Profile For MadManMike

I just put in my 2 weeks notice at my present job and I start with a petroleum company here in Las Vegas on the 31st.

They have the fueling contract in Midland/Odessa, Texas, keeping the fracing rigs fueled. They will fly me down from Vegas to Midland on the 31st. My first time will last about 3 weeks, training and getting the layout of the job.

I am told is it driving a bobtail fuel truck, refilling the platform rig's fuel tanks every 2 hours. Working with a trainer continuously until he feels I 'got it'.

Company will fly me back home after 3 weeks for one week, then it is a 14/7 schedule, flying back and forth from the job. Pay is off the scale, once you figure in that the work week will be 70-100 hours, and time and a half after 40. Plus $43/day 'away from home' pay, Plus, if no space available in the man camp, paid hotel room + $30/day per diem. Man camp is typical small, single room with a shared bathroom. Food and lodging provided by company.

The only initial expense I have is steel toed boots and the only recurring on-site expenses are personal hygiene products. All safety gear and clothing are provided. Sounds like a pretty sweet gig. I get that the hours are long, but it looks like I will only be involved in fueling, unlike some other 'driving' jobs that include other labors related to the drilling/fracing operation. (I won't be swinging a sledge)

I am getting in on this position to gain experience in the company, and to hopefully grab one of the local/daily home gigs available here in Vegas when one comes available. My boss tells me they always try to fill from within if possible. They have a pretty nice gig trucking fuel up to the mines north of here about 4.5 hours. Drive up in the morning, fill the fuel tanks up there, drive home. Go home every nite. Dang good pay, too.

More after I get out there and get started. Just wanted to add here that I have ZERO trucking experience. Has a friend with a contact in the company, he put in a good word, and here I go.

So there are Oil Field jobs available with no experience. Just gotta look hard, and knowing someone always helps.

Michael

Ok. An update on what is going on. My friend had a contact at the local CLThomas depot. They supply a lot of the fuel, oil and gas to Vegas and surrounding areas.

His only available position at this time is traveling driver in the West Texas (Midland) oil fracking fields. The job starts with 3 weeks of training, 21 days in a row, 12 to 15 hours a day. Filling the fuel tanks of the pressure pump rigs every 2 hours or so.

Requires a CDL, but the trucks are mostly Bobtails, 10 wheeled tankers. I talked to another employee just starting, he put in 110 hours his first week. Job pays $16/hour to start. With time and a half over 40/week. Plus $43/day 'away from home' pay. So, a 'net pay of about $19-$20/hour.

I did the math, and for three weeks at 100 hours/week, the paycheck was, well, SCARY.

I understand what I am getting into, although, maybe you think differently. It's some hellaciously long days, but followed by nice days off. After the initial 3 week training segment, we get 7 days off, then we go to a 14 on, 7 off schedule.

Company pays for flying us out and back, all expenses covered.

Living conditions are supposedly private room with a shared bathroom (2 to a bathroom). 3 meals a day provided, room is free, the only recurring expenses I can find are hygiene products if needed. Soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc. I need to confirm, but I am also told there is WiFi in the 'man camps'.

If man camp space is unavailable, they will provide a hotel room and pay us $30/day per diem for food.

I am doing the drug test tomorrow, and the background and results of drug test should be completed by Thursday, so it is possible we will fly out by the 26th.

Scary and exciting all at the same time. Again, doing the math gives some scary numbers, but this is a way to get my feet wet with a company that is HUGE in the fuel field. My goal is to get one of the runs that delivers fuel to the mines about 4.5 hours north of here. A dedicated fuel run that gets me home every nite. And the pay is pretty dang good.

Michael

Thanks Brett. Will give it some time to see what my friend can come up with, job wise. If nothing comes from that, I am already looking at some companies to apply to.

The HAZMAT exam here in Nevada was a complete joke. Not a difficult question in the bunch. The toughest question was why you needed to know the outage on a tanker. I was so stressed worrying about it, but then got there. You have to answer 24 out of 30 correctly, and when I answered the first 24 correctly, the test ended, and I was done. Relief and feelings of overstudying.

Contacted my friend to let her husband know that I was HAZMAT/Tanker/Doubles-triples certified, so now maybe he can put out some feelers on a job.

If nothing comes of it, I am seriously considering Melton. I like the thought of flatbedding for a couple reasons. First and foremost, is the exercise. I am 52 and don't get nearly the cardio workouts I need, so I feel that tarping and untarping will get me a little workout, and get me in and out of the cab a little more that just driving drop and hook boxes.

I was only considering O/O in the future to get some control of where you get to drive. Like I said earlier, my wife really wants to ride along at some point and see this great country, Just figured we would have a little more control over destinations if we were the 'boss'. Maybe I am wrong, I have been wrong before.

I want to approach my career in reverse from most folks. I want to start local or regional. Get my year or 2 in, then go OTR with my wife and travel around. Not sure this is workable, but we will see.

She will continue to work for the time being to help get us thru the lean times that all new drivers seen to go thru. So hometime from driving local or regional would be great. Then when I am comfortable and experienced, she can quit and join me on the road.

A master plan, for sure, and probably open for changes, but that is where we are at the moment. Cant wait to get started!

Thanks for reading, Michael

I was unemployed about 4 years ago, and decided to try trucking. Something I had always had in the back of my mind to do, but it was never the 'right time'.

At that time I got some grant money and attended a local private school, and 4 weeks later I had my Class A with tankers, doubles and triples. I started looking for a job, and kept at it for a couple months. Surprisingly, a job in another field popped up, and I took that.

Fast forward to the past couple months. There is a very strong indication that my present position will be eliminated. They may offer some sort of lateral job change, but I really don't want to do this particular job any more. So, I decided to start looking back into driving a truck.

Turns out, one of my co-worker's husband is in the petroleum sales business, and she asked him about the possibility of him using his contacts to get me on with one of his customers. He told her that if I get my HAZMAT endorsement, he feels pretty confident that he can get me in the door somewhere.

2 weeks ago, I did the TSA paperwork online, paid my money and the following Monday went down to get printed. They told me I should hear something in 2-3 weeks. Sure enough, 12 days later, I get a letter stating that I am qualified to test for the endorsement. I am going down to the DMV tomorrow and take the test. The CDL practice tests here were pretty sweet. I used them extensively.

Once I get the endorsement, I am going to get together with this friend and talk about the next step. I know I will need a refresher, at the very least. I am hopeful that perhaps I can get on with a company that will help share the cost, or even repay me for all of the refresher training. Talking with my old school, he offers a refresher that includes some driving, some backing and some other stuff for $1200. I can swing that, but still hope the company might help out here.

Anyway, nothing more to speak of at the moment, but I am getting very excited to finally try this out. My wife has already expressed an interest in someday riding along to see some of the country. She is Thai, and has only seen Nevada, where we live, and some of California. She very much wants to see more of this great country.

I am hoping to start with regional (Western) runs, and maybe someday, a couple years from now, go O/O if it tuns out we like it and want to pursue it full speed ahead.

Finding this site was a godsend. I am a member of that 'other' big trucking forum, but there is so much negativity, it is hard to maintain a positive attitude there. Glad to have found this place. Good job Brett!

More tomorrow after I get my HAZMAT... Michael

Name's Michael. Been lurking for a short time. Contributing member of some 'other' trucking forums, just stumbled upon this one by accident.

Got my CDL 4 years ago, but couldn't find anything I liked. Went another direction for a while and am now back.

Will have to refresh, I am sure, but I have a good friend/co-worker who's husband is in the petroleum sales business. He is pretty confident that if I get my HAZMAT, he can pull some favors and get me in one of those companies. We can only hope!

I did the online HAZMAT paperwork and payment and got printed last Monday. My letter from TSA is due next week or the following week.

I have been extensively using the HAZMAT tests here on this site as well as a few others. I am excited to get this career moving.

I really have high hopes in my friend's ability, but I am prepared for the worst. If he can't find anything, there are a few companies that are advertising free refresher to 'jump start' your CDL career.

Anyway, another lurker out of the shadows. Michael