Fracking vs Oil hauling

Welp I tried out as a wireline operator for FMC (formerly Pure Energy). Along with 100hrs a week they expected me to drive a truck after being on duty for 18-hours. Sure the money is great, over 100k in first year but get ready for irregular sleep schedules & living in hotels/mancamps for 15 days. They start you off at $18.50/hr with 1% bonus pay & per diem. There is much involved in wireline including operating crane, winch & CMVs. Basic knowledge in hydraulics & electronics will be helpful.

Just received a company wide email yesterday saying they are being audited by DOT. No wonder they guys working there told me get the experience & get the hell out. If you are still interested after reading all this then FMC is hiring in Minot & Dickinson locations.

 

Sounds like working frac.

 

Fully understanding the current and new logbook rules to maximize your legal work time is critical to doing the job safely. As well you need to know your limits and when to say enough. Even if you are legal or can "make" it look legal, fatigue does accumulate and cause you to make critical mistakes that you would know better if you were fresh. With accumulated fatigue it creeps up on you and you don't realize just how far gone you are.

 

If you're willing to live in the same space you work (ugh), you can make more fracking than hauling oil... provided your company bills the client by the load and has generously negotiated x number of hours per load. I know guys who bill 24 hours out of everyday hauling water to poseidon and frac tanks, because they do the job in fewer than x number of hours. Granted, they are breaking HOS rules and lying on invoices to the client, but DOT is quite lenient up here and won't pull you over unless your tires are falling off, your Indian sticker is missing and you're on the rez, or you are obviously driving unsafely. My buddy brings home four grand a week hauling frac water. But there are down times when he just sits in the truck for days, waiting for the phone to ring. He cannot go home in those times because he might miss the call to start a new frac, in which case his company would just fill his truck with somebody else.

Regarding a career, if you have to drive more than a couple of years, then there is something wrong with you and/or your abilities and/or your communication skills. Move into field supervision, safety or other form of management. Get out of the frickin truck, those petroleum fumes are carcinogens, ya know. Sure, pay your dues, then move on to something with an office and a pickup. Plenty of expansion going on with room to advance. I'm talking about big companies here, not owner-operators. Those are dead-end jobs. They're great for money, but strictly short-term, until you start interviewing for a career job.

Working for an owner-operator:
Pros: good money + easy to get hired + easy to get another job + minimal red tape
Cons: body abuse + live in truck + never clean + eat poorly + no gym + never move up past a truck pusher + might not get paid

Don't ask me how I know.