Mike- thanks for putting out great info on what's going on up there. I've just completed my CDL and all endorsesments except hazmat...just passed the test for that and waiting for background check to clear. Here's my question- I'm considering the Texas oil fields to start for experience but know the money and hours are better in ND although housing- if you can find it- and general living expenses are higher there. That's sort of my reason for the TX route- it's probably cheaper to live and it's also easier to fly back and forth to FL (home). If Texas doesn't pan out (I'm there looking for driving jobs from 4/17-4/24) will it be too late to find work the first week of May in ND? I would pack up my car and drive from south Florida to ND and make the rounds pounding on doors there if nothing turns up in TX. I'm open to working in ND but have concerns that I may be too late by May...obviously no housing or job set up prior to coming so any advice would be greatly appreciated!! Briefly...a bit of background on my MVR & personal history- clean on both with a solid job history and a great work ethic. I don't believe I will have a hard time getting hired if I can get in for the interview. How feasible are the prospects for rookie drivers with no experience? Thanks again for the great info put on here!

 

If I were you, I would give SOS Staffing a call and see what they tell you. I know of some drivers that have been hired with as little as 3 months OTR. And, I have heard on the radio up here, 550am out of Bismarck ND, that SOS Staffing is finding driving jobs for guys like yourself. I have a link to their Minot office on this page(5) or on page 4 of this thread. Give them a call and see what they say.

As far as Texas and Oklahoma, they are advertising for drivers up here. I know they are looking for guys around the Odessa area and also around Hobbs New Mexico. One thing I have heard more than once down there is that you will more than likely need to find and rent your own place. And then the pay, if you can get in down there, I think you will be looking at a wage of $15 to $18 an hour seeing as you have no experience. Up here in ND, if you get hired, I would say you are looking at $20 an hour w/OT with free housing. But, in your case your best bet is to get hired on somewhere and get at least 3 or 4 months under your belt and keep a clean record, no spills, no tickets and NO accidents. If you can do that, you should not have to difficult a time moving up the food chain.

As far as getting hired during certain times of the year, don't worry. We have allot of turnover up here. Many come up, few make it. Not that the work is hard on the trucking end, it is not. Most guys can't handle being away from home for more than a few days or week or two. They crack, pack their bags and run back home to momma!

Mike

 

Justruckin what are the chances of me being hired up there for driving? Female and no don't much care about the man camp thing. Would need a place to live that's not in some dorm or whatever. I have been following this thread and applying at a couple of the companies you listed. Still in process of applying to a couple other companies. Just started late last week so hopefully I might hear from someone. Are they hiring females? What suggestions or ideas have you got?

 

Yes, companies do hire women up here. Most of the gals I see are hauling rock and gravel in side dumps, a few on water, but can't say I have seen any hauling crude, but there must be some. I would hunt around for the side dump jobs, Root Construction in Cartwright and S&S in Watford come to mind. There is also a family run business down in Dickinson that sometimes has openings. I'm sorry, but I cannot recall their name, but a quick google search you should be able to find them under excavating, and they have housing. And I would stick with the construction side, because they primarily work during day light hours, and there are normally allot of people around and you will travel in packs. Most of the guys I have run into hauling side dumps are pretty good guys. Bottom line, I think you see more women in the side dump end of things because it is probably one of the safer jobs for a gal up here due to the daylight hours and the way they travel in groups. I hate to say it, but there are more than a few nut jobs up here that I would not trust with a goldfish.

Also, give Jayda at Waggoners a call, (701) 572-1402 They are just a few miles south of Williston off SR85 and have "very" nice furnished housing. They do hot shot and some local and OTR stuff up here. They start you at around $24 an hour with OT. Give her a call, I just saw an ad for drivers here the other day. Very safe place to work and a good starting point for a newbie to the area. And she does hire women.

As far as the housing, not many trucking outfits in man camps, most are private or two man trailers and some in real houses. I would run down these ads here too, north dakota transportation jobs classifieds - craigslist

Craigslist is going to be really humming here in the coming weeks. The main thing is that they want you here asap.

I hope this helps.

Mike

 

Well I was alittle down on the man camp thing too until i seen some videos of what there like there not that bad, and do have some women in a few. From what ive been seeing there is no place to rent up there that would make the move worth it. I was concidering a motor home but as others on here have said the rv parks are starting to stick it to everyone too. Check this out> Google> Lady roughnecks in north dakota man camps} and see if that video gives u a better idea. along with a lot of other helpfull vids. Just trucktruckin had a Q for U but U seemed to have answered it in your last post. I will be delayed a couple months before looking for job up there but glad to see Jobs will still be there come June. WONT THEY?

 

Justtruckin glad u pointed toward the safety issue for women up there. Ive been wondering about how safe it would be to have girlfriend come over on days off and if she would be ok if she went around shopping and what not by herself. I know she was also kind of thinking about some work up around williston. But just the other morning on the news I seen they found the body of a MT woman,school teacher up there. last seen jogging in MT. I see u put emphasis on daylight and traveling in packs. Im fine, but the female is not the brightest bulb when it comes to bad situations.

 

Well, its not that bad up here, but we do have a fair share of jackasses. And the gal in Sidney MT, the school teacher, that was a shock to all of us. They do have the perps in custody, both were registered sex offenders. And I will tell you, more than a few of us carry up here, yes at work and in the truck. Some of the places you can go are pretty remote, and allot of times you will be by yourself. Personally, I have not had any problems up here, but bringing my wife up here to live, is not on my list of things to do. This is still pretty rough and tumble up here, not your normal suburban neighborhood. About all there is to do up here is work, sleep, eat and have an occasional drink. Just getting groceries can take up to half a day with the travel times. I look at it for what it is, an awesome paying job with allot of downsides... Thank God the money makes it worth it all, because no one in Michigan is going to pay me what I am making here for the work I do. I'll make in a night what most guys will make in a week, and yes, it is worth it.

 

The man camps are very nice, if your company is paying for it. Just not any trucking companies up here that I know of that house employees in them, as it is very expensive. And yes, plenty of work up here, at least 10 years if all keeps going the way it is, if not more. We have the possibility of over a trillion barrels of recoverable oil up here, and are only on our millionth barrel.

 

Thanks Justruckin and keep on putting the posts on. You've been a big help in even getting started on jobs up there. Going blind before hand being here in Georgia. I know I would be in for a big surprise with the way the world is today. But like you I need the money and am willing to work hard for it. I will check out a few places you mentioned. Your posts on the cold and clothing needed was a big help too. It would be quite an experience and one I would enjoy. Always wanted to be up there in the midwest and Idaho and Montana are beautiful. This will give me the opportunity. Funny how some of us have trucking in our blood. I tried to leave and need to go back. Can't stand staying put.

I just can't believe I read Driverj saying something about "the female not being the brightest bulb"..... How long has that guy been driving? No I can't do what a guy can do in a bad situation. Don't exactly put myself in the bad situations. I do the best I can to stay out of them. Yes, being up there is a tough one to start with, but I have driven for awhile and been on the road with other guys way back when. I can take care of myself. I know there are real nut cases there just as there are everywhere. What the drivers use to do way back when was look out for each other.
DriverJ as for being a not bright bulb, well I gotta say you just don't know what you are talking about. You don't know me man.

 

If you get with a good outfit, ND is actually a very nice place to work. I have been welcomed in by the locals, very nice folks up here. Honestly most people I have met here would make great neighbors. The hardest thing to do up here is to find the right job for you. It took me a couple of tries, third job was the charm, very happy with where I am. And we are moving, going to be on the banks of the Yellowstone River. Who'd a thunk?

Oh, the weather? Been in the 60's and 70's here, might hit 80 tomorrow. And the summers, daylight till near 11pm, sunrise around 4am. Very nice up here in the summer.