PSA for anyone trying to get on in the Permian: check these 3 things before you apply anywhere
I work in the field and deal with a lot of hiring out here. Every company sets its own minimums, and when a hand doesn't make the cut it's usually one of these 3.
1. Where you live
Plenty of outfits only hire guys who already live within an hour or so of the yard. If a seat says local only and there's no housing, an out of state app goes nowhere no matter how good you are. Coming from out of state? Go after the seats that list housing or say they'll take a hand who moves there. Read the whole listing before you pack.
2. Your CDL
Read that line close. Class A vs B matters. Trucking outfits usually want 2 or 3 years on your CDL, and that number comes from their insurance, so calling the office won't change it. Crude seats mostly want tanker and hazmat. And an automatic restriction knocks you out of a lot of seats since most of the trucks out here are manuals.
3. Experience minimums
If a rig seat says 6 months or 1 year, they mean it. On a lot of locations the operator caps how many short service hands a crew can carry, so even a crew that likes you might not have room for another green hand.
Green isn't hopeless though. There's still seats that take no experience... floorhand, roustabout, flowback trainee, yard and shop work. The pay's lower to start, but that's how most hands get in. Apply to what you actually fit and your odds go way up.
Got questions about any of the basins or seats? Ask below.
