How to get a job in the oilfield and become a truck driver

Hi,
I have watched the fourm for years. I have been in the Army for 22 yrs
and decided to retire soon. The challenge is what to do next? Drive a truck of course! I grew up around the trucking industry my father was a Yellow Transit driver for 40 years and an O/O after he retired I have an Uncle who was an O/O for 30 yrs and my brother worked at CF for 25 yrs until they folded.I have military experience in tractor trailers M915,916,931,954 ect so I took my DA348 down to the DMV and took some written tests and got my CDL. Now to get a job I still have a few months in the Army so full-time is outta the question.

So I hit Craigslist and find water hauling jobs in the Oklahoma oilfield. I
apply and get hired part-time. I find it a fun job you get paid to go off
roading and hunt down well sites! This job can be challenging you drive in all weather conditions the oil wells don't care about weather.

After I retire at the ripe old age of 43 I will be relocating to Indiana and
will have to find a boring truck driving job. I have looked at Averrit,TMC, and a few others or may head north and hit the oilfields?

So I had ridden with my father and uncle in the 80's a lot has changed. I fuel at a Loves the OTR drivers look at me like I am from a different plant I wear steel toe boots with coveralls. The truck and trailer will be dirty. Most of them are "Large" and wear sweatpants and PJ's and sandles and socks. Much different than what I thought truck drivers looked and acted like. I get paid by the hour and can put in 15 hours a day and the shortest day I have had so far was 13.75 hrs. The trucks are set at 75mph I pass Prime trucks and the other big OTR company's and see computer screens and drivers doing everthing but driving. I might stay in the oilfield just for the freedom.

Brad

 

water hauling can be fun I went to work saturday night my 1st load was down a cowpath. It had rained 6in in the past 24hrs coming out of the lease I was headed for the ditch as I attempted to get the truck straight no dice! So I stop and try to turn the wheel slightly to the center of the road it worked. I made it out with a load of 120 barrels of water. The gate at the disposal gave us trouble all night but the mud roads made it fun. When I got on I 40 to go to the yard I passed a prime drive that was watching a movie on a dvd player. WTF I dont think I would fit into OTR.

 

This weekend was 12 degrees with a 30mph wind. All the tank valves froze so I had to go over the top with two inch hoses. It takes about an hour to load that way plus another 30 min to hook everything up. You have to be careful not to get wet. This is not close to ND cold, I view it as a train up for the real cold. I am still thinking about OTR but the money is not as good as hauling saltwater. My top two are Averitt flatbed and TMC? Both are about the same pay $1000.00 a week give or take. My other options are night linehaul for Central Transport, linehaul for Dohrn Transfer or Holland. Better money but boring. What to do? Head to ND and haul water?

Brad