A Long Way From Home

[loomixguy]

WOW! Saw a couple of empty pots head east out of town today from Nampa, Idaho. That's a ways off.

Back in '78, I passed a couple of Speedway pots 40 miles south of Shreveport, Louisiana. Speedway (or, Crash N Burn) was headquartered out of Holdrege, Nebraska.

We occasionally get pots through here out of Georgia or Tennessee or West Virginia hauling calves to Gottsch, but we don't see much action here from trucks out of the northwest US.

 

[Shortgrass]

Our buyer was from Cody, Wy, sent California trucks to Co to deliver calves to Ne! Lots of miles.........

 

[Faster horses]

There must be a real shortage of trucks and/or drivers. I know our Vigortone sale is on and for the first time since we have been on board,(19 years) the company is giving 3 weeks after the sale ends to take delivery of the mineral.

 

[eatbeef]

There must be a real shortage of trucks and/or drivers. I know our Vigortone sale is on and for the first time since we have been on board,(19 years) the company is giving 3 weeks after the sale ends to take delivery of the mineral.

I have heard that the oil boom in the dakotas is causing alot of this. POS old semi tractors are being bought up around here to go to oil fields, guy said as long as they run they want them. Have heard that they are paying drivers good also.

 

[Faster horses]

There must be a real shortage of trucks and/or drivers. I know our Vigortone sale is on and for the first time since we have been on board,(19 years) the company is giving 3 weeks after the sale ends to take delivery of the mineral.

I have heard that the oil boom in the dakotas is causing alot of this. POS old semi tractors are being bought up around here to go to oil fields, guy said as long as they run they want them. Have heard that they are paying drivers good also.

They do, but what a rat race. My brother-in-law is at Alexandria and he says
5200 trucks a day go through there. He comes here some weekends just
to get away from it. Plus he almost bit the dust last week. A guy ran through a stop sign and almost got him. Everyone is in a hurry. Lots of
wrecks up there. My cousin from California was in one riding home from
work. He was injured and had to go back to California and heal up. It's not
good, except for the money.

 

[Anonymous]

There must be a real shortage of trucks and/or drivers. I know our Vigortone sale is on and for the first time since we have been on board,(19 years) the company is giving 3 weeks after the sale ends to take delivery of the mineral.

I have heard that the oil boom in the dakotas is causing alot of this. POS old semi tractors are being bought up around here to go to oil fields, guy said as long as they run they want them. Have heard that they are paying drivers good also.

And I think you are right...I know several folks that had a couple of semis- and cattle pots that did some local hauling during the summer and again during the fall rush- that have parked the pots- bought gravel or water trailers and are now working the oil patch- for a whole lot more money... So they won't be around this year to haul cattle...

Everyday the local employment agency is advertising for drivers...

If you are a Face Book follower- go to the site Bakken Fail of the Day and click like.... Daily pictures of all the truck wrecks, traffic jams, screwups of the oil patch...Some comical- some sad... My son drove thru Williston the other day- and he said it took over 45 minutes to go thru what used to take less than 10-- solid rows of trucks going every direction....

 

[eatbeef]

Have a cousin that has a friend working up there and said that the night life is about like the old west due to lack of law enforcement? Dont know if its true but can only imagine.

 

[Anonymous]

Have a cousin that has a friend working up there and said that the night life is about like the old west due to lack of law enforcement? Dont know if its true but can only imagine.

The Montana Highway Patrol just graduated 10 new Patrolman from recruit school- and 8 of them were stationed in the oil patch area....

I guess things are going 24 hours a day in some areas... They have buses (stripper and stripper pole equipped) that go around to the mancamps and haul in the guys to the bars/strip joints... And I understand those gals are making more than any of the guys...

Bad thing is some of the old regular places like the McDonalds and other restaurants are having to close down at early hours or cut back in hours because they can't find enough people to work....

Local eye doctor used to send folks to Williston to get cataract/laser surgery... I saw him the other day and he told me to go to Havre or Great Falls to get mine done...

I think it was in Sidney where I saw a news video about a guy that has a 24 hour truck stop/gas station combo- combined with a liquor store and a gun/sporting goods store...Is paying big money to keep his help- and even furnishing housing- but says it is worth it with what he is bringing in...This could only happen in Montana or Texas...

I know a local that got some financing a few years ago and went over to the patch and built several heavy duty industrial type laundromats- and made a fortune in a couple of years, before selling them all out and making a second fortune..