Working in the Oil Fields

I hauled sand. It was 22 percent of the truck ! now that includes detention which was different for each company. some would pay 24 hrs a day and some 11 so it is hard to give an exact number. I used to bring in between 1100 to 2500 a week ! now that was pushing HARD! and waiting a lot. I got on good with the dispatcher and he tended to give me better jobs, that is an important point if you do this make sure you get along with dispatch as they can make you money or cost you money and that goes the same for OTR or oilfield. My numbers are about a year old or so.

 

about to start sand truck driving in oil field. Can anyone tell me if you have to or need to supply any tools and what does the job consist of ?

 

I've been in training with a company hauling water in the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota. It's not like any trucking you read about here. We drive tankers that will carry about 140 barrels of liquid. Day cab Macs. Basically you go from well site to disposal site or pick up fresh water (it's not potable/drinkable) and take it to a site where they're drilling. You travel over a few state highways but mostly county roads. Roads are rougher than (probably) anything you've ever driven either in a truck or your personal vehicle. They're like washboards that will shake and rattle the truck so much it'll start dancing sideways. That is, unless it's rained. Then you get about an inch and a half of super slick mud on top of a more solid surface. Although I've not yet had to do this we carry chains. Now you may think chains are for ice and snow and of course they are, but here they're also for mud. Not only do you chain your drives but some put a chain on a front tire (for steering traction) and perhaps one on a back trailer tire. The trucks run 24 hours a day (I'm working nights from 7 to 7. Five days on, one day off. Hourly pay with time and a half for anything over 40 hours. My schedule is for 60 hours a week but i'll surpass that regularly. Not usual to get 70+ hours. It's a $100,000 a year job. My employer (company) makes some housing available. I have a bedroom in a fairly new double wide (not really a mobile home, more like a manufactured home). I share a kitchen and bath with 2 others. My rent is $700 a month (taken out of my bi-weely paychecks). You may think that's steep but it's not even close to paying the rent my company pays for this unit. Basically companies here subsidize rent for employees. There are 8 man units where each pays $300 or $400 dollars. the landlord of these units charges the company $18,000 a month. That'll give you an idea of the cost of living around here.

This is just a taste of life in the oil fields. There are jobs available it's just that many people can't be away from home to make a hundred grand. Many people say they "couldn't live or work in those conditions" but it's usually people basing their opinions on what others have said they "heard" about the work.

Here's the deal: the economy is basically destroyed with real unemployment easily 12 to 15% (not the 7 or 8% the feds are selling right now). in Williams County, North Dakota the unemployment rate is somewhere just north of 1%. Shops and stores close on weekends because they can't find help. Trucking companies (oil service companies) pay drivers around $100,000 a year. And people are not willing to take the job?! Rather stay home in familiar territory and live the same old life day after day. Not me! This is boom time folks and I'm a part of it.

 

Glad you found the living wage opportunity in ND. The gold rush wasn't at "home" either, so do not let anyone tell you that earning a living wage is impossible in 2012. Uncomfortable yes, inconvenient yes, but not impossible.