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Dirtsquirter, when you took this job did you know it was an OTR gig? Does it raise any questions in your mind that you were given an oversized load of steel to go OTR? We're you thinking you were going to be an oilfield driver? I'm just curious. I know you're very excited but I'm just trying to get you to be aware. I've driven everything out here but Crude and I'm telling you the trucking industry is notorious for smoke and mirrors. Especially in the Patch. I truly hope this works out for you but please keep your spidey senses tuned in.
I appreciate the advice. Answering your questions, no- I was not hired on as an otr driver, but the company has locations in various parts of the US, so they will occasionally send drivers to their locations to deliver or pick up units. I was picked to haul my first oversize load to the south as a way of breaking me in, and also finding out early on if I can cut the mustard. The lesson and the trip were invaluable, to say the least. I can now safely and confidently move one of these loads 1 mile or 2000 miles, whichever may be needed at any given time. My job is mainly in the oilfields here in ND. I have been on 7 or more moves, all in the Bakken. I will be home every night to spend time with my family, and that to me is the most important part of this whole deal. After talking with the other drivers, I have found most have traveled out of state only a couple times in a year. I realize that there are companies that exploit their drivers, work them 16 or more hours a day, and otherwise burn them out until they either move on to another company or just sleep in their cabs next to a big bag of money. It's not for me. I have also come to the realization that this company does not pay the most, but it is not a back breaking job either. I believe it to be a happy medium between earning great money, and still being home every night with an occasional weekend day off and 10+ weeks off per year. I feel lucky to have found it the first time out, and almost every driver here has been here 1+ years or more. That in itself says something to me - in a place where driver turnaround is very high, this group of men have stayed on and all agree that it's a good place to work - so far I have to agree.
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