just starting out in the bakken

####!!!! Is the header,BigRigCt is the original poster

 

Nice blizzard tonight. Got a night shift truck in a snowbank and missing a day driver. I love north dakota

 

You find that post sheepdog

 

You must mean "thread", the OP of this thread is not bigrigct and haven't found any "post" from bigrigct on this "thread". I will search...

 

You can make really good money out here. You gotta suck it up an work hard for it though. Hopefully your daddy instilled a good work ethic in you and you have a little skill and common sense you will do great. Don't let anyone try to scare you off because they will. Lots of opportunity still for people who want it.
You don't have to come up here and start a trucking company. Just find a company you are comfortable with and you will move up fast. Don't get me wrong weather sucks and its scary as hell sometimes. You can make lots of money still. It took a while for me to get in with theright people, but eventually it will come together and you will be golden after that. And you will be doing something not many people have the balls to do

 

Thread ####!!!!! Op is BigRigCt

 

California is the only state from those listed that pays overtime after eight hours. The rest, and most others not listed, pay overtime after forty hours, not eight. Quite a difference in the bottom line.

Production water freezes also, and oil gets darned thick. Today we will hit a low of -30. With the 30mph North windchill, that makes a -67 according to nws.noaa.gov/om/windchill. BBQ anyone?

Yet one more reason to only work hourly jobs. Get paid while the DOT dismantles your vehicle.

True. The o/o pockets only as much as the driver does, so when the truck stands still, no money is made for either owner or driver. I would not recommend that anyone come up here with a truck and tanker until they have worked as a company driver for three years. I know too many o/o whose business preparation for hiring their own drivers amounted to nothing, resulting in more than half of them selling all and starting over as a company driver because they did not take care of people and equipment. If you cannot finance your entire operation in cash, you have no business trying to make it in ND. That means cash for fuel, weekly payroll, repair and replacement, communications and other operating expenses and extras. Save the cash and make it happen, or keep your job. And do not ask drivers to finance your company operations by delaying their pay for settlements or holding back pay until they leave. That is weak. That's what factoring companies are for, to give o/o loans on accounts receivable.

 

Absolutely true statements.

i was out in the blizzard last night and couldn't see 5 feet in front of me. I ended up getting stuck of course when the road disappeared. The oil company refused to shut in wells because pumpers didn't want to go out and do it.

Ive run into too many companies that think they can get good drivers with 10 year old in unmaintaned equipment. Things break and if they are not part of the drivetrain they get ignored. Air conditioning is one of the things ignored and never fixed, broken windshields, broken seats, broken gauges, etc... And sometimes loose steering is ignored!!!

The experience learned is golden. A few years out here, save your pennies, and you can buy a brand new truck and trailer cash and the sky is the limit

 

I'm blessed where I'm at in that respect. Turnover is so high here after less than ten months here I'm highest tenured driver on nights and get to drive a 2014 Mack granite with a 2014 180 bbl vac trailer. Our newest drivers start out in 07 t800's with 130bbl vacs. They aren't in perfect condition but they aren't deathtraps.
Yeah I'm glad last night is over. I came in with two extra guys in my cab last night lol

 

It really sucks that ND doesn't have a CDL school. I friggin live here, have my own housing, blah blah blah, and can't even get a driving job cuz of not having the CDL. It's hilarious, people are trying to figure out a way to get to ND so they can work. I'm here, and can't because unless you go buy your own #### truck there's no way to get a license.