Oilfield work to Owner Operator? Smart move or no? need advice!

1800 to 2000 per week is about average up there right now it is wide open. I do business with another company that has 6 trucks leased on up there he is getting $95.00 per hour and they pay 100% of the fuel cost (not fuel surcharge but the actual fuel) he is running his trucks 24/7 slip seating them and he pays his guys around that much to drive each week.

He had to buy 2 houses up there to house the drivers because there is nowhere to live but they are making very good money.

 

A o/o with his own truck leased on to united vision in the south is averaging 150K so your telling me after fuel and maintaining the truck he does not come out with over $I???? He is driving his own truck I know if he has a driver in it he makes less about 40to 50k less

 

I had thought about breaking down WHY I chose to NOT work in through fields a year ago and instead worked straight for buying a truck.

You post above screams to me there are things going on you are not willing to share. On a personal level.. Albeit.

There is no simple answer here. Guys are making well over 6 figures being an owner operator. I hope you and "your man" figure things out.

 

It looks like he is making great money. Yes there are driver's out there that can make the same money but not working in the oilfield but they have worked hard to get to that point. Many never will, but some will succeed. The two of you are going to have to discuss if that is something you will be able to do. If you do want to then be prepared to take a paycut for a few years as you prefect the way he will operate. Make sure the finances can handle it.

If it was me I wouldn't make the change. He is making great money with very little risk on his behalf, no repairs, fuel, housing. All he has to do is not get injured and hope that the company does not have its contracts undercut. I would save every penny I can (which at 90k+ per year net should be very easy to do), when things aren't looking as profitable in the oilfield then I would make the move, but have a healthy bank account in order to it right.

 

Could someone give me some info on o/o jobs in the oilfield company names #'s and any info would b helpful thx

 

I would stay doing what you are doing ,and save your money . The sad fact is most owner operators buy themselves
crappy "jobs" where they take all the risk ,expenses,and heartache of owning a truck to "Handle" more
money that goes back out in expenses.If owning your own truck was such a profitable venture ,there would be no owner operators ,companies would have all company trucks .I have been an owner operator that made great money in a niche situation and I am currently a company driver in a niche
market and prefer having someone else foot all the bills and buy me a new truck every 5 years. I have
no negative paychecks and I make $30 an hour and I am home everyday (mostly) ,and usually for dinner.I have been in trucking for over 26 years in many aspects,from management,owner operator ,and company driver and speak from many years of experience.I laugh when an owner operator
"puffs " up and says your " only " a company driver,and he is an owner operator . I usually laugh
and tell him he has my condolences ,and the sad truth he has a job that he had to buy. Please understand , I say most owner operators,some are in high paying niche markets and are shrewd businessman and have successful businesses but most are stressed out ,financially unstable,behind on their taxes,and behinds the 8 ball chasing their tail to get ahead ,as the company they are leased to or brokers they work through skim most of the profit from their hard earned labor.

 

an o/o in the oilfeilds can be very profitable, however you better be able to turn a wrench or repairs will kill ya. another thing to keep in mind is you are no longer a employee when you go home your bills for that truck don't stop. also depending on who you are with if your not the dependable guy that's always there when loads get slim your be the last to be dispatched this may mean less time at home to try to stay in the first call bracket. the call list typically goes company drivers, dependable o/o's then the slackers. unless you want to hire someone else to run the truck while you take home time and that can open up a whole nother can of worms.

another thing to keep in mind is he better have a good size bank roll to start out with. alot of oil feild stuff takes 60-90 days to pay a o/o so that's 60-90 days house hold expenses fuel truck payments and repairs before he sees his first check.

 

i did quite a bit of oil field work building well sites a few months ago. was told they pay in 30 days took 45 days to get my first check out of them and sense then its been a little money here and there getting further and further behind i pulled my truck off to focus on stuff that pays on time although the majority of that stuff has been settled up now i still got some invoices im trying to get payed on from nearly 3 months ago. so even if they say they pay in less than the standard 60-90 days for oilfield stuff don't count on that actually happening.

 

I see somebody dug out an old thread.
that's the thing with owner operators. they make good money and then they take a month to celebrate with no money left over for repairs.

 

or they do not make any money to begin with and just run the truck into the ground thinking it will get better