I'm 23, was an EMT, laid off. Have no work at all. My father told me about the Bakken in ND. I thought 'yeah right too good to be true'. Did my research and sure enough he wasn't lying. My fathers pretty well off but doesn't give his money away, he offered to pay for my CDL Class A + HAZmat school, get me an old little camper truck and send me up to ND. On the notion that I pay him back for the truck and gas. I'm ready to go and ready to work.

My only worry is, I'm from Florida and I would have zero work experience in the field. If I went up there, with a class A and hazmat, would I be able to get a job driving a truck pretty easily? I've read around the forums and heard that newbie's get trained with a driver and then usually just haul fresh water. I can bear the cold and I WANT to work the hours. How much would a normal wage be for a newbie out there in the winter, assuming I'd get up there mid-February. I'm planning on getting a cheap small motorhome (when I say cheap and small, I mean 1986 Toyota Dolphin) and living out of that, is that plausible during the winter?

I'm really really excited and I honestly can't wait to go, like I said, I WANT to work my ass off. I just don't want to waste my time and money driving up there and find out I'll be making $15 an hour. If its not buku bucks, I don't want to go.

I know this topic probably has been completely run into the ground but I really appreciate ANY opinions or help.

 

I would try to line up a job before driving that far. You may check with your local state employment office and look at their national database. It should have some of those jobs listed. I believe some have posted that you can make up to $100,000 with all the over time. Days are long and harsh in the winter in that part of the country. You will earn your money.

 

Right now, if you show up in any of the active drilling areas (of which there are many) with your CDL including the X endorsement in hand, you will have a job as fast as you can find a parking spot. Eeeeeeeer......FASTER than you can find a parking spot. There are many of the Well Services companies that will train you to drive. But having the CDL in hand puts you to work weeks ahead of those who need driver training.

You just need to consider what you are willing to do....and how hard you will be willing to work.

 

That is what will separate the men from the boys.
Some won't know, until they are in the sheit.
I remember myself saying on occasion... grand fork me! ...but then I go ice fishing for fun.

 

Dang thanks guys thats EXACTLY what I needed to know. Looks like I'll be heading up in mid Feb! I was just scared they wouldn't hire me with no experience

 

I would strongly recommend you also do some research on the "WINTER DRIVING" threads. Being from FL would suggest that you have little to no experience driving on slick roads, even with a car. You could try driving around as if your brakes don't work... That would give you a little clue. But, you'll find that driving a truck on slick roads isn't the same as driving a car either. And, ND will put you right about the heart of it all, every winter. Snow drifts, black ice, wet ice, winds, etc.....

Oh, yeah... Let's not forget fuel gelling either, and a cold engine and an even colder cab, 40 miles from the nearest help...
Pay attention to the old timers when they talk about how to survive in the weather. Don't go thinking you know it all, because the minute you do, Ma Nature will have another surprise for you.

 

Yes sir I'm very aware of that. I'm not the type of person that is cocky and thinks he knows everything. I'm scared poopless of it to be honest but I'm willing and able to learn and take it very slow. My only worry now is that the EPA may halt hydraulic fracking as soon as January 1st, 2012. Which would pretty much shut down the ENTIRE Bakken oil field. I've read that something like 99.6% of the wells out there are hydraulically fracked. I understand its an environmental concern but in this economy, if they shut that down, I will literally be devestated. I have to have my payment in for school by Dec 14th. And honestly I want to go out for a year or so (if I can handle it of course) to stack my bank account up, come back to Florida and goto pilot school, as I have no other way to pay for school, have to do it the hard way! But yeah I'm scared out of my mind that they'll shut the Bakken down. Any thoughts on that?

 

I have not kept up with what the EPA plans on doing.

However....

My wife is also a FL native, and learned to drive a truck in WI, in the middle of winter. (she didn't feel what snow was under her feet until she was 16 years old) She's driven through some of the worst winter weather imaginable, and has an accident free record. It can be done.

 

Do you know how much stuff costs up in the patch? How much it costs to park your camper? That spot may not even have electricity. How much it will cost to heat it when it's below zero. How big of propane tanks are you bringing? Will your vehicle you bring up here run when it gets really cold (-20+) I know dad has some that won't start when it's that cold, unless they are plugged in, and they run on gas. I'm not trying to scare you, just want you to be prepared for the worst.

 

I understand your concern, I've been reading up as much as I can and trying to plan everything out. I'm planning on buying a small older Toyota camper truck, I know I'll need a good generator and a block heater, etc etc.