Monday, July 6, 2015
SEASONS CHANGE
Well it's been awhile! I just thought I would do a quick update! I've changed jobs and have been enjoying my new line of work. Since starting the new job as Human Resource/DOT Supervisor for a hotshot company I've been through a DOT audit, HR training, learned how to review logbook pages, familiarized myself with the FMCSA and become acquainted with hotshot sales, swag, and all sorts of other amazing things! I hope to share some more ideas on how things work here in this new realm soon! Until then...keep rockin'!
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Bakken Bummers
It seems to have been a long "Spring" here on the Bakken. Well, actually Spring never really came - we had Winter then Summer, or so it seemed. Winter brought some great weather though...
The drifts were taller than me! (Not saying much but hey...I am 4'11"!!!!) And the bummer of the long winter isn't only in the FRIGID COLD but has to do with road conditions out here on the bakken. SCARY!!!!
As with everything, there's privileges and with the awesome weather comes the need for some really radical snow boots! YEAH BABY!
But the warm weather hit with a vengeance and the snow had to melt and had to go somewhere and that's where more bummer kicked in...
Cry me a river...that WAS a road! It became a river though with the melt-off!
And then the rain began to fall, and fall, and fall, and caused lots of inconvenient flooding. (Not as bad as years past, but still inconvenient) This is the back road we normally take to Minot - well, it was a road. The two slews became one and the road, well it became NONE. They have it closed off now - waters haven't receded yet.
We did take advantage of the wonderful weather to go "mudding" on the farm! This is the road leading to the north property. It was a veritable feast of frenzy! Pulling our daughter's (You noticed we took her vehicle not ours...) little SUV this way and that until it finally sucked us in and we were plumb stuck. BUT we were rescued by a caterpillar! lol (Of the LARGE, YELLOW, STEAL...oops I mean STEEL kind!) Long story short...we were stuck, we found a tractor, we got unstuck and skeedaddled out of there! No harm, no foul - right?! Otherwise it truly would have been a huge bakken bummer.)
On of the major casualties of the rain would be the leaky roofs. This apartment building in Tioga seems to have some REAL ISSUES! I'm sure whomever provided the roofing services is long gone now. This is a real bakken bummer!
This storm cell appeared over Stanley one evening. It never developed into a tornado - THANKFULLY!
Well...that's my Bakken Bummer "weather" update! Life here is still amazing. I have some major news coming soon! But until then. Hoping you're all well and that you can keep on trucking, pumping, hauling or whatever it is you do on the bakken!!
Thursday, March 14, 2013
TERO - SECOND TIME AROUND
Last year's TERO registration experience was very eye opening to say the least.
This year I thought I'd get a head start and got the paperwork done for our company permit. I sent the paperwork in with our superintendent and he returned with everything in tact...untouched.
Apparently they won't process your company permit application without our DOT truck application.
So I checked and all the registrations have to be current. Well, guess when the majority of our vehicles are up for renewal? March! GO FIGURE.
I managed to gather all the paperwork finally and got everything ready to go and drove over myself yesterday to take in the permit AND the truck application. I showed up at 9:00 AM - patting myself on the back for getting there at a decent hour with the hopes of it going quickly.
I walk into the TERO office and am greeted by two very nice people who kindly tell me that they are not accepting applications this week because the DOT office is in training and they can't process one application without the other.
AAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!
And so, the TERO SAGA continues!
This year I thought I'd get a head start and got the paperwork done for our company permit. I sent the paperwork in with our superintendent and he returned with everything in tact...untouched.
Apparently they won't process your company permit application without our DOT truck application.
So I checked and all the registrations have to be current. Well, guess when the majority of our vehicles are up for renewal? March! GO FIGURE.
I managed to gather all the paperwork finally and got everything ready to go and drove over myself yesterday to take in the permit AND the truck application. I showed up at 9:00 AM - patting myself on the back for getting there at a decent hour with the hopes of it going quickly.
I walk into the TERO office and am greeted by two very nice people who kindly tell me that they are not accepting applications this week because the DOT office is in training and they can't process one application without the other.
AAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!
And so, the TERO SAGA continues!
ON BILLING & BLOODY NIGHTMARES...
Here in the Bakken there's this entity called the OIL COMPANY. The Oil Company thinks they're KING of the Bakken. Yep. And as King of the Bakken they ask you to jump and you pretty much ask, "how high?!" with great enthusiasm!
The catch 22 of the oil company is that they think they're running the show and that they can dictate how they want everything to go. If you don't do things "JUST SO" then it's a NO GO and you're outta here! And they are KINGs of their own individual kingdoms. There are LOTS of big egos strutting around here!
The frustrating part of the oil company king is their billing requirements. They want everything in triplicate but it's not a carbon form triplicate - it's "do the same thing three different ways and call it backup" then put it on an invoice. We are to attach all the backup to the invoice, but we don't dare staple it! NO, no no no, we MUST use paperclips. Yes, we assemble the multiple invoices that have been broken down not just by site, well location but also by individual wells on location (the triplicate becomes a sextuplicate and sometimes an octoplicate - and yes I have invented these terms!) Billing is not only divided by location and well but it is also divided by type of work. Did you haul water and gravel? You have to separate that out. Did your roustabout crew do some work. They have to have their own invoice too. OH and you plowed snow with your grader? That's separate too. Wait, you placed tanks with your crane? And all of this was done at well location 123-45-6C-78- for well 1H, 2H, 3H, 4H, 5H, 6H, 7H...AHHHH you get the point!
So now you have an invoice for 123-45-6C-78-1H, 123-45-6C-78-2H, and so on - for each individual task. Invoice 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107 for each well for the scoria delivery. Invoice 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, for the roustabout work on the treater shack. Invoice 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121 for the water hauling for their frac tanks. AND SO ON. The backup documentation - which is in triplicate, must be copied and attached to each individual invoice. This can average anywhere from 3-10 pages or more per invoice.
This would be a great math story problem. We have 7 wells, 7 different types of jobs, 6 pages of backup - all need to be copied and assembled then taken to the oil company to have them signed off on. How many pieces of paper did we use??? We have used almost 2/3 of a ream of paper. How many sheets in a ream? 500. YES! We use 300 sheets of paper just for the initial assembly of these invoices. OH WAIT...we HAVE to keep a copy for our records because if they come back and want changes, we need to have something to reference! YOU GOT IT! Another 300 sheets of paper end up in our file cabinet.
I'm thinking the oil companies need to start some tree farms.
Sad thing about all this is that what you have read is simply how ONE of our oil companies wants things done. Others want us to use THEIR invoice program to submit our invoices. That means we have to generate an invoice on our program for our books, then login to their system and generate another invoice on their system to submit. Then we have to scan in and upload all of our backup documentation and attach it online to the invoice we have now created in their system. Saves paper but not time!
As the title states...dealing with billing for the oil company IS a BLOODY NIGHTMARE!
And that is all.
Peace out!
The catch 22 of the oil company is that they think they're running the show and that they can dictate how they want everything to go. If you don't do things "JUST SO" then it's a NO GO and you're outta here! And they are KINGs of their own individual kingdoms. There are LOTS of big egos strutting around here!
The frustrating part of the oil company king is their billing requirements. They want everything in triplicate but it's not a carbon form triplicate - it's "do the same thing three different ways and call it backup" then put it on an invoice. We are to attach all the backup to the invoice, but we don't dare staple it! NO, no no no, we MUST use paperclips. Yes, we assemble the multiple invoices that have been broken down not just by site, well location but also by individual wells on location (the triplicate becomes a sextuplicate and sometimes an octoplicate - and yes I have invented these terms!) Billing is not only divided by location and well but it is also divided by type of work. Did you haul water and gravel? You have to separate that out. Did your roustabout crew do some work. They have to have their own invoice too. OH and you plowed snow with your grader? That's separate too. Wait, you placed tanks with your crane? And all of this was done at well location 123-45-6C-78- for well 1H, 2H, 3H, 4H, 5H, 6H, 7H...AHHHH you get the point!
So now you have an invoice for 123-45-6C-78-1H, 123-45-6C-78-2H, and so on - for each individual task. Invoice 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107 for each well for the scoria delivery. Invoice 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, for the roustabout work on the treater shack. Invoice 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121 for the water hauling for their frac tanks. AND SO ON. The backup documentation - which is in triplicate, must be copied and attached to each individual invoice. This can average anywhere from 3-10 pages or more per invoice.
This would be a great math story problem. We have 7 wells, 7 different types of jobs, 6 pages of backup - all need to be copied and assembled then taken to the oil company to have them signed off on. How many pieces of paper did we use??? We have used almost 2/3 of a ream of paper. How many sheets in a ream? 500. YES! We use 300 sheets of paper just for the initial assembly of these invoices. OH WAIT...we HAVE to keep a copy for our records because if they come back and want changes, we need to have something to reference! YOU GOT IT! Another 300 sheets of paper end up in our file cabinet.
I'm thinking the oil companies need to start some tree farms.
Sad thing about all this is that what you have read is simply how ONE of our oil companies wants things done. Others want us to use THEIR invoice program to submit our invoices. That means we have to generate an invoice on our program for our books, then login to their system and generate another invoice on their system to submit. Then we have to scan in and upload all of our backup documentation and attach it online to the invoice we have now created in their system. Saves paper but not time!
As the title states...dealing with billing for the oil company IS a BLOODY NIGHTMARE!
And that is all.
Peace out!
Monday, March 4, 2013
No Measure of Convenience
There is no reason that the universe should be designed for our convience. -John Barrow
(Brainy Quotes)
Same goes for the Bakken...a universe of its own.
Being in the middle of nowhere has it challenges to be sure. But when a small area becomes populous your challenges continue - well, that's when things start to get ugly.
The other day our laser printer ran out of ink. I thought the cartridge on the shelf was new...the box said it was. But in all actuality, the cartridge was old and the "new" one had been installed in early October. WHAT?!?! No problem, our guy is in Williston, he can just pick one up. There are none in Williston? Okay then, we can try Minot. Staples is out? Fine, we'll just order some online. Order placed Wednesday morning. Order arrives to the middle of nowhere 5 working days later. What happened to NEXT DAY? It doesn't exist here! Crazy thing is I can send something priority from our little post office and my daughter receives it in TWO DAYS?! Where is the slow down?
It goes much deeper than just a parcel delivery. Our gas station, here in the bakken - the largest oil producing area in the USA - runs out of fuel??? It's true. And it can be a couple days or more before the fuel trucks can make it here to deliver more fuel. The result - having to drive an additional 25 miles to a different gas station.
Life of conveniences does not exist on the Bakken. Functioning more in the mindset of a boy scout would be a good practice here!
(Brainy Quotes)
Same goes for the Bakken...a universe of its own.
Being in the middle of nowhere has it challenges to be sure. But when a small area becomes populous your challenges continue - well, that's when things start to get ugly.
The other day our laser printer ran out of ink. I thought the cartridge on the shelf was new...the box said it was. But in all actuality, the cartridge was old and the "new" one had been installed in early October. WHAT?!?! No problem, our guy is in Williston, he can just pick one up. There are none in Williston? Okay then, we can try Minot. Staples is out? Fine, we'll just order some online. Order placed Wednesday morning. Order arrives to the middle of nowhere 5 working days later. What happened to NEXT DAY? It doesn't exist here! Crazy thing is I can send something priority from our little post office and my daughter receives it in TWO DAYS?! Where is the slow down?
It goes much deeper than just a parcel delivery. Our gas station, here in the bakken - the largest oil producing area in the USA - runs out of fuel??? It's true. And it can be a couple days or more before the fuel trucks can make it here to deliver more fuel. The result - having to drive an additional 25 miles to a different gas station.
Life of conveniences does not exist on the Bakken. Functioning more in the mindset of a boy scout would be a good practice here!
THE SHOW MUST GO ON!
SO...it's snowing...like crazy! Blizzard icy conditions. Roads are awful. Businesses are closing. But does that mean those oil trucks stop running. NO WAY!
They'll be out there. The show must go on!
In the cold out there though the guys need to equip themselves. SO here's a shot of some coveralls that fit SOMEONE on the bakken...
They'll be out there. The show must go on!
In the cold out there though the guys need to equip themselves. SO here's a shot of some coveralls that fit SOMEONE on the bakken...
These bad boys took up the entire doorway to Brad's office. They're 60R!!!
But I suppose it doesn't matter if they're huge as long as they're warm. right?!
But seriously folks - it's pretty scary out there! We're getting another 7-10 inches on top of our already 8-10 inches out there. Blowing snow means some massive drifting too! YAY WINTER!
Everybody be careful out there!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
THE TERROR OF TERO
For several weeks now we have been struggling to get our TERO permit. TERO is an integral part of living on the reservation. Our Life on the Bakken is found to be much more colorful because of the reservation.
TERO stands for - get this - Tribal Rights Employment Office (no...I did not say TREO and no I did not say Tribal Employment Rights Office.) YEP! That's what it stands for. AND this is part of the Three Affiliated Tribes (TAT) known as the MHA (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara) Nation located on the largest reservation in the United States and North Dakota known as Fort Berthold.
The TAT TERO office issues annual permits allowing companies working on the reservation to continue operating their vehicles and their businesses here. The permit helps them guarantee their cut in the revenue pie here on the Bakken/Reservation and this year's fees indicate they are wanting a good chunk of pie (so-to-speak). With the inital filing fee at $100 - we all think that is reasonable. But then there's the Contractor's Permit Application - $1000, and you have to register your trucks you'll be driving on the reservation but not just with TAT TERO, but also with MHA DOT (Department of Transportation) at $1000 for every FIVE vehicles that's $200 per STICKER per truck and if your pickups have any form of a logo on them, they must have their sticker too. Say you have SIX vehicles to register? $2000!!! YEP! There's no prorating this.
But there are several different forms to fill out and they want copies of your vehicle registrations, unit numbers identified, along with your certificate of insurance. You can't get TAT TERO to talk to you until you have your form signed by MHA DOT. You can't get MHA DOT to talk to you until you have the TAT TERO receipt for your initial filing fee. You can't pickup your stickers until your TAT TERO application if formally approved and you have your TAT TERO Permit Number. Then you have to make sure you have duplicate copies of everything because TAT TERO and MHA DOT don't like to share and they BOTH need copies of everything you bring in. And make sure you give the check to the right place or you'll be tracking those down too!
Needless to say, our permit was up in March but we were unable to acquire our renewed permit until June 25. I had to go back in 5 times to get things finalized and get checks cut and brought to the right place, make duplicate copies of everything and STILL lost my initial application and vehicle application copies somewhere along the way! I spent over two weeks worth of man hours trying to get this figured out and about 400-600 miles in the car. And to add insult to injury - the day I got this all finalized we were pulled over by a TAT TERO officer and fined for not having our sticker in the window!!! I mean really?!?!
TERO stands for - get this - Tribal Rights Employment Office (no...I did not say TREO and no I did not say Tribal Employment Rights Office.) YEP! That's what it stands for. AND this is part of the Three Affiliated Tribes (TAT) known as the MHA (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara) Nation located on the largest reservation in the United States and North Dakota known as Fort Berthold.
The TAT TERO office issues annual permits allowing companies working on the reservation to continue operating their vehicles and their businesses here. The permit helps them guarantee their cut in the revenue pie here on the Bakken/Reservation and this year's fees indicate they are wanting a good chunk of pie (so-to-speak). With the inital filing fee at $100 - we all think that is reasonable. But then there's the Contractor's Permit Application - $1000, and you have to register your trucks you'll be driving on the reservation but not just with TAT TERO, but also with MHA DOT (Department of Transportation) at $1000 for every FIVE vehicles that's $200 per STICKER per truck and if your pickups have any form of a logo on them, they must have their sticker too. Say you have SIX vehicles to register? $2000!!! YEP! There's no prorating this.
But there are several different forms to fill out and they want copies of your vehicle registrations, unit numbers identified, along with your certificate of insurance. You can't get TAT TERO to talk to you until you have your form signed by MHA DOT. You can't get MHA DOT to talk to you until you have the TAT TERO receipt for your initial filing fee. You can't pickup your stickers until your TAT TERO application if formally approved and you have your TAT TERO Permit Number. Then you have to make sure you have duplicate copies of everything because TAT TERO and MHA DOT don't like to share and they BOTH need copies of everything you bring in. And make sure you give the check to the right place or you'll be tracking those down too!
Needless to say, our permit was up in March but we were unable to acquire our renewed permit until June 25. I had to go back in 5 times to get things finalized and get checks cut and brought to the right place, make duplicate copies of everything and STILL lost my initial application and vehicle application copies somewhere along the way! I spent over two weeks worth of man hours trying to get this figured out and about 400-600 miles in the car. And to add insult to injury - the day I got this all finalized we were pulled over by a TAT TERO officer and fined for not having our sticker in the window!!! I mean really?!?!
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