What's considered a good offer for a truck driver? (leasing, insurance)

[gogonorth]

I'm curious what is considered good pay and benefits for a truck driver with over 30 years, perfect driving record, but no oilfield experience? I'd like to hear from those who have been hired recently, if you don't mind. Do they make you sign a contract and if so, for how long? What happens if you have to break the contract? How about retirement/401k? Sure appreciate any comments from folks who want to share what they know about this. My husband has recently had a few companies contact him, but their offers seem on the soft end to me ($21-22 hr/50% paid benefits). We had been seeing higher per hour rates not that long ago compared to these.

[itsMeFred]

Don't even think about anything that talks about a contract. Seriously.
There's no reason an experienced driver should consider anything that locks him into a job. Though frankly, of the dozen resumes/apps we sent out for my husband, not a one of them asked for a contract.

And yeah, you might be seeing higher wages than that (I know I have). However, the benefits will be a point of negotiation for them. $27-32 per hour, for example, is most likely going to be straight wages, no benefits... (or overtime, for that matter)
So that would be my suggestion; sit down and figure up what those "soft" offers are really going to add up to.
Is there overtime? What kind of benefits are we looking at for 50%? How much will it end up costing you guys for the other 50%? Will the company be moving him up to a full 100% after X amount of time? Are they providing housing? Better still, are they providing family housing? And so on.
THEN you can compare apples and apples.

[gogonorth]

Originally Posted by itsMeFred

Don't even think about anything that talks about a contract. Seriously.
There's no reason an experienced driver should consider anything that locks him into a job. Though frankly, of the dozen resumes/apps we sent out for my husband, not a one of them asked for a contract.

And yeah, you might be seeing higher wages than that (I know I have). However, the benefits will be a point of negotiation for them. $27-32 per hour, for example, is most likely going to be straight wages, no benefits... (or overtime, for that matter)
So that would be my suggestion; sit down and figure up what those "soft" offers are really going to add up to.
Is there overtime? What kind of benefits are we looking at for 50%? How much will it end up costing you guys for the other 50%? Will the company be moving him up to a full 100% after X amount of time? Are they providing housing? Better still, are they providing family housing? And so on.
THEN you can compare apples and apples.

Hi Fred. That is very helpful advice about the contract. Thank you for that. My hub doesn't like the idea of signing a contract and I don't blame him. However, we are concerned that employers may lower their hourly wages and only pay straight time, if they continue to get glutted with applications. So, in that case, having a contract would at least assure certain things for a period of time. That's the good and bad of it. Yeah, at this point, we are just looking at offers or prospective ones to compare them. We may go without medical and dential benefits in lieu of a higher wage base for my husband and focus on getting those benefits when I get work there. We both want 401k, death/disability insurance though. Just getting some good advice at this point so we can make the best decision when the time comes.

[JanND]

gogonorth....If your hubby wants to be an "owner operator" why would the company pay any benefits??
I would think "owner" means you manage your own truck, and you are the company?? That the oil field companies are leasing you/your truck. Am I misunderstanding the concept "owner/operator"?
My renter owns/and has truckers/emploees for several trucks, for past few years. He has been looking at switching from hauling water to hauling crude.
I know as an owner operator, you are doing your own maintenance and all the expenses fall on you. Not sure how profitable a one man owner operator would be. There are plenty that may have the answers, I am pretty curious.

[gogonorth]

Originally Posted by JanND

gogonorth....If your hubby wants to be an "owner operator" why would the company pay any benefits??
I would think "owner" means you manage your own truck, and you are the company?? That the oil field companies are leasing you/your truck. Am I misunderstanding the concept "owner/operator"?
My renter owns/and has truckers/emploees for several trucks, for past few years. He has been looking at switching from hauling water to hauling crude.
I know as an owner operator, you are doing your own maintenance and all the expenses fall on you. Not sure how profitable a one man owner operator would be. There are plenty that may have the answers, I am pretty curious.

He's checking into both and is open to what opportunities are there. Right now, we don't know what all that may be. Just keeping an open mind, so he's looking at offers for truck driving as well as being an owner operator.