North Dakota oil fields

im currently obtaining financial assistance to get my CDL and move to ND for a year to work in the oil fields driving truck

my uncle is out there now and i was just wanting to know if any of you have any experience doing this or know anyone who has?

the job ive been pre approved for starts at 25hr (no experience) and you work an average of 70hrs a week so im told

my goal is to go out here is to pay off all my debt and stay out there for about a year (a small 13K mostly my truck)

after i pay off my truck and the rest ill start saving for skydiving which has been my dream for 5 years.

 

anyone done this or had family thats done it?

i just want an opinion from someone whos done it besides a relative

 

Im doing it right now. Depending on the company you'll make 4-6k a month im averaging 140-50hrs every every 2 weeks. Moved to cali and im loving it out here in New Town

 

ive been pre hired at rolfson

im curious the living situation your in?

 

I'm from South Dakota and know a lot of people that live right in the middle of all that. I've been up in the midst of it as well. It's good money, but you'll be working hard, man. And the guys are a rough bunch. Not all bad dudes, but there have been murders and rapes and such. Because of the few who are jerks the locals aren't always optimistic about meeting oil workers. You can make a lot of dough though.

 

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Is housing hard to find and expensive ... like the other oil field areas ?
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From what I hear, entire hotels are filled up and people are even buying little mobile home trailer things to bring up there and set up to jack up the rent on, then selling them off. All hear say, though. I don't know that to be a fact. Depends on the area too.

 

Well for about 8 months I lived @ a man camp in a trailer that the company provided and was paying 650 a month. It was shitty and small. My suggestions buy on if you can, for winter get an electric blanket, a small heater and sleep up high it helps when its -40 below lol.

 

Oh and get used to not showering for a few days and eating shitty. but other than that the pay is great. Biggest 2week check was about 7k. I live in a real house paying 550 a month and I get to drive to SoDak to relax with my girlfriend. Kinda liking it better than Cali... instagram Rellik85 some pics of North Dakota I took

 

Housing is a nightmare, the roads are chaotic and shitty in a number of ways, and get ready to freeze your ass off.

 

I also know several people from up there, obvviously they don't mind the cold cause it's all they know haha. Definitely a boom economy up there, rough living conditions but you can make a killing up there. I've heard of guys making six figures a year that were homeless and living in a truck, there's just nowhere to live.

I go to school in Rapid City, SD and I think I'm gonna try to get an internship up there to test the waters next summer. They guys I know that work up there in the summers work like dogs but come back rich, I'd like to see if it's something I can see myself doing for a few years after graduating before moving back to a more normal lifestyle

 

I was up there for a summer, ND sucks ass, good money but I can make as much elsewhere.

 

How much are you paying for truck school? Did you already get your medical card? Will you be getting your tanker endorsement?? And HAZMAT?? If you are driving an oil rig read up on the hours of service regulations, oil rig drivers have their own set of rules.

I had a friend who was kind of a vagabond and drove truck all over. He had the following summary-

Summer is ok

Winter is a frozen hell

Bring extra winter clothes. If you break down you don't want to freeze to death.

Be aware if your surroundings. When alone never be outside your truck without a hammer or tire iron (firearms will be banned for obvious reasons).

Horrible, cracked winter roads.

Good pay

No sleep

What do you want to do after 1 year?

 

thanks for all the info everyone.

yes i will be getting the tanker and hazmat cert and those are included in the price of the school, im going with roadmaster school and its 5k plus a few out of pocket expenses, but they guarantee a job for life and they also have been the most informative in my search for cdl schools. they also have the most time spent in the truck driving than in a classroom

im prepared for the freezing ass cold that wont bother me id rather be to cold than to hot personally.

my uncle says the same thing about living situation, he is working with a company that provides a big house for them to live in, he says its still pretty shitty but with money as a motivator theres allot more tolerance to live like a caveman

 

$5k seems about right for truck school. As you are well aware time in the saddle is more valuable than theory in the classroom. It is funny in school they probably make you shift with the clutch, but out on the road you never will, can shift better without. You get in trouble on the drive test if you shift without the clutch, happened to me.

Might as well get the double/ triple endorsement. You don't need a drive test, only written. Never know when you will need it.

Anymore hazmat is a pain to keep up. You will always be in the middle of a two year renewal through TSA, and then with a 5yr license you will always be going to the DMV. After you are done with ND assess if it is worth the pain and cost of keeping it active.

 

Living conditions are a big deal, and in the winter it is hard to come by. expect to pay high for nothing.
Lots of crime
Hard work

 

There are a lot of companies in the oil patch that will provide housing for you. While it's not good, it is at least something. The majority of companies will either provide this for you, or give you a monthly stipend or pay you more and then housing is your responsibility.

In all honesty, $25/hr with no housing help is pretty low for a CDL worker in ND.

As others have said, living here sucks. It's cold. You just can never get used to 3 months of -40 windchills. There is nothing to do, and the environment isn't the best. Lots of crime. You will work your ass off, but yes, you will make good money. I know kids just out of high school that are making close to 100k a year.