(09-01-2014 08:08 PM)scotian Wrote:  

(09-01-2014 02:40 PM)PakiRambo Wrote:  

(08-23-2014 08:49 AM)Roma Wrote:  

(08-22-2014 10:08 PM)PakiRambo Wrote:  An update from my part... I also paid 2 months rent to a place in etown for 400/month, and turned out the land lady was a scammer and out of the 800 i paid her, I have managed to get back 300...

Would you post the landlady's name, address and phone no. so others do not fall into the trap?

The woman who scammed me, lives in Abbottsfield.. She posts ad for a furnished bedroom with an attached bathroom. Her story is that she owns the house, and she works 3 weeks in fortmac and only her 16 yr old son lives in the house, and her parents rarely visit. The real story is that the cunt DOES NOT own the house. Her dad owns the house who is an alcoholic, and so is her mother. The rent she advertises for is $450. Meeting her in person and harrassing her for 20 days straight i have gotten most of my money back ($800 originally). It is a beaten down house in a shady court style area. For privacy reasons I cant post her number here. For work she tells me that shes a used car saleswoman, AND works in fortmac. In reality I think shes a broke good for nothing scammer with big tatas.

Man that sucks, Abbotsfield/Beverly area is a dump, hookers and crack heads and ghetto public housing in that area, I actually stayed there for a year when I was working 24/4 up north, I crashed at a buddy's place on my days off but wouldn't recommend living there. I always tell guys that the south side near Whyte and the UofA is the best area, that's where I live. Don't end up way the fuck out in the west end or some ghetto down town hood, especially if you don't have a car, it will make your life miserable, trust me I've been there.

Guys if you're new to Alberta and aren't sure about the area that you're considering moving to, just PM me, I've lived in Calgary, Edmonton and Fort McMurray and know most of the province well, I can point you in the right direction.

(09-01-2014 07:41 PM)HANS... Wrote:  Hi,

How much should I pay for a service from Edmonton to Sylvan Lake (the company main office is located there and I have to pickup my coveralls and start to work this Wednesday). I don't want to go the before and stay in a motel and pay a cab because I already pay for my room in Etown until Wednesday. Is somebody with a car is off and will give me a good rate, I will take it... I need to be in Sylvan lake on Wednesday at 8 am.

Thanks...

A taxi will be pricey as Sylvan Lake is about 1.5 hours south of Edmonton, you'd be better off hitch hiking (that's what I would do!) or taking a grey hound bus to Red Deer then a taxi to Sylvan from there, then the taxi and bus back. Seriously a taxi to Sylvan and back would probably be $300+ dollars.

Guys, this is exactly why I always recommend moving to Alberta with a car if you can or at least your full driver's license so you can rent a car when you get here, it will make your life a lot easier and improve your chances of getting a job!

Your best bet would be to rent a car from here https://www.economyrentacar.com/canada/nisku-car-rental if you want to save head aches. I rented a 2014 Nissan Altima in august when i came here. Cost me around 175 (including everything!) for 4 days included full liability insurance plus windshield tire and all that fancy insurance shit. The pickup location would be under Nisku, not edmonton.

(09-01-2014 08:08 PM)scotian Wrote:  

(09-01-2014 02:40 PM)PakiRambo Wrote:  

(08-23-2014 08:49 AM)Roma Wrote:  

(08-22-2014 10:08 PM)PakiRambo Wrote:  An update from my part... I also paid 2 months rent to a place in etown for 400/month, and turned out the land lady was a scammer and out of the 800 i paid her, I have managed to get back 300...

Would you post the landlady's name, address and phone no. so others do not fall into the trap?

The woman who scammed me, lives in Abbottsfield.. She posts ad for a furnished bedroom with an attached bathroom. Her story is that she owns the house, and she works 3 weeks in fortmac and only her 16 yr old son lives in the house, and her parents rarely visit. The real story is that the cunt DOES NOT own the house. Her dad owns the house who is an alcoholic, and so is her mother. The rent she advertises for is $450. Meeting her in person and harrassing her for 20 days straight i have gotten most of my money back ($800 originally). It is a beaten down house in a shady court style area. For privacy reasons I cant post her number here. For work she tells me that shes a used car saleswoman, AND works in fortmac. In reality I think shes a broke good for nothing scammer with big tatas.

Man that sucks, Abbotsfield/Beverly area is a dump, hookers and crack heads and ghetto public housing in that area, I actually stayed there for a year when I was working 24/4 up north, I crashed at a buddy's place on my days off but wouldn't recommend living there. I always tell guys that the south side near Whyte and the UofA is the best area, that's where I live. Don't end up way the fuck out in the west end or some ghetto down town hood, especially if you don't have a car, it will make your life miserable, trust me I've been there.

Guys if you're new to Alberta and aren't sure about the area that you're considering moving to, just PM me, I've lived in Calgary, Edmonton and Fort McMurray and know most of the province well, I can point you in the right direction.

(09-01-2014 07:41 PM)HANS... Wrote:  Hi,

How much should I pay for a service from Edmonton to Sylvan Lake (the company main office is located there and I have to pickup my coveralls and start to work this Wednesday). I don't want to go the before and stay in a motel and pay a cab because I already pay for my room in Etown until Wednesday. Is somebody with a car is off and will give me a good rate, I will take it... I need to be in Sylvan lake on Wednesday at 8 am.

Thanks...

A taxi will be pricey as Sylvan Lake is about 1.5 hours south of Edmonton, you'd be better off hitch hiking (that's what I would do!) or taking a grey hound bus to Red Deer then a taxi to Sylvan from there, then the taxi and bus back. Seriously a taxi to Sylvan and back would probably be $300+ dollars.

Guys, this is exactly why I always recommend moving to Alberta with a car if you can or at least your full driver's license so you can rent a car when you get here, it will make your life a lot easier and improve your chances of getting a job!

Thanks for your comment. I will check grey hound bus from here to Red Deer.

(09-01-2014 10:23 PM)HANS... Wrote:  

(09-01-2014 08:08 PM)scotian Wrote:  

(09-01-2014 02:40 PM)PakiRambo Wrote:  

(08-23-2014 08:49 AM)Roma Wrote:  

(08-22-2014 10:08 PM)PakiRambo Wrote:  An update from my part... I also paid 2 months rent to a place in etown for 400/month, and turned out the land lady was a scammer and out of the 800 i paid her, I have managed to get back 300...

Would you post the landlady's name, address and phone no. so others do not fall into the trap?

The woman who scammed me, lives in Abbottsfield.. She posts ad for a furnished bedroom with an attached bathroom. Her story is that she owns the house, and she works 3 weeks in fortmac and only her 16 yr old son lives in the house, and her parents rarely visit. The real story is that the cunt DOES NOT own the house. Her dad owns the house who is an alcoholic, and so is her mother. The rent she advertises for is $450. Meeting her in person and harrassing her for 20 days straight i have gotten most of my money back ($800 originally). It is a beaten down house in a shady court style area. For privacy reasons I cant post her number here. For work she tells me that shes a used car saleswoman, AND works in fortmac. In reality I think shes a broke good for nothing scammer with big tatas.

Man that sucks, Abbotsfield/Beverly area is a dump, hookers and crack heads and ghetto public housing in that area, I actually stayed there for a year when I was working 24/4 up north, I crashed at a buddy's place on my days off but wouldn't recommend living there. I always tell guys that the south side near Whyte and the UofA is the best area, that's where I live. Don't end up way the fuck out in the west end or some ghetto down town hood, especially if you don't have a car, it will make your life miserable, trust me I've been there.

Guys if you're new to Alberta and aren't sure about the area that you're considering moving to, just PM me, I've lived in Calgary, Edmonton and Fort McMurray and know most of the province well, I can point you in the right direction.

(09-01-2014 07:41 PM)HANS... Wrote:  Hi,

How much should I pay for a service from Edmonton to Sylvan Lake (the company main office is located there and I have to pickup my coveralls and start to work this Wednesday). I don't want to go the before and stay in a motel and pay a cab because I already pay for my room in Etown until Wednesday. Is somebody with a car is off and will give me a good rate, I will take it... I need to be in Sylvan lake on Wednesday at 8 am.

Thanks...

A taxi will be pricey as Sylvan Lake is about 1.5 hours south of Edmonton, you'd be better off hitch hiking (that's what I would do!) or taking a grey hound bus to Red Deer then a taxi to Sylvan from there, then the taxi and bus back. Seriously a taxi to Sylvan and back would probably be $300+ dollars.

Guys, this is exactly why I always recommend moving to Alberta with a car if you can or at least your full driver's license so you can rent a car when you get here, it will make your life a lot easier and improve your chances of getting a job!

Thanks for your comment. I will check grey hound bus from here to Red Deer.

Check out ebus. It's better than Grey Hound.

HANS..

Your best bet is to call Enterprise and rent a car for Wednesday, Their rate is going to be around $40 (Plus an optional Damage Waiver fee of around $24). You will be driving a nice new car of your choice, play your favorite tunes on the way, and not have to worry about hitchhiking or routing your way to Sylvan Lake. I have a Plus membership with them, I can hook you up with a good deal if you decide to go the car renting route

(09-01-2014 11:53 PM)MiddleEastern Wrote:  HANS..

Your best bet is to call Enterprise and rent a car for Wednesday, Their rate is going to be around $40 (Plus an optional Damage Waiver fee of around $24). You will be driving a nice new car of your choice, play your favorite tunes on the way, and not have to worry about hitchhiking or routing your way to Sylvan Lake. I have a Plus membership with them, I can hook you up with a good deal if you decide to go the car renting route

Thanks man! but the thing is I have to go to Sylvan Lake and stay there because I am going to pick up my coveralls and then start my shift, so I won't be able to go back to Edmonton and return the car...

(09-02-2014 12:00 AM)HANS... Wrote:  

(09-01-2014 11:53 PM)MiddleEastern Wrote:  HANS..

Your best bet is to call Enterprise and rent a car for Wednesday, Their rate is going to be around $40 (Plus an optional Damage Waiver fee of around $24). You will be driving a nice new car of your choice, play your favorite tunes on the way, and not have to worry about hitchhiking or routing your way to Sylvan Lake. I have a Plus membership with them, I can hook you up with a good deal if you decide to go the car renting route

Thanks man! but the thing is I have to go to Sylvan Lake and stay there because I am going to pick up my coveralls and then start my shift, so I won't be able to go back to Edmonton and return the car...

Have you tried rideshare from kijiji.ca to see if drivers will be going to your neck of the woods?

(09-02-2014 12:44 AM)Kane Wrote:  

(09-02-2014 12:00 AM)HANS... Wrote:  

(09-01-2014 11:53 PM)MiddleEastern Wrote:  HANS..

Your best bet is to call Enterprise and rent a car for Wednesday, Their rate is going to be around $40 (Plus an optional Damage Waiver fee of around $24). You will be driving a nice new car of your choice, play your favorite tunes on the way, and not have to worry about hitchhiking or routing your way to Sylvan Lake. I have a Plus membership with them, I can hook you up with a good deal if you decide to go the car renting route

Thanks man! but the thing is I have to go to Sylvan Lake and stay there because I am going to pick up my coveralls and then start my shift, so I won't be able to go back to Edmonton and return the car...

Have you tried rideshare from kijiji.ca to see if drivers will be going to your neck of the woods?

Yes man, I just posted my ad on kijiji and craiglist, let's see what happen tomorrow...

Atlantic Please reply my PM

(09-01-2014 04:22 PM)Atlantic Wrote:  Looks like im around for tbe week. Meet up on thursday or Friday maybe. Something fun like gokarts or paintball!

Big ups to Scotian for this thread and all the other contributors. Stumbled upon this thread in my internet search for career options and has quite simply changed my outlook on life. I'm only about two thirds of the way through reading the whole thread, but I have decided that I too will be making my way to The Mac this year.

I plan to drive out from Ontario to Edmonton in Nov, I wish I could leave right now but it's not feasible. When I get there I will be taking whatever job I can get, the more hours the better. I'll take the 3 or 4 courses in Edm, update my resume to indicate I have those, then I'll be hitting the pavement with resumes in hand. My ultimate goal is to drive one of those monster dump trucks, but I plan to labour for the better part of the first year and save up some cash then I'll take the course once I can afford it and the time away from work, hopefully the course will be available during the slower (summer) season. I think that would be my ideal job there. Wouldn't mind it all. So the plan is any labour jobs in the 1st year and hoping sometime in the 2nd year I can start driving a monster dump truck.

In the mean time I am working on improving my physical fitness levels and dropping a couple lbs, tying up loose ends here etc. Hope I can buy you guys a few rounds to express my gratitude in the not too distant future.

Can't wait!!!

Guys,

Is it possible to send an attachment when you PM someone, I'm not seeing it

First off I want to thank everyone who posted on this thread, especially the guys that made the move and posted their experiences.

So decided to come out here and just arrived on Tuesday. I will do a longer post with a few tips that I figured out so far later tonight as I am on my phone right now.

I am wanting to go into drilling so am testing and hopefully buying a truck today. Does it matter what type of cab the truck has for drilling or is a truck with just the 3 seater bench ok? Also any guys that can offer me advice on what to look for in an old used truck, that would be great as I've never bought a car before. PM me if you want.

(09-04-2014 08:02 AM)Seanchaí Wrote:  Guys,

Is it possible to send an attachment when you PM someone, I'm not seeing it

Doesn't seem like it bud, I tried looking for it too

(09-04-2014 09:06 AM)Essential Wrote:  First off I want to thank everyone who posted on this thread, especially the guys that made the move and posted their experiences.

So decided to come out here and just arrived on Tuesday. I will do a longer post with a few tips that I figured out so far later tonight as I am on my phone right now.

I am wanting to go into drilling so am testing and hopefully buying a truck today. Does it matter what type of cab the truck has for drilling or is a truck with just the 3 seater bench ok? Also any guys that can offer me advice on what to look for in an old used truck, that would be great as I've never bought a car before. PM me if you want.

Congrats on the move.

If you are going to work on the rig you don't need any vehicle in particular. A truck is obviously more reliable and suitable but it isn't fully necessary. If you are going into MWDing or something similar where you carry gear for work then ya it obviously is needed.

That being said if you are getting a truck try get some cab space for carrying personal belongings. You don't want you bag of clothes in the very back when its -30. If you are on a budget though just get whatever for now and upgrade when you are hired and a few paychecks in. Keep your cash in your pocket as much as possible because you never know what Alberta will throw at you.

Best of luck man and welcome to the patch

(09-04-2014 10:22 AM)Cattle Rustler Wrote:  

(09-04-2014 08:02 AM)Seanchaí Wrote:  Guys,

Is it possible to send an attachment when you PM someone, I'm not seeing it

Doesn't seem like it bud, I tried looking for it too

Thanks I thought I was just retarded and not seeing it

Thread rant:

What kind of guy does well in the Oil Sands?

Over the last two years I have meet over twenty guys from the forums who have moved out here and have been in contact with about 200 more through private messaging. Some people never post, some post less than ten times, while others have 1000’s of posts. Regardless there are different patterns of thought and behaviour between those who are successful and those who aren’t. Coming into what should be a busy winter I have listed some thoughts below on what I see as common themes:

They read the whole thread and get informed.

I think this is the biggest indicator of how well someone will do. The guys whose first few posts show they read the whole thread before asking questions generally do the best. There are 120+ pages of info about how to succeed out here. People have outlined how to succeed in a wide variety of industries. When people skip this completely and expect others to find the answers for them it shows a hack mentality and a lack of motivation. This hack mentality doesn’t fare out well in the patch. If someone is too lazy to read information that people write to help them succeed they will probably never even arrive or leave shortly afterwards when they do.

They respect the network that already exists and don’t overburden other forum members.

There are some great guys out here who have worked hard to do well. They made the move themselves and put in whatever work was necessary to do well. They didn’t look for people to carry them and solve all their issues. As such there exists a solid network of people with mutual respect for each other that extends beyond the people who post here. As with all networks people don’t look friendly on those who try to abuse and freeload the system.
The guys who do well here look to add to that network as oppose to ‘using’ it. By writing good informative posts on topics that help others, respecting the time of those who are trying to help you and again reading the whole thread you add value to this network. I have got PMs from people with lots of info on online courses that would be helpful for me and also how to set up a business (just two examples). These are guys who I now have a lot of time for and who I would be more then glad to help again.

Seek to add value first if possible. Same goes for meetups – the guys out here are sometimes understandably cautious about meeting new people who have just arrived. The guys who are cool to chill with and not overburdening get a good reputation and then others are keen to meet them. One newer forum member had two rep points saying he was a cool guy to chill with – I called him up and helped him get work as an MWD. I want more guys on the drilling side out here but I got to know they are not going to hurt my job reputation first and are cool guys to chill with. Same goes for the other guys out here.

They hit the ground running and keep busy.

All the guys I know out here who are doing well are extremly busy. Be it work, gym, travel, girls or lifestyle. This doesn’t mean they work non-stop but rather they use their time wisely and guard it well. If someone meets up with you when you first arrive be it for lunch or to drive you around chances are they had to make time to help you.
Same goes for when they arrive. They find a job within days and within a few weeks are well settled in. This is usually because they are prepared and network well before and after they arrive (see above).

They are cool, smart, driven guys.

I am always impressed meeting the other forum members who are out here doing well. They train hard, travel lots, got tight game, are highly driven and are cool guys to chill with. I definitely don’t feel like the smartest guy in the room which is good. Every time I meet up with someone they have some fun new stories and good insight into whatever topic.

The point of this post isn’t to preach but to help with what holds a lot of people back from using this thread to move to Alberta. No one on this board owes you anything so try and respect their time and add value to the already impressive group of people out here. People are happy to help but not if someone is only looking to pump them for info and move on.

I don’t know if others will agree with all of this but these are just some of my thoughts. I enjoy giving back to the forum that helped me moved out here when people try to abuse that it makes me less likely to respond to the next guy looking for help.

Greetings and Salutations everybody. Just a little update on my end. I started as a leasehand on a drilling crew on the 21st, worked 2 straight weeks and now on my third week in as night shift and then start my forth week in day shift. I picked up a shift while my crew was off so I've been working straight so far.

As a leasehand, your duty is mainly scrubbing, cleaning, mopping; sometimes your derrick might tell you to mix some sand for him. In my case, now he just tells me what mix to make and I gather up the stuff and just do it (basic chemistry). Tripped pipe a few times too, becuase I would finish up my cleaning duties and hang around on the floor. Might move up after my second hitch.

Working on a drilling rig is not hard at all, I would say its procedural. Ofcourse being at the bottom of the ladder you have 5 bosses, but you have to plan your tasks well and keep track of time. Believe me, mopping can get hard as F when theres 1/4 inch of mud on the floor and its all dried up. I have been on 2 leases so far, with the same MWD crew on it. Every now and then they would come out for a smoke and I would in their heads getting as much info about jobs as possible. Looks like, If you have a shitty degree and a solid drilling experience, even the kind of experience by which you can tell what happens when on a drilling rig, your chances of getting hired as an MWD are great, even as a staff helper.

Pounded a few resumes to various DD contractors, will start calling them once my week off comes closer. Not planning to to work the floor during the cold cold winters, but I'll have to if I'll have no other option.

People planning to come to the rigs, and wanting to buy a car, I recommend to get anything with a 4x4 ! I bought a pontiac grand prix, and that car to date, has gotten stuck in mud and ditches 5 times in the past 2 weeks ! Hopefully will be able to get a nice 6 foot box truck after a paycheck.

Money on the rigs as a leasehand, Its pretty good. I have a non-camp, so I get 145 daily subsistence as compared to 50 for camps. That daily subsistence is pure cash savings ! You get that accumulated at the end of the pay period which makes the paycheck even fatter ! To understand how much you would be making, I just got paid a couple of days ago for 3 days, and the pay was alittle shy of $1400. Thats not bad for 3 days of using a mop ! But to better yourself from there, Its all up to how you approach stuff and where you see yourself. Running the show, or being a part of the show

^Not too many posts I like twice ha. Well done man. Great post

Thanks man ! Was wondering who the alias is haha

I want to write an update as my first year is over. I'm at the airport in Calgary now waiting for my flight back home to Germany to apply for my 2nd visa.
I was updating my experiences regularly until January, then just wrote sometimes a few sentences in this thread, but was meeting many guys from the forum all the time until now. Most of them are very cool, dedicated and advancing pretty quick.

For me it was basically an up and down the whole time. I started out with Well Testing in October and was super motivated, it was an ok job. The money was not so good and sometimes very hard work, on the other days just watching movies during the shift though; staying in camp was nice too. I think it's a good job to get first oilfield experience as it's very easy to get into and you don't need a car.
After a bit more than a month i got sick of the heavy pipe and changed to a smaller company in St. Albert, with slightly better pay. The manager promised me a very busy winter. After one day of work i was sitting at home for a whole month and started looking into something else.

Some forum members recommended me to take a few courses to get into a trade. So i did one at the end of December and another one in January. After 2 weeks of applying i got a job, 40 hours guaranteed, worked for 2 days and then suddenly got a call from an MWD company with a job offer. I got 24 hours to decide otherwise they would hire someone else.
I texted Atlantic about some advice and to check the offer letter (Not sure if it was me who he mentioned in his post before?). It was the end of February so spring breakup was just around the corner. I was thinking the whole night about it, as i paid over 3000$ for the courses just one month ago.
But i decided for the MWD job as it was the job i came for to Alberta. And surprise surprise i didn't get a call until May for work, but got paid salary the whole time at least. I got 9 days on a rig near Grande Prairie in the middle of May. Was looking forward to watch movies all night and chill. But it was absolutely horrible. I got 2-4 hours sleep only every day, as the drill bits were crapping out all the time and we needed to rebuild tools. Then we had problems with our equipment and we needed to drive to other locations to collect parts. At the end of the job out of 3 toolstrings we had just one that was working.

After this job i was sitting again 2 months. In the middle of July i got sent on a rig in Saskatchewan, that kept me super busy. It's very fast drilling over there and one hole just takes 24-30 hours. You stay busy and learn a lot over there, as the rig is moving so often and you repeat all procedures every 2 days.
I had my breakout job in the field last week, our Field Supervisor was checking on me and was very satisfied. Tuesday and Wednesday i had my exam in the shop and passed.

If i get my next visa and come back to Alberta, i will work one month nights to get into it again, afterwards i will get send on my own jobs.
That was pretty much my last year.
In total i worked maybe 90 days. Scotian said a couple months ago that i'm on a paid vacation here in canada, as i was sitting at home so much.
I think i'm on a good way now, if i get a new visa and don't fuck up on my jobs i will apply for PR next year and then my next goal will be Directional Driller.
Thanks to all the guys here in the Forum: Scotian, Atlantic, JackofAllTrades, Tresdus, VacancierPermanent, Kane and many more who were a great help, just to many names to mention.

All the info you need to succeed in Alberta is in this thread, in Atlantic's MWD thread and a few other forums with excellent Oilsands content. You don't need to spam guys with PM's. Just use your own brain that's the first step to success.

Not getting a job in Alberta is like not getting laid in the Philippines
Enough said!

Do any of the guys on visas have any experience on getting a truck through finance? Just trying to weigh up my options

Cheers

Buko,
Have a safe flight back amigo! See you soon, hopefully in the Phils in the fall man!

Atlantic,
You need to drop a data sheet on how to like a post twice man! You're the only one who can do that! Did you game the RVF software or what? Ahahah

PakiRambo, awesome stuff man!

(09-05-2014 03:55 PM)Buzzyfurbox Wrote:  Do any of the guys on visas have any experience on getting a truck through finance? Just trying to weigh up my options

Cheers

There is a palce on 118th Ave called First Canadian Auto that will give you a loan no matter what your finance. I got a 2008 Ford F150 with less than a hundred in my account and 8 months left on my visa. They are shady as fuck though and no guarantee the truck will work for over a year.

"They are shady as fuck though and no guarantee the truck will work for over a year."

Those are the best places man!

Cheers Atlantic,seems like there's a lot of dodgy places about,did the whole process take long?

I'm off to Arizona then in a week SEA! You guys stay warm and keep safe this winter!