Water Truck positions in WV?

Discussion in 'Oilfield Trucking Forum' started by Zonno, Jan 25, 2025.

  1. Zonno

    Zonno Light Load Member

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    Jun 11, 2018
    South Ga
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    There are several positions for driving a water truck in the WV area. Reading this post If you want to work in the oilfield, it seems that water truck positions are great for entry levels to the oil field.

    I currently reside in south Georgia driving a dump truck for a paving company earning $19.50 hourly and grossing around $50-55k annually. I’ve been there for nearly 5 years (started out at $13.50 back in 2020), and I drove Class B tandem for 3 years, tractor-trailer dump for almost 2 (moved up to T-T in March 2023). All that time has been driving a 10-spd. I have Tankers endorsement with no automatic restriction (naturally).

    On a job application, I would select ‘no’ if it asks if I have water truck exp. However, I have filled in and operated a water truck whenever the primary driver was out. I’d fill up the paving equipment with water (the rollers use it to prevent asphalt from sticking), put water on the pavement to help it harden faster, and on construction sites, I’d spray to keep the dust levels down. Perhaps this tiny bit of exp. is ever-so-slightly better than nothing (95% driving a dump truck and 5% water truck).

    WV is a point of interest due to the low cost-of-living. Plus I’ve been wanting to move from the south Ga area. And while WV will DEFINITELY have colder winters than what I’m accustomed to, they shouldn’t be as terrible as somewhere like the Dakotas or AK, etc. (I could be mistaken, and please correct me if I am). And if driving a water truck is a comfortable enough job that pays decent, I may be willing to do that all my life instead of moving up in the oilfield. But I’m looking for a change. I don’t want to stay at this low-paying job all my life. I’m not desperate to find something else next week, and I’d be willing to stay another year to gain a 3rd year of T-T exp. if necessary. But I’m definitely exploring options. I’m age 37 going on 38 in a few months, so while I still have considerable time before retirement (age 60+ is my target), I’m no spring chicken.

    So do I have a decent amount of experience to start driving a water truck? I have no family, so moving away is not an issue.
     
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  3. FLHT

    FLHT Road Train Member

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    Aug 2, 2014
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    Cheap living = Cheaper wages
    The South is not known to be labor friendly...
     
  4. Gilbyson

    Gilbyson Bobtail Member

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    Apr 26, 2012
    Wyoming
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    Is there dump truck opportunities from the Helene storm? I would think that would be a better paying gig for you and more within your region.
     
  5. RockinChair

    RockinChair Road Train Member

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    Feb 19, 2012
    CC, TX
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    Driving a water truck is a great way to break into the oilfield and get some experience under your belt. You will most likely be using a vacuum tanker to haul produced water and flowback from leases to a disposal, and perhaps hauling freshwater to the frac tanks on a location where a frac job is being done. You might also be supplying freshwater (with or without KCl) to a hot-oil truck that is cleaning flowlines.

    With that said, even the little bit of water truck experience that you do have should count for something so if I were you I would include that in your application.

    Once you have some water truck experience in the oil
    field, if you also have your hazmat endorsement then you can move up to hauling crude oil or LPG, or you can stay with the vacuum truck and start hauling oil-based drilling mud and anything else they might have that's considered hazmat.
     
    77fib77 and Zonno Thank this.
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