Advice for new guys working in the Patch

[Kurt.Hanger]

To anyone working on a drilling rig of any age, but geared to the younger employees, here's some advice. These are the things that they didn't teach you in high school or from you parents growing up, but you definitely ****ing need to learn. Today with its now feel-good, politicallycorrect teachings has created a generation of of men with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

Fact 1: Life is not fair-----get used to it.

Fact 2: The rig does not care about your self-esteem. The industry will expect you to accomplish some thing BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Fact 3: You will not make $170,000 a year right out of roughneck school. You won't be a Rig Manager with a truck, phone, and a shack until you earn both.
Stay off of drugs, follow the rules, learn your job, do your hardest and you will get there. Nothing kills a career faster than a drug problem or a attitude problem.

Fact 4: If you think your teacher was tough, wait until you meet the Driller or better yet the Rig Manager. Remember EVERYONE has a boss in management.

Fact 5: Cleaning the ****ter is not beneath your dignity. The OLDER generation of the petroleum personal had a different word: they called it oppertunity.

Fact 6: If you **** up, it's your fault....not your fellow employees, Drilling company, Oil company or even your parents fault so don't whine about your mistakes or point fingers, learn from them. If you got yelled at it is most likely you endangered your life or somebody else's. Even at worse getting yelled at is ususally an indicator you are not doing your job up to standards, use this sign to your benifit.

Fact 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forrest from the parasites of the older generation, try delousing the closet in your own room at home and keeping your room tidy in camp.

Fact 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This dosen't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life or at the work site.

Fact 9: The Driller is not your Mom. The Rig Manager is not your Dad. The Engineer is not you favorite Uncle Joe. Very few of us care about your emotional well being. That is the way work is. Very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

Fact 10: Television is NOT real life. in real life people actually have to leave the change shack and go and do some actual work.

Fact 11: The company is actually paying you money....you are not doing us a favor by just being here to grace us with your presence.

Fact 12: Word of caution, before complaining about how hard something is to your leaders remeber that they actually worked your posistion and it was ten times harder 30 years ago. You will without a doubt be met with little indifference. Those are not just stories to embarrass you!

Fact 13: You are not a child anymore!! Just because you did not use something does not mean that you can not put it where it belongs. it does not matter who did what, just do your part and worry about yourself.

Fact 14: A rig is run by a chain of command....communism will not work in the corporate world neither. Get your group hugs else where and start looking for leadership at bottom levels first. If the Driller doesn't know or if he feels it's important he will pass the information forward.

Fact 15: The easy way is not always the best way!! If you were told to do something the hard way, there is more than likely a reason for it.

[The Fisherman Guy]

I hear where you are coming from...

What about, "Shut the **** up and scrub. When you're done, scrub it again"

"If I catch you in the mud van again..."

"Quick, we need a slap to finish nippling up - get your arse over to the push shack and ask him for a slap" (or a key to the Vdoor)

The best word of advice I see in the above words is OPPORTUNITY.

Doesn't matter what the age, if you cannot recognize that with the right attitude and work ethic - your going to be given opportunity, you will not survive the oil field.

It's not a job for everyone.

[Skinnydipper]

The "list" reflects the reality of more that just the patch and many young and old people alike would do well to absorb it.

[howlin]

and stay the hell off your cell phone!

[Map Maker]

Great rules.

Those are definately words to live by in any profession.

[nick0danger]

your suppose to help your j-man not text on your phone and watch.

[sheep nut]

I worked the rigs a few years back and here's the best advice I got.

- Jog the stairs, no matter what time of day or night, and no matter what your hauling.
- Find the worst job on the rig and make it your favorite. Be the first to ask to scrub the sub.
- Walk over to the window of the "push" and look back at the rig. You might have cleaned for 9 hrs but if he see's a spot from his window that you missed, he'll be ticked.

I was always respected and never got yelled at.

[Fisherpeak]

Originally Posted by sheep nut

I worked the rigs a few years back and here's the best advice I got.

- Jog the stairs, no matter what time of day or night, and no matter what your hauling.
- Find the worst job on the rig and make it your favorite. Be the first to ask to scrub the sub.
- Walk over to the window of the "push" and look back at the rig. You might have cleaned for 9 hrs but if he see's a spot from his window that you missed, he'll be ticked.

I was always respected and never got yelled at.

YES!!!
That works for logging,mining,digging ditches..........
I always tried to kick azz and I never had to do a crap job for long.Good bosses recognise talent and drive and move you up.
Hustle but pay huge attention always.Good Luck.

[crazyfish]

Originally Posted by howlin

and stay the hell off your cell phone!

thats the hardest thing to teach some of the young guys today !!! They feel intittled !!!

[honda450]

Glad I don't work for you guys. Ya must like dictatorships . hehe

[The Fisherman Guy]

Originally Posted by sheep nut

- Jog the stairs, no matter what time of day or night, and no matter what your hauling.

I have seen some nasty spills on rig stairs; Off the floor into the motor shack, down the Vdoor stairs, and onto the tanks.

The worst I have heard was from a driller in Colorado.

His brother, who was a driller on another rig, took a kick and he shut the well in. They bled off through the stack but something malfunctioned and they evacuated the floor. The driller jumped down the stairs by throwing his legs over the hand rails down from the dog house and slid down the hand rails on his knee and arm pits. Because of the steepness of the doghouse stairs, when he got to the bottom, he bailed off and dislocated his knee.
They were far from a hospital, so the push loaded him into the truck and took him to the hospital in town. Because he severely dislocated his knee, and comprimised circulation to his leg below the knee, by the time they got him to the hospital his leg could not be saved. They amputated it, and he does not drill anymore.

I watched a leasehand plinko his head down the Vdoor stairs when they were tripping wet with invert, and then I heard this story from Colorado. That was enough to convince me not to run stairs on a drilling rig.

I do recall being on a rig in Edson with a dynamite crew of boys that looked at their hitches as more than just work. Everytime a crew member went in the dog house, they had to drop and do 10 pushups. They ran to and from camp everyday, snow, Edson gumbo mud roads and all. No drinking until long change. They ran that rig hard, and took great care of their iron and themselves. Can't remember the number but it was a PD rig, that kind of tenacity always stuck with me. -No doghouse puppy poking sessions either!

[nick0danger]

better a dictator on site than a democracy, nothing would get done. that said at this point in my young life I want to be told what to do rather than make the big decisions.

[coldredneck]

Awesome Rant Kurt
Very Very truthfull advice for the kids of today
I passed a link to this thread along to the parents of a few of todays youngsters as well as having my own son recite it back to me ...lol

[RancheroMan]

A group of scientists placed 5 monkeys in a cage and in the middle, a ladder with bananas on the top.Everytime a monkey went up the ladder, the scientists soaked the rest of the monkeys with cold water. After a while, every time a monkey went up the ladder, the others beat up the one on the ladder. After some time, no monkey dare to go up the ladder regardless of the temptation.

Scientists then decided to substitute one of the monkeys. The 1st thing this new monkey did was to go up the ladder. Immediately the other monkeys beat him up. After several beatings, the new member learned not to climb the ladder even though never knew why.

A 2nd monkey was substituted and the same occurred. The 1st monkey participated on the beating for the 2nd monkey. A 3rd monkey was changed and the same was repeated (beating). The 4th was substituted and the beating was repeated and finally the 5th monkey was replaced.

What was left was a group of 5 monkeys that even though never received a cold shower, continued to beat up any monkey who attempted to climb the ladder. If it was possible to ask the monkeys why they would beat up all those who attempted to go up the ladder …..

I bet you the answer would be … .”I don’t know – that’s how things are done around here”

[Sneeze]

Originally Posted by Kurt.Hanger

....

Fact 15: The easy way is not always the best way!! If you were told to do something the hard way, there is more than likely a reason for it.

Fact 16: Follow your own advice. Stop griping about your co-workers. Keep your head down and your butt up. Collect a pay cheque and go home and kiss your wife.

[hockey1099]

My great grand father thought that my grandfathers generation was lazy and stupid he thought my fathers generation was lazy and stupid and my father finds my generation lazy and stupid.

It is the natural order for older generations to complain about the younger, yet our civilization has continued to advance and does so at an exponential rate. That doesnt coincide with generations getting lazier and dumber.

Its amazing what you can learn from youth with a fresh prospective. just because you did something the hard way doesnt mean the easy way is wrong.

There are extensive studies on generational gaps. Youth are often considered lazy when infact they are efficient. Youths understanding of technology has actually allowed them to do the same or more with less effort in many fields.

I know in my career i am vastly more efficient than several of my coworkers with 20 more years experience due to my ability to use a computer.

Im probably considered lazy by many. I come in later and havent worked a weekend in 6 months. But my position is judged by dollars and cents and i bring in far more $ in less time than most of my coworkers. The boss wants me to show up more but cant really complain because the bottom line is i make him $

[harryones]

Originally Posted by Sneeze

Fact 16: Follow your own advice. Stop griping about your co-workers. Keep your head down and your butt up. Collect a pay cheque and go home and kiss your wife.

Those aren't co-workers, they are employees. Its the mans job to be concerned about their performance.
Fact 16 is pretty head up your butt advise.

[Kurt.Hanger]

My father worked the rigs for alot of years and most of them as a Tool Push. Both of my brothers have worked for about 20 years each from pulling slips to consulting. I've been working rigs mostly since 88 and quit working in Canada as a Tool Push because of the slow down and have been is Egypt / Saudi for the last three years as a Senior Tool Push ( pushing tools in Saudi is alot more difficult than over here, it's a full time baby sitting job ) Most guys with any amount of experience will agree that this is all VERY GOOD and REAL LIFE ADVICE that all of the new/young guys staring out should hear. It's not meant to be politically correct it's just the way it is out there without pulling any punches.

Rgds.
Kurt

[sheepguide]

Pockets on your coveralls arent for your hands, so dont just stand with your hands in them pockets and watch others work get in and get involved. Even if you dont know what is happening at least show that you are trying.

If you bang your finger and get a weible bite suck it up. Bruises, bangs and cuts are part of the game.

Promotions are based on your ability!!!! Not the length of time you have been around!!!

Roughnecks shouldnt be seen walking around carrying a coffee unless you are taking it to your driller.

If some one calls you and Idiot and gets mad there is a reason. Dont take things to heart and think everyone is against you just maybe try harder or or think through things more before doing them.

SG

[The Elkster]

I worked a job at a mill where the senior guys pulled rank on the young guys and treated them like inferior beings. The end result was the smart talented guys left and the putz's that couldn't find anything else stayed. And we wonder why we have trouble filling these rig jobs with responsible guys.... but I understand. Thats how dad taught ya so it must be the best way

[eastcoast]

my brother is a driller and I have sent a few of my friends his way to fill in,their rig was down etc and they all loved working for him,he is easy going takes smoke breaks etc,they all said to me after that you work harder for a guy you like and feel appreciated,if a driller is like a sargent in the army guys will dog **** all day to **** him off on purpose,works different for different people I guess,I have been a foreman/boss before and find no good in yelling and screaming for the sake of making myself feel better,if it's warranted then yes I will do it,if not relax and get the job done.

[The Elkster]

Originally Posted by harryones

Those aren't co-workers, they are employees. Its the mans job to be concerned about their performance.
Fact 16 is pretty head up your butt advise.

IMO, saying someone should bend over and take it because you work under not beside someone is the up your butt advise. If one wants to power trip then become a security guard where you can let your ego run wild as the wind....see RCMP thread. Know it all entrenched bosses with attitude are every bit as harmful to a business as irresponsible kids.

[ESOXangler]

Originally Posted by The Elkster

I worked a job at a mill where the senior guys pulled rank on the young guys and treated them like inferior beings. The end result was the smart talented guys left and the putz's that couldn't find anything else stayed. And we wonder why we have trouble filling these rig jobs with responsible guys.... but I understand. Thats how dad taught ya so it must be the best way

Well said!!!!!

[Mickey]

Did anyone find it easy to pinpoint someones age here, based on their reply?

I agree with the generations finding the next lazier and more incompetent, but I have to say this. When someone constantly texting or facebooking, or social networking, how is it that they can be taken seriously? There is a time for work, and a time for play.

Try to find out where that line is, and when you do, there will be more respect given to you and you will find that you have to earn less.

[coorslight]

i agree to all that

[rugatika]

I've been on a rig where the driller stood on the floor eating KFC, swearing at the leasehand, and throwing chickenbones at him...crappy rig, crappy righands with a high turnover...wonder why. Same rig and the derrickhand thought he'd try the same crap with a new roughneck...the roughneck beat the crap out of him and it was the derrickhand that got turfed.

Been on other rigs where the driller wasn't an *****. His guys respected him, worked their butts off for him.

In my experience in the patch, the jerk supervisors, etc etc, get sent the green guys or the guys that nobody else wants. The hard working, smart, experienced guys usually end up working for people with manners.

Just my experience...your mileage may vary.

[sheep nut]

I must have grown up in a different era. I'm only 43, lol. I grew up working with my older brothers and working for my dad on comercial job sites.

- for every minute late in the morning you worked 5 minutes after work for free.
- show up for work 15 min early with your boots tied up and actully be woking at 8:00am
- Stealing time was as bad as stealing material.

It seems there is a much greater sense of entitelment these days.

[bb356]

Originally Posted by sheep nut

I must have grown up in a different era. I'm only 43, lol. I grew up working with my older brothers and working for my dad on comercial job sites.

- for every minute late in the morning you worked 5 minutes after work for free.
- show up for work 15 min early with your boots tied up and actully be woking at 8:00am
- Stealing time was as bad as stealing material.

It seems there is a much greater sense of entitelment these days.

DADDY !!!