'In the Land of Hell': Life as a Female Trucker in North Dakota | Op-Docs | The New York Times
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- Опубликовано: 26 сен 2024
- A young woman, lured to North Dakota for a truck-driving job in the oil industry, shares her agonizing existence in an isolated boomtown.
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During the oil boom in North Dakota a lot of people went out there looking for work. Some of them hoping to make their fortune. This young woman didn't have the same experience as some of her peers.
Read the story here: nyti.ms/1dtkWbG
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'In the Land of Hell': Life as a Female Trucker in North Dakota | Op-Docs | The New York Times
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I’m a trucker too I’m a man I’ve done long haul for 8 years I’m since 21 doing flatbed all over the us and I’m telling u it’s not easy it takes a very strong minded person to do long haul so I give her props and respect I know men are saying no one makes a video about us but hey I’m not gonna cry about it I did my job for my family and I respect her for doing the same be safe out there and God bless
Matias Rivas The only decent comment on here. Much respect for you, Sir.
I’m just speaking the truth and people need to understand that putting down a woman that’s trying to do a mans job does not make u manly but the opposite God bless
Is the money at least worth it for you, I know family comes first, but the money is for the family
Well the money is not that good boss and wats the point of making money for the family if u can’t see them ? Might as well be single I worked over the road now stayed single and now that I’m home I’m local to be with my wife
Matias Rivas
Good to hear a kind heart here, nice to hear that at least some one has some thing positive to say about her ... no it may not be a 18 wheeler but she is working in a tough industry as I am sure you all know ... how many would be prepared to live in a trailer in winter in ND with no running water or toilet ... not many I bet ... also she is on her own and isolated except for her 4 legged friend.
Good on her for keeping it together, I doubt very much that I would last there even for a short time.
This video gave me chills. It's an accurate portrayal of life in the Bakken. I'm a woman living in the Bakken as we speak. It's a rough life, no matter if you have a CDL or not. Companies lure you in with high hourly rates, but what they don't tell you is how extreme the cost of living is. Or generally how horrible living conditions can be in man camps. Trailer shanty towns are endless here. The highways and roads are poorly managed, with little to no snow/ice management. Highway 85 death tolls are skyrocketing. Drugs, gangs, and prostitution are unmanageable. I don't feel safe here. I won't even go to the store without my boyfriend. I've seen the bad side of the Bakken, and it's like nothing I've ever seen before. It's the modern day wild, Wild West.
Sounds rough and dangerous. Thus, the high pay to compensate.
Thought about being a trucker. Talked to my friends dad and he talked me out of it. He said being a trucker is "a lonely man's job."
Yes it is...its draining emotionally
For you americans maybe, but not for me haha. Swedens trucking industry ftw
YES it is.. But if you play it right, depending on your PERSPECTIVE You can use it as Mental Strength Training... It did that for me without me even realizing it.. Till much later in life. I realized, most things dont affect me that much..
Dating today is a lonely mans job. It's not worth it.
Not if u truck local
While I can empathize with what she said here, especially being a woman, I felt as though this interview really didn't do her justice.
It was really short, wasn't it? There has to be more story there.
The point of this video wasn’t to do her justice, but to overtly criticize a mostly-male industry & subliminally criticize the concept of fossil fuels. They want us to drive “electric” cars, which ironically run on much-dirtier coal & use super-toxic batteries.
@@ibelieveicansoar ok boomer
I'm a attack chopper no one seems to care about my feelings
Watch the “bakken” documentary.
Don't know why everyone is bashing on this young woman...She has more courage and tenacity then most people (men included) to do what she needs to do in order to have a better life!... For what she is doing and where she is at, I WISH HER THE VERY BEST!
Trucking is a very hard life. You must like being by yourself. It's a 24/7 job. Where dispatchers become brain damaged. You'll be treated as something less than human. DOT is always on your back. You're expected to run like a machine regardless of the weather. You learn to live without plumbing. I could go on but I think I've made my point.
you are correct. I did a DoD contract driver job(not a cdl or otr type trucker) & had to deal with corp morons & dispatch nitwits in nc. I had a simple route in central-north FL. They were bad. I got home every night but also did security work. I was told I'd be support, 2/3 days a week. I worked 5/6 days a week for almost 2mo. I gave my formal notice.
I have been running OTR expediting for 6 months with a small company.
I don't have a CDL, truck is 26,000lb with a small sleeper (M2 Buisness Class extended cab).
About 95% of the time I stop at Loves, TA/PETRO, Pilot/Flying Jay.
Diesel gets me my free showers almost every day. I mean like 6 days out of 7.
How do you mean "no plumbing"? Restaurants where I eat have plumbing. Every night I have a private toilet in my shower room.
I am always clean shaven, I brush my teeth twice a day, I don't stink AT ALL, and I do laundry regularly at aforementioned truck stops.
I do not have a CDL, and I pull $1200-1300 per week. My boss is aggressively pushing me to get my CDL, and GUARANTEES $2500 per week for THE EXACT SAME THING I DO NOW.
I just don't understand half of your comment at all. "No plumbing"? Really?
+dmitriy40 Because a lot of truckers don't stop at truckstops everyday. A lot stop at grocery warehouses, small businesses, or jobsites where there isn't always plumbing available. Really.
@@bobsmith7982
I know.
It's a personal choice, more than anything.
And I don't understand this.
First of all, even at a conformable brand new Loves with super nice showers, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that not all truckers actually take showers. Only a few brush their teeth at restrooms. And yes, tons of drivers stop at parking lots and even on side of the road without any amenities only a couple of miles from truckstops.
Do they not know how to back the rig into the spot in the truckstop, is that the reason? Probably.
But again, it's a personal choice. When I was working in moving company, I went as a helper with an Uzbek guy on a few long distance jobs. I swear to you: he showered ONCE A WEEK! 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩
Last of the American outlaws
so this woman makes poor choices in life and blames her parents. for living in hell she has a nicer vehicle than me. unlike a lot of the man she has a place to live. it seems as though she's complaining about having a job and a place to live. Not only that but because of her crappy choices she can't find a boyfriend and she blames everything else but her own self. This is a ridiculous article
Thats not her vehical.... its her employers
She’s so sweet and this completely breaks my heart ☹️🥺 I pray that she is doing better now and I hope that there is an update on her!
I know a guy who went out there looking for big money, found it and then found out that for even a small crap apartment the rent was 2500 a month. Yeah, he jumped right back on the buss and came home.
People seem to forget that in a area where big money is going out, big money is required to live in that area.
In North Dakota?..I live in Fargo ND and $900 gets you a pretty roomy 2-3 bedroom apartment
+Nodak81 That's why they call it Fargo. The town near the oil field is Neargo.
+The King's Servant Not really. Me and my wife moved here, we got wonderful jobs, and bought a big, 4 bedroom house for $60K in Cash. That would be UNHEARD of in NJ, where I am from.
It's North Dakota - it's supposed to be cheap to live there.
+Peter Piper Doesn't matter where it is. If there is an influx of people coming in there is going to be a shortage of housing, driving up the cost. It's simple economics.
Currently reading The Grapes of Wrath and I'm at the part where the Joads are forced to leave their home and heading towards California in their truck and it's the same thing awaiting them in California what this woman found in ND, except for them their's just dust on the road. The Grapes of Wrath was published in 1939. This is history repeating itself.
+Vaslav Tchitcherine . One place where history definitely repeats itself is Russia, a paradise that needs autocratic rule, Anti-Semitism, and above all, that bottle of vodka.
I was up there for around 2 years. Not the oil fields but building gas plants. $1000 a week on hotel.
5 bucks a gallon on gas. 6 dollars for a gallon of milk.
Working in -52 degree weather.
Well you get the picture.
And my feet will never touch that state again.....
PERIOD
Bye
been living in ND most of my life, outta school worked rufneck & work over rigs year round, currently working as a lineman as a career. its cold, but it keeps the rif raft out, if ya know what i mean
Gas isn't that expensive, it's around 2.00, at least in the eastern nd (I live and grew up here)
Yes you were in a rural area that experienced an oil boom. The state is a good place
If she has a CDL and at least a year of driving experience with a good driving record she could find a better job. MUCH better.
Dont you mean 5 years?
@@michaelhenderson7075 nope. Just 1 year. If she gets her endorsements, She'll make even more. My dad works for a company called Ruan and there's a kid he says about 23-25 making 100,000+ a year OTR. Trucking you gotta put the work in.
Trucking jobs are dropping like flies almost a thousand companies from Jan 1 2019 till now I hate to say it but sometimes ur better off sticking with a job you don't like just so u have a job
I make 80k plus a year working 40-44 hours a week mon to fri nights, home daily. Go LTL
If she's driving in the oil industry in the bakken she's already making 6 figures
Where's an update on her? I really like her. I hope 4 years later she's happy in life. And has some girlfriends to gossip and get nails done with. 😊
Bethany Blansett Is like to see an update with her too
Wesley Archer no it’s not
I'm curious myself. I'd love to meet her. She seems like a good woman!
She passed away
@@sweshrung uh i don't think so. her dog passed away though ;-;
The film failed to point to the reason that things aren't working out as planned. Is it lack of work? Is it that the compensation isn't adequate? Why doesn't she go back south? Why hasn't she talked to her parents in so long? Are they not able to buy her fuel to get back? Has she refused to go back? I don't know the purpose of this film.
a; its like the coen brothers film; Fargo. They did not show ND summer or spring. B: they want to push the narrative of how "awful" oil drilling & fracking are. C; they want a sympathetic woman "victim" to berate men & rail against corp America.
DL Lambert Sounds cynical, but you could just be onto something
The whole thing is laughable!
Does she have a CDL? Why not get it?
Companies fight for CDL drivers!
I personally know CDL drivers who pull 5K per week in their second year after getting a CDL!
I have been driving a 26,000lb expedited truck OTR (no CDL required) for 6 months, and I make $1200-1300 per week. My friends with CDLs tell me not to say these numbers anymore, because they are funny to them)))
My employer has already had 3 conversations with me, pushing me to get a CDL. He shows me payrolls for his CDL drivers and GUARANTEES $2500 per week to me for doing the exact same thing I am doing right now, after I get my CDL.
I repeat: I have only been in trucking for 6 months, and I already have a $2500 per week offer after I get a CDL.
Something is DEFINITELY not right with her story! 🤪
At that time in 2012 it was either go to Texas, Colorado or get paid alot more in North Dakota but there was nowhere to live except in camps and you had to deal with the cold weather. Drivers in Colorado were making $16 an hour now it's an average of $24 an hour. Now in 2018 there is plenty of jobs in Northern Colorado but it's too expensive to find a place to live. And it's hard for women to find work with no cdl experience. Another problem is there are women out there looking for the big sexual harassment payout so companys are reluctant to hire women now.
All of you shut up. She is doing what she has to in order to makes ends meet. Life is hard for many in this county and it is not getting better. Soon all of us will be the working poor. Wake up.
All of the struggles that she faces, do men in her situation not face the same challenges? And since men and women are equal, what's the meaning of the title, "Life as a Female Trucker ..." so yeah..whatever dude. She's nothing special.
You are missing out the point. It's not about her job and its challenges, its about the struggles of her working in a male dominated town and job, how she cannot find other women to hang with, how she is afraid of getting raped since there are so many males without possibilities of finding girlfriends due to the lack of women, and basically how it is like to live as a single woman around males without families. I have yet to hear about a man living in an all single girls town and working in a female dominated industry, and being afraid of getting raped by all the women around him (so no, there are no men facing the challenges she is talking about)
Lera OT If there are no women over there to hang out with her, that's not anyone's fault. You know, if you are so fearful of something, you don't do it. I'm very very scared of snakes, so you know what I do, I stay away from places where they dominate in number. I don't blame the snakes for being more in number.
You are again missing out the point. I never heard her "blaming" the men for being more in number, she is just telling her experience of what is like to live like that and why she took that road (she basically said it was either that or starvation). Why don't just watch it as what it is, a woman's experience in a place where she is a rarity? That is all what the video is about, you are reading too much into it.
When did she say she was "special"? The film crew are interested because she's a woman doing (what is still for women) an unusual job. They want to know her experiences. Some will resonate with you, some won't. They're interested in the nuances. Calm down boys.
A Smith female truckers are rare.
She’s such a nice woman that needs to be loved ! Stay safe your very beautiful God bless you and help you succeed.
Life sucks but TBO she seems like she's handling it pretty well. I lived in an 8x10 tin box out in the middle of no where for a number of years. Super hot summers and frigid winters. Bust ass all day for $50/day. Laundry mat 10 miles down the road and showers so filled with iron you have to rinse off with bottled water. I work extra side jobs on the weekends to get ahead. Things are better now but it took a long time. People see me now and probably thing, "he's lucky", and maybe I am, it hasn't always felt that way though... Hang in there people, don't let the 8ball roll over ya.
May I asked what helped you to get better? I’m struggling right now and I don’t what to do to make my life better. Thank you
I wonder if it's occurred to her that , if she's in a town that's 99% men, she could probably meet a man and get married easily enough. Then there would be two incomes. Better standard of living. A lot less loneliness.
***** Well it sounds like she is in the wrong place then.
+scrotie mcbougarballs i have a hard time believing meth users can maintain employment. Dont these companies drug test as well? Here in Texas EVERY company that does oil field work and/or chemical plant/refinery work drug tests and does random.
If all they want is sex, she could probably just sell sex instead and make a lot more money.
Sinky She could probably charge them as much as she wants. The work is much easier too, though it probably doesn't look as good on a resume.
Lakota828 Well I've got an old hollow tree for you if you'd like. And there is old Bessie, the goat, out back if you'd prefer that.
Thank you for all your encouragement and support. Much needed at this time. To friends and strangers, thanks and God Bless
How are you doing now?
I’ve had family go to the oilfields and that is tough living. Can’t imagine what it’s like being a girl out there too.
Never seen anyone say they don't like where they are at or what they are doing with so many words. Not even the slightest tiny bit of information is given in this video... just an unhappy person unhappy with her location and choice of job, no supporting info, nothing, nada, zelch...
This article is titled "Life as a Female Trucker", where was the truck? A pickup truck driver does not count as a "trucker". Does this chick even have a CDL? If she did I bet she'd make a hell of a lot more money. This looks like another case of gender biased news to me............
My thoughts exactly.
this Is bs anyone want to make a documentary on a real life of hell go to china and follow coal miners. this chicks life is no where near hell gimmie a brake
***** .......and I bet the pay is less too isn't it?
Car haulers make a good living with pickup trucks, and without the overhead. No IFTA, Aportioned tags, NY HUT so forth and so on.
Lol
You won't have any problem getting a place to live in Williston now! The boom is over, just regular jobs for regular folks now. It's not like it's any surprise that North Dakota gets cold in the winter. Some jobs and locations are just tough and better suited for tough people, figure out if that's you before you go.
Strong woman. The world needs so much more of her.
No. We need more feminine women. What guy wants a strong minded woman. That's what a guy is for. Gender roles need to go back to what they were so our country can get back to family values
@@duckfann13 you’re a castrated, fragile clown.
@@gelatinskeleton8745 😂😂😂
A stupid woman with terrible deciding making abilities and zero foresight.
Respect to her. She's as tough as nails and I really hope the best for her.
I'm not saying that she doesn't have it tough, I'm not saying that I don't think she works hard. It's apparent that it's a struggle, and that she's in a trap right now. But driving a pickup pulling a gooseneck isn't exactly like driving a truck. First off, most trucks (not the volvos or freightliners or anything with automatics) have a shitload of gears, usually 10, 13 or 18 (unless you're getting into double-stickers, which you don't see much). The gears are easy with practice. Then you've got tons of maintenance on lights, fluids, filters, paperwork, emissions standards, turbo, axles, tires, air brakes and service brakes.... being a trucker and driving a truck are very different animals. I'm just saying that maybe the New York Times doesn't have a good sense of what people out in the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas.... What we do to make our living compared to what they do is very different. I've been on a custom harvest crew for the last 4 years, cutting crops from Texas to Oklahoma to Kansas (home state), Colorado, and Montana. 16+ hour days, including truck driving, tractor operation, combine operation, mechanic work, equipment loading and unloading, tons of travel and not very much sleep. I'm just saying it happens everywhere out here, and driving a pickup for several hours a day wouldn't be bad, to me.
I have to hand it to her - ventured out, trying it, giving it a chance, surviving, brave. Can only imagine how lonely she is : (
This was made in 2014. Hopefully she's on the come up by now.
I met her a few years ago here in Oregon, she’s doing much better.
@@PumpUptheJam81 awesome!!! Thanks for the update.
"If anything were to happen to me, my parents wouldn't even know... I haven't spoken to my mom in over 3 years." - summarizes the whole dialogue of the character talking. SMH.
It takes a special kind of person to be willing to go to North Dakota's oil fields. Hope things work out for the better for her.
She driving a pick up truck and you call her a truck driver I dont think so that's a slap in the face to all the hard working real women truckers out there
Still requires a CDL. Hot-Shot driver most likely.
@@Chickenhunter22 yeah but you won't see a hotshot driving hazmat wastwater or oil and that's where the real money out there is at. My father has hauled oil out by Williston for 6 years now and has pulled about $140k/year working about 50 hour weeks.
One tuff lady, I hope you make it girl. Stay positive, stay safe, and you can achive anything.
Deeeep! Achieve.
@Patrick Donnelly bruh stfu.
That moment when thousands of people roast your home state
Mason N. Those thousands of people dont exist. Look at the comments. Its basically the woefully liberal failing New York Times vs everyone else
SC EM *woosh*
LOL
This explains a lot about the pay differences between men and women. We've been saying this for a long time, the average man is willing to do jobs that the average woman won't do. That can lead to a disparity in income. If this woman, or any other woman, is willing to do the exact same job as a man and do it as well she will earn, or should earn, the same money as the man. However, this is evidence to the fact that that is not usually the case.
She’s driving a hot shot truck. If ND is the same as down in TX then hot shot driver get paid a percentage of what the load is. It doesn’t matter if you have male or female parts. You get paid that percent for a timely deliver with no damage.
I'm so sorry for her. I hope she finds a friend to do things with.. I'm glad she has a dog, a lot of company there. I hope things get better for her.
I like that she takes her dog everywhere with her... I did a year up there, ain't glamorous at all.
At least she has her cute little dog to keep her company.
Wish I found this video 4 years ago instead of today. I would literally drive up there from CO and go get a freaking pedicure with that woman. Kudos to her for being brave.
Why is this woman whining about working a dead end job when a man in the same exact position could not do the same? Oh that's right, equal rights!
Life as a trucker in North Dakota is a mix of solitude, resilience, and rugged beauty. The vast, open plains and rolling prairies of the state create a kind of isolation that can be both freeing and lonely. Truckers here often face long stretches of highway with little to no sign of life beyond the occasional small town or distant farm. This endless horizon sharpens the sense of independence that defines many drivers-a “lone wolf” lifestyle on wheels, where the road is both a job and a meditative escape.
However, the weather can be brutal. Harsh winters, with icy roads and sub-zero temperatures, demand grit and expertise. It’s not just a job in North Dakota; it’s a survival skill. But for those who love it, the landscape’s raw beauty-especially during a sunrise over an empty highway or the rolling clouds before a summer storm-offers a quiet reward, far removed from the urban grind.
The oil boom in the western part of the state has also shaped the trucking experience. The region’s energy sector relies heavily on transportation, which has made truckers a vital part of the local economy. It’s an industry-driven, no-frills life, where practicality trumps luxury. The people, much like the terrain, are tough and self-reliant, bonded by the shared challenges of the land and the lifestyle.
For truckers, North Dakota is a place where the road stretches long, the winters bite hard, and independence reigns supreme
Well you can't make huge money in ND not because they don't pay you well, but because the cost of living has skyrocketed, she is not drving a semi, which is where good money is made from there. Going to ND without being a Rig Worker, or you go without a CDL A with Tanker, and Hazmat you might as well just stay home, the good money requires experience, and training. Just like everywhere else you either have the training and exp or you don't, and you whine about not having any money. training is hard, and getting exp is too, but its worth it to push for it.
Hot Shots can make a ton of money driving pick up trucks in ND. Know your facts
Sorry but I doubt she is even qualified to do that let alone having said Job, Hot shots still require a licence, you cant just go in and start doing that job.
The guys at the Mc Ds are making 14 an hour but cost of living there is really really high because of the boom the pay is not really the issue.most guys I know are saving up, and when done they plan to move back to their home state.
Agreed, you can make money anywhere you just need the proper training and experience. Or you need good relations with the job givers.
xr50rider88 my friend use to hotshot and headed good money houston to Lafayette, La
K, at the start of the vid, the chick says that she came there to make money, isn't making any, doesn't know how to get out.....Here's a thought, get out the same way ya got there.
+Jay Mitchell Or lay back, spread your legs and make millions from the 99% male population!
LOL, touche
+Slac adjuster There are two sides to most roads, indeed.
Yeppers
I'd like to know where her money is going if she works constantly and lives in a trailer paid for by the company? She should either save up and move or take her pay cheque and get out.
AS a trucker, I find the use of the word "Trucker" in this context to be offensive. She's not driving an 18 wheeler. I'd give it 14 wheels, but it's so much smaller than a semi.
***** A sleeper and a truck stop shower is all you need
I agree vlasktom driving a stickshift pickup truck pulling a flatbed gooseneck trailer doesn't make you a trucker
jane greengray Alright. Let's say you're a brain surgeon. Ok? You operate on human brains for a living. Say someone who operates on mouse brains for a living also calls themselves a brain surgeon. Would you not be offended?
jane greengray I never actually went to a trucking school. I taught myself and through perseverance and a bunch of sweat and tears, I was able to get my Class A CDL with Tanker, HazMat, and Doubles/Triples endorsements. My truck doesn't have a sleeper. A Thermo King is the reefer unit for the trailer. I never stop at Petro, only Pilot and Love's, and only then just for fuel. I'm home nightly so I don't need to pay for a shower at a truck stop.
It's not that I don't think she works, I can tell that she does. I just don't consider her a trucker because there is no way in hell that pickup can handle a load of the same size as mine. That little 6.6L diesel probably has a 10,000 lb towing capacity. It's a whole nother ball of wax when you weigh 80,000 lbs, going 65 mph, with air brakes and 10 forward gears. Oh, and don't forget that you're 13' 6" tall as well.
The european trucks ony got 12 wheels, and they are real trucks tho.
But i agree, i dont want to call this truck driving...
Millions of men drive trucks tirelessly:
Silence
One woman drives trucks:
Everyone wants to know how it’s like
Nah, she doesn’t even have a CDL. There are plenty of women, like myself, driving the big rig, running across the country and making plenty of money. What I love about my job is not that I get special treatment, it’s that I get the same treatment. I get paid the same, so the same work, held to the same standard, and no one cares that I’m a woman, just if the load is getting there on time.
So?
You've heard about the two tweakers that kidnapped and killed a teacher. But did you ever hear the tale about the guy hitchhiking across America who was writing a book on the kindness of Americans....who was then shot by a Bakken field oil worker? You're welcome.
Turns out the hitchhiker shot himself in the arm.
www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/30/ray-dolin-guilty_n_2044104.html
He shot himself..as a "journalist" you should probably get your facts straight!
I was aware of the follow up....and the facts. I reported on this story irl as it was unfolding during the time when it actually took place. I was pointing out another crazy ass (and stupid) story tied into the oil fields. Simple as that.
Tyler Lundstrom
Because no response = truth hurts.
Way to pay attention to detail there moron. Apparently reading hurts more.
Funny that when its a woman its a big deal. Men have been dealing with this for god knows how long, now you finally get a (slight) view as to what a man has to go through and suddenly you come to realize that its not good and that no woman should ever experience it. Thats the face of equality dear. You dont like it? Cry me a river.
kirk sOlo ya and get paid less to do it. How’s that for equality. Wake up
kirk solo, as a man I agree with what you're saying. However, it's time for men and women to realize that we are both in the same boat.
What crap. I came here to work the Bakken and I love it. Sure, N.D. is a third world country, but we're just here to get the oil, make a f%^&load of money, and and go retire somewhere great. I'm not staying for the last drop either; I don't have to. I'm making unbelievable money and great friends for life; not to mention charterer building that translates to success in any field.. I'll tell you this about the oilfields here though... whiners need not apply.
I am a female Drilling engineer currently in Watford City, ND drilling a well. I love what I do. I’m in the field everyday; surrounded by men who respect me and care about my safety. Please stop spreading lies.
:)
Don't sweat it Babe. Boomtowns been the same forever. Hamburger and bowl of Chili? "That'll be $19.95" They'll see to it you don't leave town with a dime more than ya showed with. Want out? Just load the car and haul ass..
so what type of CDL do you need for that pickup?
you dont
+William Uskoski it depends on the weight being hauled
over 25000 need cdl I think
Try 26000 pounds gross. Thats any combination or solo truck with a gross of 26000 pounds.
+William Uskoski my bad I've got interviews of people from this area on my channel thanks.
+Richard Feldman She might not have airbrake endorsement
If it was your daughter i want to see who would make neg comments that would upset u. Regardless of what kind of truck she has, she is still making money and not looking for a hand out. She also aint poping out kids like alot of people do knowimg they cant handle having kids.
random- what is solidworks, and why should I learn about it?
I just started watching you tube and I am appalled at how mean people are to each other . I hope this is not an indication of how folks really think towards each other.
She sounds like a badass, I’ll be your friend girl ❤️
Hello
@nabokov orbust hello
@ hi how are you
@@onceinanalbatross hi how are you
Friend girl or girlfriend?
Buy a gun , they are perfectly legal in North Dakota , (rifles in the back window of your pickup) if it still sucks quit , the custom harvesters always need help . UPS out there needs help also.
I have some female friends that "worked" out there and they made a crapload of money. Some were Strippers, some were Escorts, some were simply Prostitutes. None of them had ever done that work before but found the money too good to pass up. Some of them cleared a couple of grand a day. They worked whenever they wanted and how much they wanted. One of them came back a year or so ago and had a $600k home built she paid for in cash. She was pulling nearly $10k a week for almost 3 years out there. She is 28 and semi-retired.
Thomas Joseph
The feminists don't want anyone to know about the benefits of prostitution.
Your life is what you make it. In saying that, if your life is hell than make a change.. Don't sit there and say "I can't do it because yadda yadda" if you say I can't that's just saying you don't want to..
I am a single father taking care of 2 children with an enormous amount of debt, but I push on.. I do what I have to. If something is in my life makes my time hell I change it.
This lady is choosing to stay at a shitty job.. I don't feel pity for someone who chooses to be in a shitty position.. There are many truck jobs out there.. A lot of them are waaaaaay better than what she has..
Samoan Dude ha!
Samoan Dude lol
Thanks Hannah montana
Samoan Dude No sane man want old and used women like her in the kitchen. As far as I'm concerned, she can stay and rot in that trailer for the rest of her days.
Sounds like an excellent resolution to her problem :D lol
One thing I'll say is she misses the benefits and life as a trucker she had in California. I understand that but there's good reason why she can't get work in California - the Democrat government there has over decades chipped away at the growth of a business climate to the point where the only people moving there are illegal immigrants. Also California has much, much more oil underground than even North Dakota but again the elites of California won't do anything about tapping that extensive resource. They'd rather see their working classes on welfare.
I knew trampers doing the NYC/Phoenix run all their lives. Lived in the cabs. Ate at diners. Supported families. Made friends along the way. Never bitched or moaned. Just a suggestion: if you want to be happy, get a job a woman can be happy at. No woman is going to be happy as a trucker. It's a tough, isolating environment and women are not good at isolation. This is most definitely a man's job. Only.
Cold Winters, Meth and too little housing. What could go wrong?
She drives a pick-up pulling a trailer. She is not a trucker; she's a parts chaser.
hmm you must be one those truckers .... and yes i have a CDL myself . respect all truckers dude
Hotshot it’s all the same. Driving for money is some boring long shifts that makes one nuts. i can’t tell you how many drivers begin to think that the satellite is controlling their thoughts. I do all i can to help those guys. It’s not right and on top of that most die young like my best friend at 45 when one to many monster energy drinks killed, that and fast food = fast dead
That does look rough, but think of what my ancestors lived through when they came to this continent. Crude oil has dramatically changed life for the better so that we have much more comfortable lives. Thank God for fossil fuels.
Ya now try it with 3 kids and a wife waiting at home for a check to eat with.
Bauks I got to ask how is your family life like always being away from home.
@@marcusbritton2297 when you have a family your expectations are supposed to change.
Driving a one-ton isn't being a "trucker".
I agree
truckings trucking no matter size of truck
Yes i agree driving a pickup truck with a goose neck trailer doesn't make you a trucker. that's like saying i rented a ryder/u-haul truck so now im a trucker. i have been behind the wheel of a 80,000lb 70ft TRUCK since 1995. there is a huge difference between them.
@@crockettslate Shes not a trucker. A pickup truck is nothing like a semi and is more like an SUV with no backseat.
What you're made of before you go through a challenging experiance makes for what you are after. I hope she will be a tough, independent, confident and capable person.
If she had a semi truck she wouldn't be eating oatmeal and ketchup. if u have a TRADE, there's no need to be broke. trucking companies are always hiring. but u have to keep your driving record clean.
At first I was thinking, how the hell is she working in the oilfield and eating oatmeal? Then I realized she was driving a pickup. get a Class A CDL and you can live in a truck while you save up money. Man I feel sorry for her poor thing is in a fozen wasteland living in a trailer driving a pickup making less than a Swift driver probably. Poor choices.
I takes a class A to drive that pickup and trailer combo. It has to do with weight and GVW, not size.
Hope you make it Jonnie. All the best to you. Take care.
The only perk of being a trucker that isn't in other jobs is that you can actually get enough nectar points to buy something good as your company buys a lot of diesel.
I worked here for a year. It is a challenge. I am glad I came. There are good jobs out there that pay 6 figures. It isn't permanent. You do it and you get out. Kudos for her for getting out there. If she gets her haz-mat, she might end up making the big bucks. The murder rate in North Dakota/Montana is still very low. Unfortunately murders happen everywhere.
HAHAHA!!!! I Remember this!!!! Her and the crew stopped in a store I used to work at called RACERS in Williston. Can’t believe that was 5 years ago... back in Cali now though
Williston!! I was in dickinson, I heard it was crazy in willi, people getting robbed left and right
Did I, or did the NYT, miss a critical part of her story:
Why did she go to ND for lesser wages, benefits, and a worse lifestyle than she had doing the same job in CA?
Yeah that’s an important part of her story. It’s weird they didn’t include that...
A good looking woman driving a pickup hauling a trailer is NO TRUCKER!!!
exactly you want to see female truckers watch mother truckers
Good looking woman?
Wtf doc did you watch pal?
That's a washed up
Post wall
Mentally unstable
Skank
good looking???...
Should have stayed in California I guess. She really thought driving for an oil company in rural ND wouldn't be difficult? 😂
This was one of the worst pieces of propaganda I've ever seen from any media outlet. I wonder how long it took the Times to find this neurotic skunt bag. I know about a dozen people personally who have recently moved to the oil fields in the Dakotas and Wyoming. They are all making 85k+ a year. Do you know why and how? Because they actually have skills that can command that wage. Things like welding, pipe work, deck hands... She only has a commercial drivers license and that is it. The barrier to entry on picking up a commercial drivers license isn't that big, the barrier to entry on being a skilled welder and rated to weld pipes in an oil field? Significantly larger. So even know I'm pretty sure the Times hates the free market, it is supply and demand at work. Lots of people have commercial drivers licenses and she is getting paid what she is worth. Also, all that crap about her not talking to her parents in forever is on her. I wasn't sure how her personal choice to not call her parents has any real bearing on the story other than to perpetuate the image of her as a victim.
Welcome to life outside the bubble.
Great comment...
LaLiLuLeLo lmfao😂😂
LaLiLuLeLo Hahahahhaa.
@ this is the default for men, and when women have to be here all the sudden its worthy of a documentary
@@notafeddeffinetlynotafed1603 Men being there all over makes it much harder for women than for men. So, yeah, it's worthy!
Driving jobs are more than plentiful. If you do not like the North Dakota scene it is very easy to get out. Just stop the friggin' whining.
The EagleFord needs more workers.
More open positions than people that want to take them..
Driving a 1 ton isn't trucking...
Ikr
what the heck is a 1 ton
@@IKamiZz it's like a 3/4 ton + 1/4
@@nickx831 he doesn't know what a truck is , all your doing is confusing the antifa soyboy
She took the gamble....she can leave anytime she wants.
Men here commenting need a heart. As a hard working bloke myself this woman’s struggles shouldn’t be looked down upon because of other people’s feminist BS. She’s a hard working woman putting in an honest days struggle, day in day out. Hats off to you sister
long story short: Lady used to live in California but moved to North Dakota for less pay and now eats dinner in gas stations and lives in trailer without running water. Why she doesn't move back to California? We will never know...
+Doctor Spence Well-said.
Have you lived in California?? The cost of living there is through the roof. It therefore should be very easy for anyone to understand
Doctor Spence Did you not listen??? She actually explained it. The magical word is RECESSION. Yes, California was hit by RECESSION too! Imagine!
Barb Redgreen.....I think Doctor Spence just wants a reason to hate women. That frog face thing (I forget the name for it) that he uses for his username icon is a symbol for that demographic of people. I would bet he's an incel. I used to be an incel myself until I realized that hanging onto so much anger and hatred towards women was not serving me well at all. I'm still single but I've come to peace with it and I don't hate women anymore. *The bottom line is that we are ALL in the same boat, male and female alike.*
Think of it this way, if she was an illegal, she’d be living it up.
16 years now for me. I've made the money and I'm still not happy. My new dream..... Van life. (By the river)
As a native of Williston, ND, I felt compelled to comment on this video. First of all, your team did a BEAUTIFUL job with the cinematography and creation of this film. However, I hope the audience knows this is only ONE perspective of people out here in "Boomtown." I am so proud to say I am from here and wouldn't change that for anything. Are there some "bad" things happening in this region? Of course, but that's the same for everywhere else in the country, in the world, even. However, we get so much attention because of how fast we grew and what's happening in our economy. Just like any other place, Williston is what you make of it - there are many things to do, you just have to go out and find them. It's all about being adaptive to one's surroundings. There are a lot of great things happening here, I hope those stories get the coverage they truly deserve.
Why don't you try contacting her and get acquainted? She certainly needs a friend.
Great comment! It's funny hearing the perspective of someone moving to Williston during the oil boom and in the same breathe mentioning that they could be making more driving in CA. Why doesn't she quit complaining and move back then? Because she has a job.
For things to change,you have to change.
Stop blaming others for the choices you make.
This a solid good advise. Hope she takes it.
Brian Williams on the radio saying there's lots of jobs. LOL- He can't stop lying.
I hope she wins the lottery one day...
I hope she never plays the lottery and spends her money on something that will actually help her
John L i hope she marrys me
"The suits don't know what it's like"....Oh they know
if she doesn't change her way of thinking she will struggle forever
That's one of my takeaways. Mindset is everything.
she needs Dave Ramsey
EDUCATION Education Education!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’. It works.
@@gregblack8550 The number of student loan defaults is increasing. If education was so vital and it worked so well, then why are college grads not able to pay their debt??
@@gregblack8550 lol I have most of a master's and make more money driving a truck than any white collar job I've had. Education *doesn't* really work anymore when skilled jobs never organized. You go into massive debt to get said education, then you're even expected to work for free for several months just to get your foot in the door! For what, a 50k job? No.
While she's driving a commercial vehicle with a dog on her lap.....really?
On an icy road.
+Video standard for the job. Women want equality yet blame others when it's too hard.
that's her service dog. she's got a Dr note! her mini horse or llama would not fit...
I would love to know why her parents haven't spoken to her in years. It kinda hints at a chequered past?
Frank Manzeroy exactly, that's probably why she ran to North Dakota in the first place.
Welcome to the life of a man
Susan Vue true
God bless you
Yup
Well I think the God given job for women is the best jobs for ladies , and that not digging ditches and trying to do man's work ... it's sad what modernity has done to our daughters and mothers with them being willing test subjects.
There is a reason you don't see too many women doing these jobs....i'll let you figure it out.
I feel sorry she is working for a gypo "Hot shot" delivery service. They are the very bottom rung of the ladder up here in ND. This gal needs to get to one of the reputable companies. Baker Huges, Stier oilfield services, North dakota hotshot etc, They are on the radio ALL DAY long begging for good workers. You do NOT need a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) to make $90,000 a year. Most companies have housing as part of the package. Do you homework. there are gypo outfits here that will promise the moon and deliver squat. Get it in writting. There are 2 jobs for every person on unemplyment in the USA, Fact! I live in Dickinson, ND and the weather can be nasty the conditions are worse up in Watford City and Williston, lots of trailer camps. If you can pass a drug screen you can make great money.
Where can I Apply for one of these jobs? Can you give me some contact info,please.
I'm drug and felony free.Thanks!
BakerHughes.com, tsocorp.com, ndoiljobs.com and you are welcome. Do your homework, make sure housing is part of the package AND in writing!!!
Thanks! Will do.
Good luck! Stay warm!
Precisely what I have heard! NOT for wimps or wussies.
GOOD employment is available, and if you are not dumb, you can earn a lot of money.
Happening in PA right now, too.
Gee, I wonder why the NYT is losing so much readership?
since when is driving a pickup truck classified as truck driver???
@MadDilla ATCQstarr lol with that said I feel bad for her situation.
I would love to have her job.. I don't want any kind of social life and I don't have any family members. It's literally just me. I never bothered with people, even now that I work for myself. Being alone feels like the only time I can truly express myself. Scream when needed, or speak calmly, talk to the traffic around me.. I don't even turn on the radio. That's how much I love silence and isolation. Being a gamer I also have no sleep schedule whatsoever. I really hope I can find the time out of my current job to get the required licenses and get driving. I want to live on the road.
I never liked the idea of a broad driving trucks, digging ditches, etc. Shame on her, but I hope she's doing well now.
lol that's funny
Shame on her? She's trying to survive.
Shame on you for looking down on her for doing what she needs to do to live. Shame on you for being part of the culture that makes life difficult and sometimes demeaning for women.
The word "broad" has always cracked me up...even as a kid. I don't know why. :D
butlerproman Isn't her misandry the only thing making the job any harder than it would be for a man?
Small things can keep you going, I wish my job could be making documentaries. Its so interesting to see real life, and share the truth with the world.
More liberal crap from the Times...
But it's a dually pickup. It's not an 18 wheeler. Is someone who drives a Honda Ridgeline and delivers donuts for an hour a day considered a professional truck driver?
This just made me mad. This chick made choices, she can move, she is no prisoner. I grew up in Minot. It's not the "Land of Hell". True, it's cold and rural and not very exciting but anyone with half a brain and a 4th grade education would've know that BEFORE taking a job there. There are things to do and people to meet but you have to go get them. Join a church or social club or bowling league. Take up fishing or snowmobiling or hunting, there's plenty of that to do in ND. Don't sit in your trailer and expect them to come to you. And if none of that interests you then what are you doing there?
However the housing IS and issue there. The state didn't have the resources available prior to the boom to handle the influx. I understand they are catching up but it has been a bit of a mess from what I heard of my family and friends that still live there. It sounds like the company she works for a horrible company. There are MANY others she can work for instead of this one. To me she comes across as unresourceful and a person willing to play a victim. Only the weather is hell there, everything else is state of mind.
get a real CDL and a company...get treated right and better conditions.
i saved about 80$ a week by just bringing my lunch on the road
The-Art-of-Gore adds up fast
And you no longer have to eat that diesel flavored truck stop food. While on the road i caught a bacterial infection that became aggravated by the acidity of the food/energy drinks and poor dieting due to long hours. Gladly i got it treated on time as i already had internal bleeding due to stomach lining damage.
Definitely would be doing my own food👍