Why are HAZMAT Crude Haulers working for the same pay (or less) as Water Haulers

Crude and water haulers, we need to have a serious discussion. There is a trend a few of us in the crude hauling industry have begun to notice. Note, I am fairly new to this industry so this may have been happening for a while. We have noticed crude haulers are being asked or expected to haul a HAZMAT load of crude for the same rate of pay as a driver who hauls a nonHAZMAT load of water.

For example, I see a crude hauling company running an add on CraigsList stating their crude haulers start out at $18/hr. I know for a fact in that same area of the country there is a company associated with the company running the Craigslist crude ad and they are looking for water haulers for $19-$20/hr.

Here is a question for you water haulers... Do you get paid on commission or by the hour?

I'm not putting down water haulers or saying you should make less, what I am getting at is this. Maybe I am a fool to keep hauling HAZMAT for lower wages and I should join you water haulers. A water hauler pulls what, maybe 125 barrels yet I am expected to pull 190 barrels of crude if I want to make a decent wage.

Here is a question for you crude haulers... At the company you work for, do you make more being paid by the hour or by commission?

Sure if you have no breakdowns, no rejects, find the well on your first try, and don't get delayed at the LACT, MAYBE you do make more working by commission. But I have been told don't go work for Sentinel, Blue Knight, Enterprise, Sunoco, or Frontier as all these outfits pay commission and the math works out to the pay rate of hauling water.

So why are crude haulers making less and less? Is there a greater demand for water haulers, are the sites water haulers visit more dangerous than the sites crude haulers visit, or is it possible that crude hauling companies are putting each other out of business? Inquiring minds want to know!

 

Longknocker, I get reports of lots of crude hauling trucks parked in ND with no work. Meanwhile there is 1 company drilling 1500 new wells in OK so if you think about all the companies drilling that is a lot of new wells. All these new wells will just add to the number of wells which need their crude hauled to market. So if a crude hauler is making 100K per year in ND does that mean a water hauler is making more than 100k???