 2 inches thick on top of a solid base. It's like 2 inches of grease. Trucks will slide right off the road on a curve if you're not careful. Keep in mind there are hundreds of other trucks on these roads and you're meeting them all the time. The road shoulder gives way and off you go in the ditch (I've only been pulled out twice in 6 months, both times I didn't know that snow drift ended and the ditch began.

I figure it costs me about $1700 a month to support my living here ($700 in rent and the rest in food, gas, sat. tv, etc). Shopping is not that easy. Grocery stores are little more than mom and pop. Closest Wal Mart is 40 miles away for me. i go about every 2 weeks. I send home about $3200 after insruance is paid for (family coverage is $330 a month with $1,000 deductible). So I start figuring is it worth it? Yes, I'll gross over $80,000 in a year and that's darn good for truck driving (although this is much more than driving) but I'm away from home for weeks and weeks at a time (I've been home twice in 6 months). The answer is NO it's no longer worth it.

I post the above so those of you that think about making the move to the oil fields have a better idea of what it's like. You'll live and work in dirt, you'll share housing in a man camp of sorts and you'll be away from home for weeks at a time. If this fits you go for it. They are hiring all the time. Also, don't ask me about who to talk to or what company I work for. I'm mentally a short timer with only a few days left here before I return to a regular driving job (intermodal) where I'll get home every 11 days or so.

Here are a list of companies that I know are hiring drivers now: Key Energy, Jericho, Hamm & Phillips and Power Fuels. Good luck
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Wow! Sorry to hear that buddy, but it isn't all bad you know. Look at some other places like OK or TX.

I currently live in OK, have a nice house I rent which was just renovated. Paying $950/mo (actually my company does) for that and a huge fenced backyard for my dogs. We have shops, resturants, Wal-Mart, Ace, and a little downtown with a main street filled with shops. It is no metropolis but I am only 1 hour from OK City and 4.5 hours from Dallas, so not far to travel for fun. Also a major airport which isn't crowded is 1 hour away so I can always travel with ease.

I used to get paid by the hour but now it is a percentage so I make good money, enough that I am able to save some for a rainy day. On my current account I drive 1.5 hours over to the TX panhandle, load my oil, then drive about 4.5 hours to unload, then 3 hours back to my house. For that load I will work 10-12 hours and I can work as many days a week as I want but choose to only work 5.

So don't throw in the towel, get out of ND and head to place where it is more affordable to live. Some only look at the $$$ dollar signs $$$ they make (especially the guys in ND) but you also have to take into account the money you pay out due to high costs, the quality of life, etc.

nd-newbie · Apr 13, 2013

snowwy said: ↑

$2100 for a camper with a roof.
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Plus a grand a month for an RV space, power and propane.

aviatornation · May 11, 2013

Sounds like the dakotas get you the big bucks....also housing is a MAJOR issue in all oilfield areas.you can make money but you will pay out the wazoo for a claptrap rent house.some people live in there cars for gods sakes just to save back that money.

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