Texas Oil fields - Trucks and maintenance in dusty environment + rough roads

It depends on whom you ask about what truck is best. I've seen western stars hold up quite well. But some ppl are fans of Petes or kw or what ever brand. 1845 is ok to lease on with and there supposedly the largest company in frac sand hauling. But once again it depends on who you ask. The company drivers at 1845 tend to quit often, or get fired.

 

From what I've seen the most common truck damage is where the hood meets the cab. From my experience a 389 Pete does great, as well as the t800 and t660. I like their rubber cone in the pocket type design on the hood. No experience on a w900l.

 

In my years in the New Mexico high plains I drove KWs, "Fright"liner and a 10 year-old Mack. The Mack took the abuse pretty well. KW were so-so. "Fright"liner" is self-explanatory. But it's been a while, I left in 2011.

 

If u apply to 1845 u will be in a company truck with a camera. You would have to apply to an actual owner to drive a cameraless truck

 

High ground clearance and metal body parts are very high on my list of must haves for doing what you want to do. Having a shiny bumper with chicken lights scraping the ground will get destroyed.

Make sure you have beefy tow hooks. You never know when you will need a fellow driver or bulldozer to haul your ### out of sand, mud, or snow.

I run flatbed out of OKC. We frequently get loads to West Texas and SE New Mexico. Those caliche roads are brutal. Impatient drivers leave truck parts all over the road. The paved roads can be worse (Orla Road takes the cake in my experience).

I'm putting feelers out for my next truck. Western Star is high on my list, but Peterbilt is in the running. The drive train will be pre emissions. They're pricey.

There's lots of cheap plastic trucks in the oil field. If it's in good shape there's less than three bungies holding the bumper on (if it has a bumper).

 

we've been in business in the northern Alberta/Saskatchewan/BC oil patch for 51 years. we run Kenworths exclusively, as do most of the other heavy haul companies that have been around for any length of time up here. Peterbilt and Western Stars are the next most common.

if you can score a well spec'd pre emissions KW you would do ok. they are getting hard to find and demand a good dollar.

 

@ShooterK2

 

Pretty much everything @Lepton1 said. Take it slow on the lease roads and stuff will last longer.

There’s so many companies popping up in the frac sand biz these days I don’t even know where to start. Look for one that’s been around a while under the same name.