Have any you thought of making it a side business? Basically you buy few trucks and start renting it to companies and get paid for it. Imagine you have 5 trucks, you get paid $200 for each truck, that's 1000 dollars/day. Not sure if I misunderstood something but if it is that simple then I recommend you guys to do this.

(07-11-2014 01:14 AM)scotian Wrote:  

(07-10-2014 08:13 PM)vanisle Wrote:  One thing I'd like to point out about the carpentry trade is everyone seems to think we all work with wood. I haven't touched a 2x4 in years.

It's all prefab metal gang forms or peri style form-work which is akin to building Lego blocks. The framing side of things is all steel stud sheathed with exterior composites similar to dri-wall. Even interior finishing has moved towards metal cladding or in the very least cement/MDF panels, mouldings...etc.

Doors, hardware, railings, etc...all metal.
Exteriors, all metal cladding or cement composites such as hardie plank/panel/shingle.
Roof coverings for commercial/industrial...metal clad.

The Carpenter of today rarely touches ANY wood let alone drives any nails since there are so many fire related issues involved with commercial/industrial structures.

Now if you're a residential house carpenter...then ya, sure you'll be banging together wooden finger joint studs and sheathing with cornflake panels such as OSB...But I don't think this thread would be of any help to you if that was your intention.

Just wanted to state the carpentry trade is much more involved than driving nails into wood.

Thanks for the informative post, I'll admit that I was one of those people who just assume carpenters work mostly with wood but it does make sense that there isn't much wooden structures on an industrial job site. I've never actually meet very many carpenters out in the oil sands, just the scaffolders who are in the union, but I imagine, just like any other trade that carpenters are in pretty high demand in Alberta. One benefit that carpentry has over other trades (such as pipefitter, crane operator, etc) is that if you get sick of working in the oil biz, you can always do residential carpentry, there's always people building houses somewhere, or you could also do commercial work. Same with plumbing, a plumber can do industrial, commercial and residential as well, something to think about if you're considering a trade.

Plumbing is by far the best trade, If I could go back in time I'd be a plumber. Even in the city as an employee is $35 per/hr and an emergency call out $75.
Building houses gets boring, infact I could puke at the sight of a set of house plans. Money is good but after some time and building house after house, really starts to take the wind out of your sails...but ya they're screaming for house framers and siding installers all over Alberta and paying huge money...$45+ per/hr if experienced and fully equipt... just checkout kijiji...no camp/flights though!

Commercial/Industrial is always a challenge because you never know what the fuck to expect, for example installing sliding bar racks at the local police station, holding cell doors, or a helicopter pad at the hospital...always different shit! Do you have any idea how much backing it takes to hold up a chalk board in schools? They're very fucking heavy. Water silos, grain elevators, sewage treatment, bridges, infrastructure...goes on and on, yet its exciting stuff...well, beats framing a house that's for sure.

The only reason I'm even considering frt mac is because I have 3 apprentices which I trained and indentured whom are now JM Carpenters that are in camp with flights and laughing at me for not being where the "money is". I also plan to use this time to "find myself"...we'll see!

At any rate, I'm on stand by awaiting mobilization and should be joining you fine gentlemen around Aug1.
Hope I get a good camp, and really hope I don't get eaten by a fucking bear!

Later.

What's up fellas,

Got a couple cents to add for the wanters since my 3 months of being in AB (20min east of Calgary). When it comes to switching your licience ($90-$100) you might have to prove your address, I called a few places and they want a utility bill or a pay stub(s) with a Alberta addy, pay stub worked for me in this case. I'm sure all registries are different and some will accept a P.O but be prepared. When buying a beater make sure it is/was registered in Alberta or you will have to get a out of province inspection (oop) and they are insaintly throuogh and around $200. If pavement pounding and emailing doesent get you a job then hit a temp agency. I wanted work the fist day I hit calgary so I hit up Diversified and was working the next morning making $16 (ugh I know) doing civil (construction type work) for a cell tower company... But! I worked my ass off and after 3 days they offered me a full time position in the 20's. I've since moved on but because we drilled large holes in the ground I met drillers, installed steel casinging so met welders ect. and all of them gave me lots of great info so as Scotion said, NETWORKING is the key to success... and a great work ethic. GL

Meet up for the World Cup Final in Edmonton

Guys,
Anyone up to meet up for the World Cup final tomorrow afternoon? I suggest Shanks as it is the biggest bar with the biggest screens. If anyone has other suggestions, I'm open to it.

Post here or pm me.

(07-10-2014 07:14 PM)MiddleEastern Wrote:  

(07-10-2014 10:02 AM)HamburgerJung Wrote:  Hi guys, another German reporting in.

I stumbled across this thread in December, got my visa in January and landed two days ago in Edmonton. Thanks to everyone, especially Scotia for providing such valuable information!

If anyone wants to meet for the World Cup Final on whyte ave this sunday just pm me.

Cheers, HamburgerJung

Welcome to Edmonton. I would love to meet up in Whyte Ave and watch the game, but I will be wearing a Messi jersey

Come join us, I will be at O'Byrne's Irish Pub with some guys from the hostel.
Big, bald with an 1998 Germany jersey, thats me.

I was in the City Centre watching the big screen. Lots of people there.

Just seen a hotshot (rig delivery/pickup service) invoice left on a desk.

$900 flat call out fee rate (about 30km)
$240 an hour

He came out for 5 hours (including drive time) to pick up some bits (three drilling parts that fit on a large trailer towed by a one tonne)

So over $2000 for 5 hrs. work. I am going to be asking some question's about these guys job tomorrow.

(07-14-2014 11:00 PM)Atlantic Wrote:  Just seen a hotshot (rig delivery/pickup service) invoice left on a desk.

$900 flat call out fee rate (about 30km)
$240 an hour

He came out for 5 hours (including drive time) to pick up some bits (three drilling parts that fit on a large trailer towed by a one tonne)

So over $2000 for 5 hrs. work. I am going to be asking some question's about these guys job tomorrow.

I drive a hot shot truck, what would you like to know? That rate is pretty expensive (from my experience), was the hot shot called out in the am?

Alright Ill take ya up on that offer:

Do you work for yourself or a company.

How consistent is your work?

How consistent is your clients? How do you find clients?

Is the market saturated?

What start up equipment is need - is it as simple as a truck and a trailer?

Is there hidden costs I am not seeing - steep insurance etc.

What is the best places to be based out of?

Thanks man

Quote:Do you work for yourself or a company.

I work for a company. I applied to these guys during spring break up and have been with them ever since, I was actually just put on 1 ton + trailer after spending a lot of time being a grunt for the picker trucks.

Quote:Is the market saturated?

Yes, but small hot shot services are less common than the large companies running a fleet of Kenworth winch trucks. Oilfield hauling is huge, you might not notice it until you work for a company. It seems none of these oilfield companies have their own heavy trucks for transport, so they contract everything out to hauling companies.

Quote:How consistent is your work?

I started during break up, so it was slow. But now I work almost everyday. I just did an 18 1/2 hour run up to Conklin and Surmont to deliver stuff to pad rigs. Today I drove 8 hours round trip to deliver some sucker rod.

When something is needed on a rig, the head offices/yards in Nisku will call us, my dispatch calls me, I go to the yard and grab a truck (a trailer may or may not be needed), go pick up a load, the client gives me directions, then I drive out to a lease or anywhere for that matter, deliver it, and return home.

I basically wake up at a decent hour every morning assuming I'm going to get a call.

Quote:What start up equipment is need - is it as simple as a truck and a trailer?

Yes. The guys I work for started their company with just two 1 ton trucks and trailers (these were probably the years where they got all of their contacts.) Now they have a huge fleet including picker trucks, winch trucks to move rigs, 1 tons, and a bed truck. They keep growing. The hardest part to starting out is getting contacts in the industry to get their oil field hauling/hot shots done through you.

Quote:How consistent is your clients? How do you find clients?

This I imagine is the hardest part. However, from my experience, it seems that the engineer/consultant on site can call whoever the hell they want to go to the yard in Nisku to pick something up. For some clients, it doesn't seem that there is a system of preapproval from head office on what company their guys in the field can call to do their hot shot. When I show up, I tell them what company I am with and where I am going.

Quote:Is there hidden costs I am not seeing - steep insurance etc.

I don't know about hidden costs, but I'm sure they have a hefty insurance policy on our fleet. Shit breaks/needs replacement a lot, our few mechanics are always up to something. That's on heavy equipment however. The 1 tons don't seem to need a lot of work. Biggest cost is probably fuel since that is the life blood of a trucking company.

Quote:What is the best places to be based out of?

Anywhere near Nisku is the best place to be, since all of the drilling companies have offices/yards there, that is where you will be the majority of the time to load up.

If you want to know about rates I can pm you. Like I said, that hot shot invoice you saw seems very expensive.

Laurifer props to you man, driving Class 5 long haul up the California mountains was one of the scariest times of my life. I have the utmost respect for guys that drive rigs. That said, I don't ever want to do it again but I've seen some ads for hydro vac trucks (In Ontario its called a DZ). I sure would like to drive a DZ truck, I think they are awesome and MUCH easier to use.

For the guys thinking of doing long haul, picture yourself strapped to the front of a rocket and barrelling down a road uncontrably and you have a picture of what its like to ride long haul in the driver's seat. Air Brakes are nice when they work but alot of companies tend to scrimp on maintenance or REALLY overload the truck and when you are fully loaded and you have to stop on a dime, well whatever is infront of you is going to be reduced to dust and vapour. Some people must just be naturals at it... this after I did a full $5000 driving course, still felt scared getting behind the wheel... and then trying to park those things at a crowded flying J is an absolute nightmare. I recommend doing anything but driving rig... scariest fvking thing ever. Going to work one day one of our trucks spontaneously combusted in the yard, dispatch had no explaination for this.

Also if you want to buy a truck you also have to factor in fuel costs and maintenance costs every trip... we are talking $100's of dollars per trip. My father knows an owner op and his rig is really beautiful inside, like a small club house, anyway the guy paid 250k for his truck and trailer and told me he spends about 20k every month just on extra tires, maintenance and fuel. He makes around 100,000 CAD but you only get paid when the wheels are rolling so you are basically working non-stop and rigs aren't like 4 wheelers, they fall apart constantly. You gotta LOVE this career path, its a passion for sure, you have to be in that stupid truck day and night. Most guys who run rig are divorced and basically live out of the trucks. I guess this would be a perfect Roosher career path.

Anyway could you tell me a little about operating the DZ stuff, like hydro vacs? What about those HUGE construction vehicles... they look like gigantic dump trucks, what do you need to operate those? Finally does anyone know about the license's or training required to get a job as a bobcat or skidsteer driver.. I've always liked those things, they remind me of that yellow exoskelton from ALIENS.

Yes it definitely can be dangerous. We had a 1 ton get completely demolished when one of our drivers "went unconscious" (probably fell asleep), he lived, which is amazing considering how destroyed the truck was. I will only be doing this another month and a half before I take off for three months. I'm not sure if I will reapply to the company again afterwards because (1) the winter will suck and be more dangerous (2) I don't want to be at a job where I am on call and held hostage by my phone long term. However, I LOVE being on my own on the road and being able to do shit my way without being watched by a foreman.

I've thought maybe this winter when I'm back I'll get my fork lift ticket and go work at a warehouse in Nisku. I'd be warm, in doors, have fixed hours, get weekends off, and still be able to work 12 hour shifts. I've heard that pay can be up to $30 an hour, which I doubt, but anything in the mid $20s would be fine by me. It's always an attractive thought I have about what I want to do this coming winter/spring.

(07-15-2014 04:32 PM)Laurifer Wrote:  Yes it definitely can be dangerous. We had a 1 ton get completely demolished when one of our drivers "went unconscious" (probably fell asleep), he lived, which is amazing considering how destroyed the truck was. I will only be doing this another month and a half before I take off for three months. I'm not sure if I will reapply to the company again afterwards because (1) the winter will suck and be more dangerous (2) I don't want to be at a job where I am on call and held hostage by my phone long term. However, I LOVE being on my own on the road and being able to do shit my way without being watched by a foreman.

I've thought maybe this winter when I'm back I'll get my fork lift ticket and go work at a warehouse in Nisku. I'd be warm, in doors, have fixed hours, get weekends off, and still be able to work 12 hour shifts. I've heard that pay can be up to $30 an hour, which I doubt, but anything in the mid $20s would be fine by me. It's always an attractive thought I have about what I want to do this coming winter/spring.

There's lot of jobs out there where you can work by yourself and drive all over Western Canada and get paid very well to do so, field service techs are what comes to mind, those guys are road whores. Personally I hate driving, I had to stop today on my way back from a job in Conklin and sleep for an hour because I felt like I was going to fall asleep and the 881 and 63 aren't highways where you want to do something like that!

Laurifer: Get both Raymond Reach and Counterbalance, it'll make you more employable. They shouldn't run you any more than $400 for both, at least, in Ontario.

just recently did a bobcat coarse its four hours long,it pretty straight forward about three and half of theory and a half an hour of pratical,cost about 150 bucks in grande prairie

(07-15-2014 08:56 PM)jjj Wrote:  just recently did a bobcat coarse its four hours long,it pretty straight forward about three and half of theory and a half an hour of pratical,cost about 150 bucks in grande prairie

Nice, are you planning on staying in GP and looking for work there?

(07-15-2014 08:56 PM)jjj Wrote:  just recently did a bobcat coarse its four hours long,it pretty straight forward about three and half of theory and a half an hour of pratical,cost about 150 bucks in grande prairie

Bobcat driving is great fun. Its like getting paid to drive a go-kart.

I showed my Irish buddy (fresh to the work site) how to use one in about 5 minutes. I must have not spent enough time because about half an hour later he picked up over a hundred 2 x 4s, hit the wrong lever and threw them all in the air and over the bobcat. We had a good laugh about it.

yea the bobcat is great fun,once I didn't attached the dumper attachement to the bobcat properly and I ended up throwing it into a dumpster and to lift it out with a chain and forklift!! yea scotian still up here,still drywalling,but I'M aiming for the for the grande prairie job fair first of October,all the big players from fracing to drilling are going to be on show,so am hoping to get into the oil and gas industry that way,i've giving up on trying to get a heaving equipment operator job in fort mac,must of sent out a 100 resumes and phonecalls got no reply,having good fun on tinder though,grande prairie not to bad of a town,pretty busy at the minute,

Late notice but I just found out I will be in Edmonton for the next couple days. I will be at the Pint off Whyte Ave tomorrow (Wed) night around 8 PM if anyone wants to join me. I still haven't met most of the Edmonton crew.

I look forward to a lot of on the job training. It is funny that the last thing a recruiter at this one company told me was not to go over and apply to all the other companies in the area, like it was a threat and they could somehow tell if I chose to do it. lol I decided to tread lightly... at least until I get a better impression on how soon I can switch over and work for them.

also anybody in relocating to grande prairie for work check out a company called hi volt safety,they do everything from h2s,first aid,bobcat,forklift,class 1 and class 3,priced arounded and its the cheapest and most professional place,first aid instructor is smoking hot,shes nice 8 on a good day,the bobcat lady instructor doesn't even get a score,but shes a good instructor though,check out wapiti auto sales to get a vechicle on the road,kijji is the main place to look for jobs,all the big players from fracing to pipeline and drilling are located twenty minutes out the road in a place call clairemount,i know a pipeline company called doran stewart in grande prairie are mad looking for labouers at 23 an hour,12 hours a day,seven days a week,picked up at your door,90 per cent all local work

(07-15-2014 09:41 PM)Ferro Wrote:  Late notice but I just found out I will be in Edmonton for the next couple days. I will be at the Pint off Whyte Ave tomorrow (Wed) night around 8 PM if anyone wants to join me. I still haven't met most of the Edmonton crew.

I look forward to a lot of on the job training. It is funny that the last thing a recruiter at this one company told me was not to go over and apply to all the other companies in the area, like it was a threat and they could somehow tell if I chose to do it. lol I decided to tread lightly... at least until I get a better impression on how soon I can switch over and work for them.

Too bad I'm not around man would like to meet up again, we'll have to go for beers next time I'm in Cowtown.

(07-15-2014 09:44 PM)jjj Wrote:  also anybody in relocating to grande prairie for work check out a company called hi volt safety,they do everything from h2s,first aid,bobcat,forklift,class 1 and class 3,priced arounded and its the cheapest and most professional place,first aid instructor is smoking hot,shes nice 8 on a good day,the bobcat lady instructor doesn't even get a score,but shes a good instructor though,check out wapiti auto sales to get a vechicle on the road,kijji is the main place to look for jobs,all the big players from fracing to pipeline and drilling are located twenty minutes out the road in a place call clairemount,i know a pipeline company called doran stewart in grande prairie are mad looking for labouers at 23 an hour,12 hours a day,seven days a week,picked up at your door,90 per cent all local work

Thanks for the good intel, I still haven't made it up to GP yet but I should one of these days as I have a cousin up there and haven't seen her in a few years. GP is one of those smaller towns like Cold Lake, Lloydminster, etc that has tons of work in it and is generally always busy, if you can stand the small town living and the red necks, they're pretty good places to be to find a good paying job.

For first-aid course in Edmonton, I recommend Swoop First Aid, I never took any courses there or know anyone who has, I just saw the place last time I was in Etown and like the name!

don't mind living in a small town, back in Ireland I lived in the countryside,so its nice being close to everything,yea currently the rate for labouring is about 19 dollars,drywaller,taper makes about 25/26,b pressure welder makes about 45,class one driver makes about 25,but that's home every night,there is a massive demand for class 1 and class 3 drivers in grande praire,you can make a good living,one bed apartment is around 1100 and a room in a basement is about 600

I was talking to a buddy whos working in the patch the other day,and he was telling me theres a woman in the camp in grande prairie where hes staying and she does rub and tugs,is this common in work camps??

(07-15-2014 10:10 PM)jjj Wrote:  don't mind living in a small town, back in Ireland I lived in the countryside,so its nice being close to everything,yea currently the rate for labouring is about 19 dollars,drywaller,taper makes about 25/26,b pressure welder makes about 45,class one driver makes about 25,but that's home every night,there is a massive demand for class 1 and class 3 drivers in grande praire,you can make a good living,one bed apartment is around 1100 and a room in a basement is about 600

Those are decent prices for a place to live, similar to what you'd probably pay in Edmonton but about half of what you'd pay in Fort McMurray, if a guy made $25/hour and worked some OT, he could have a decent lifestyle on that and of course, there's always room for advancement.

(07-15-2014 10:18 PM)jjj Wrote:  I was talking to a buddy whos working in the patch the other day,and he was telling me theres a woman in the camp in grande prairie where hes staying and she does rub and tugs,is this common in work camps??

Doesn't surprise me although I've never seen or heard about it in the camps I've stayed in, the closest thing I've heard would be the safety watch girls sucking guys off for $50 in their work van during a shut down a couple of years ago lol. There's definitely camp tramps but the competition is fierce as you could imagine when the ratio is about 90% dudes.

(07-15-2014 09:41 PM)Ferro Wrote:  I will be at the Pint off Whyte Ave tomorrow (Wed) night around 8 PM if anyone wants to join me.

Scratch that, I will be joining the meetup at The Rack for wings around 7 PM.

(07-15-2014 09:52 PM)scotian Wrote:  Too bad I'm not around man would like to meet up again, we'll have to go for beers next time I'm in Cowtown

Sounds good. Another time.