I am currently Workamping at Garner state Park, north of Uvalde. I am going to have to get a job that pays $$$$$ for a while to build up my reserves.
I am considering GG, however I am solo. Do you know of any women that are GGing solo and how they do it. I sure would like to contact some one that is doing it before I make any kind of commitment. I understand that there are busy gates and slow gates.
I really don't want to get a real JOB back in corporate America. Even then I would still have to find a place to park my 5ver, as I FT.
Any information would be helpful. You can email me at nessiekatt@sbcglobal.net
Thanks, Susan
rutsue said
07:05 AM Apr 19, 2012
There is a place that told us that they have 12 hour guards and then gates for couples. At the time, back in late Feb or early March they didn't have any openings at all. We talked to Cole at Sitewatch 800-561-7202. Pretty sure they don't do 1099's if I remember correctly. I would think jobs would open up during the summer as the snowbirds leave, but I don't know that for sure. This job is a significant commitment I'm finding. This is the first time we have gate guarded. The job itself isn't hard. What is getting to us is sleeping seperately and not having much time together. You'd think that we would be sick of each other! But after being interrupted often when we are together and doing the daily living tasks that need to get done seperately, there isn't much time left after that. I'm not really complaining, because I can't think of anything that would be better at this point. But there are times we both are going stir crazy. Also, it would be nice to have some down time to just do nothing together without being interrupted. But we are committed and we will persevere! Just surprised no one else has commented on this.
Sue
nessiekatt said
09:54 AM Apr 19, 2012
As only one person, could you do it by yourself? Is there enough time to do what you have to do like personal things, showers etc. is it possible to do laundry? I have my own W/D on board. There's plenty for me to do by myself. I'm already doing that now. What about Internet connection availability? And phone reception? I currently am tethered to my cell for Internet.
What about safety?
Just need to know the little details. As you say it is a significant commitment.
rutsue said
10:14 PM Apr 19, 2012
If you were working solo u would only be on for 12 hours. So you would have time to do stuff anytime after probably 6pm. This is only the first time we've done this so on some stuff I'm just guessing. I'll tell you what I know from our experience first.
Depending on who you work for you get a certain amount of water. Ours is I think 300 gallons every two weeks. And they give you a sewage tank of 300 gallons that gets emptied every 2 weeks. Dumping gray water on the ground is dependant on how you feel about it and the land owner. Every day is different as far as traffic is concerned. Totally dependent on what is going on with the rig. Some days are very busy and other days not so much. Weekends usually slow down. Most of the traffic comes between 6 and then by 4 or 5 it starts slowing down. when they move the rig it's just go go go. Just when you think you may have things figured out it changes. For us it's been about 50 vehicles average signed in during the day plus whoever is leaving. So not exactly double. There are guys that work one week on and one week off and two weeks on and two weeks off. At night is less than 20 vehicles. Some employers give you the lights and warning signals when a vehicle comes or goes and some you have to buy them. We don't sit outside because the bugs are bad. Guess that would be sight dependent as well.
As far as internet I think that depends on where you are. We are able to get internet with a hot spot on Verizon network. It's slow. We have an amplifier but that still isn't fast enough to do any video. The phone works fine. We have Verizon for that also. But again I'm sure that's site specific. We are in Los Angeles TX by Cotulla.
Now this is what I'm making an educated guess on. Safety is dependent on where you are located. We are 60 miles from the border and they tell us that most of the "bad" traffic is east and west of us. I feel pretty safe. I keep the door locked. No one has ever come to the door from the rig or otherwise. O I think once some Jehovah Witnesses came. When you go outside it's always been rig related. There are alot of guys that are lost looking for a rig. They give them terrible directions. We have those huge baseball lights attached to our generator. What lights you get depends on who you work for. I think most of them give you the smaller lights and that doesn't give you as much light around your trailer. Smaller lights probably means less bugs though too. The people are in their vehicles so there is no foot traffic. If anyone would be on foot that would be a warning sign. I think that there might be a business for someone to offer their services to gate guards to sub for them. I know we'd pay someone once a week to work for us for 8 hours. There is another couple close to us that I think was looking for some time off as well.
Any more questions, ask.
Sue
Texas TomT said
11:25 PM Apr 19, 2012
For all of you noobs to gate guarding you can click on our blog site link below and we have a GG FAQ with lots of info.
Then, after reading, ask for any specifics.
Tom
K-Man said
11:10 PM Apr 22, 2012
I think it should be mentioned that there are some variances in responsibilities at the gate. You may not always have just a "15-foot walk to a vehicle," as Texas TomT indicates on his faq. We're currently sitting at a gate where we have to walk approximately 100 feet to open and close a 10-foot high gate as each vehicle comes in or exits. And if it's a big rig coming in/going out, then you're opening both sides of the gate. Right now we're averaging about 300+ trips a day out to the gate.
Length of assignment varies greatly and is not dependent on how long you want to be there at that gate. We've sat on gates for less than 24 hours and as long as 4 weeks, solely dependent on the needs of the gate guard company. In each instance, we've gotten approximately 1 hour's notice of the move.
Flexibility and adaptability are key ingredients to maintaining your sanity while working in this environment.
sgeaux said
11:28 AM Sep 17, 2013
We have been gate guarding for a little over a year and while it's not for everyone, it is for some. We have worked on pipeline construction, man camp construction, two rigs and one fracing job. Fracing is really busy and you don't get any down time on our shift. Trucks coming and going all the time. Our pipeline job was the best cause it was from 8-5 everyday. We were free to leave the site every evening. At the man camp, we were the night security, so were were free to leave during the day. We are doing a 24/7 at a rig right out of Centerville, TX and it's so nice to see green grass and trees. We were down in south Texas for a long time, so now it's nice to be more north. All the companies we have worked for have treated us really good. No complaints with any of them. We plan on doing this till the spring of 2014 and then take a break.
sgeaux said
11:35 AM Sep 17, 2013
We have searched the internet and haven't found one thing about gg in ND or anywhere up there. How do you know there a plenty of jobs up there? Its a pretty state and we wouldn't mind working up there. Thanks for the info.
Texas TomT said
02:19 PM Sep 17, 2013
Here is a link you might find helpful. On the left side of the page are the major players as far as GG companies go. Gate Guard Services out of Corpus Christi, TX, has been considering ND for an office there.
We have just finished 10 weeks of very hard work at Amazon in Coffeyville. We don't think we want to do it again! The gateguarding sounds very interesting to us.
It sounds like several of you have worked for different companies. Any suggestions as to which one of the companies is the best to work for. Also, how far have you been from civilization for grocery shopping, laundry, etc.
How far in advance do they let you know that you have a job. We'd hate to wait until the last minute and then not have a position for next year.
All of the information you all are sharing is very valuable. Thanks!!
I am still looking at what kind of rig I will purchase, but trying to be a little proactive I looked into working on the road at first for Amazon in Fernley Nv. Could you give some more information on your experience working with Amazon ( pros and cons).
Thanks, I appreciate any information.
Roger
suse1023 said
07:40 AM Feb 8, 2014
such excellent information---thanks tom and the rest of you for contributing!
my dh and I are headed to Corpus Christie in a few weeks, we aim to arrive before April first and get working asap. we intend to work summer, even knowing it may be brutal.
we believe we can manage a summer before the weather gets a bit more tolerable, and hope to work for a full year before taking a big break.
I've been reading and re reading every blog, post and item I can about this work and the living conditions and still have a question or three.
I wonder if ups or fed ex makes it regularly out to the gates.
can we buy/find the lights and driveway alert system when we get to texas or is it wise to prepurchase those items?
would you advise us to have our own back up generators?
is a screen room attached to the awning a good way to keep critters and dirt out of the rig?
i'll think of more...
thanks!
Texas TomT said
08:50 AM Feb 8, 2014
Good morning Susan,
I will try and help and I hope that others will add their knowledge as well. If a ranch or property or work site does not have a physical address, then UPS/FedEx will not deliver. You can have mail and packages shipped to you, in care of General Delivery to the closest post office to your location.
Worklights can be purchased in several places like Lowes, Home Depot, or Harbor Freight (http://www.harborfreight.com/500-watt-dual-head-halogen-shop-light-40123.html) and they look mostly like whats in that link. That unit shown is a dual 250-watt unit and I would recommend a dual 500-watt unit for more light. Either way, get several spare bulbs as it may be a long way to a decent hardware store.
A generator is always a good idea. If the main one supplied by the GG company breaks down they won't generally come out to fix it until after sunrise. If you are a 24/7 working gate then they should have a tech on-call. But, you might need to work in the dark for hours until he gets there. Also, you might want to power up your RV as well.
I cannot see where a screened enclosure will be beneficial since we never had 'critters' coming anywhere that close to us. Personal preference I guess-I hope others will contribute to this.
Good luck.
tom
Alie and Jims Carrilite said
09:29 AM Feb 8, 2014
If you use the twin 500watt lights (total 1000 watts per assemble) you really need to update your extension cords to 12/3 or even better 10/3. We pull 2500 watts of lights at night off our generator then our RV has its needs too. We are running on a company supplied 12000 watt genny and I bet we use most of it during these cold snaps. If you see a UPS or FedEx truck going by your site, Wave them down and introduce yourself, and explain who you are and if they can give you an address to use. For example we are "Alie & Jim Gate guards- park place rd Flatonia tx ######. We get most of our stuff UPS that way.
Its a little different being in the area we are, we literally are on the edge of a town limits that has a dollar general, and a great market that has fresh beef and pork ( think thick slab custom cut bacon), 20 minutes to a walmart and HEB. In the southern area its a lot further for groceries etc.
Send me a PM if you need more info!
BillyandKris said
10:28 AM Feb 10, 2014
Hi. We are new to this forum so just discovering this thread. I was reading discovered it went WAY back so I just skipped to the newest posts. "I wonder if ups or fed ex makes it regularly out to the gates. can we buy/find the lights and driveway alert system when we get to Texas or is it wise to prepurchase those items?
would you advise us to have our own back up generators? is a screen room attached to the awning a good way to keep critters and dirt out of the rig?"This
Here's my two cents: This is our third season doing this work. We like it, but I always say IT IS NOT FOR EVERYONE. The weather can be brutal...hot or cold. This winter is the worst we have seen. However, south Texas weather can be awesome good also. Today is a rough one. Very busy, drizzle, cold, WIND, papers getting wet, blowing away, mud everywhere. Oh yeah!!! Probably everything else has been previously covered here by someone. Sometimes you will have an address for UPS. Usually not. We have used a Post Office in tiny town with a nice postmistress (not the norm); used a local RV Park who we made friends with owners, etc. Some use a local Ace Hardware (Cotulla?). It varies depending on where you land. You will have to ask around once you get a gate what is the going thing in that area. Depending on who you work for you may not need to purchase lights and alarms. We don't. Our company provides everything. We prefer working as employees. Just our preference. Easier. We brought our generator the first two times and never used it since our company is very prompt and we usually don't have any problems anyhow. Be sure you work for someone with good equipment. I think the more junk you haul around the more hassle it is to move and you could move at any time. I would think a screen room would be nice in summer or evenings with the bugs. The wind is wild out here so you may have hard time keeping it from flying away. If you have busy gate you will be zipping it open and shut constantly. If you have non-busy gate, may be nice to sit in there. At our gate this year we don't know what "sitting" is! I think this was more like three cents! Good luck to you. It's an adventure.
-- Edited by BillyandKris on Monday 10th of February 2014 10:40:49 AM
Texas TomT said
12:51 PM Feb 10, 2014
To Billy and Kris,
Where are you guys located at?
BillyandKris said
07:23 PM Feb 10, 2014
Near Whitsett, TX
Texas TomT said
07:57 AM Feb 11, 2014
Ahh, okay. You mentioned Cotulla so wondered if you were still in this area. I am on a ranch south of Catarina off of US-83. You are way over off I-37 north of Three Rivers-nowhere close. LOL.
Welcome to RV-Dreams. It is always nice to meet new people and RVers. Take care and be careful at your gate.
-- Edited by Texas TomT on Tuesday 11th of February 2014 07:58:40 AM
The Crumps said
03:50 PM Mar 12, 2014
There are two things I haven't seen addressed. I researched this a while ago and was told that there were lots of snakes and scorpions. Is this true?
Also, I was told that the drivers coming through the gate are in a big hurry, very rude, and curse you out. Is this the norm or unusual?
Lucky Mike said
03:59 PM Mar 12, 2014
snakes and scorpions will depend on outside temps and region....
Drivers that are grumpy, rude and in a big hurry ......will normally be greeted by a gate guard that is trying to not be Grumpy , rude and who all of the sudden seems not to be in a rush....
Alie and Jims Carrilite said
04:13 PM Mar 12, 2014
We have been on a gate since Nov 22, and have no rude drivers at all. We have had a few that can't drive very well, but all have been polite. If you do come across one that is rude, all you do is call your company man at the rig, and inform him of the rude driver. Usually the driver is relieved of that route.
Where we're currently located we haven't seen any critters, but its been cold and wet here all winter as well with 6 ice events so far. We are contract employee's with water, septic and generator provided by the company.
FT Dreamin said
05:32 PM Mar 12, 2014
We've been gg's for over two years now - seen one snake which was caught by the safety man - that's it except for cows, deer, javelina, road runners, an armadillo and a few dead mice! I was apprehensive about the critters but it has been a non-issue.
I had one rude driver - one time - quick conversation with his boss and I never saw him again!
Most of the guys are very nice, respectful and friendly. I have never been ma'amed so much in my life!
Terry and Jo said
07:00 PM Mar 12, 2014
FT Dreamin wrote:
We've been gg's for over two years now - seen one snake which was caught by the safety man - that's it except for cows, deer, javelina, road runners, an armadillo and a few dead mice! I was apprehensive about the critters but it has been a non-issue.
I had one rude driver - one time - quick conversation with his boss and I never saw him again!
Most of the guys are very nice, respectful and friendly. I have never been ma'amed so much in my life!
I suspect that the part that is in bold and underlined is because you are in Texas. There is a lot of that in the South and Southwest.
Terry
Alie and Jims Carrilite said
07:07 PM Mar 12, 2014
An interesting observation-
When someone thinks of the oil field rig hands, most would imagine these big burly muscle-bound no neck guys. What we've seen are a bunch of scrawny computer geeky kids that sit at computer monitors and push buttons. The biggest guy on our site is the forklift driver with a continual case of the munchies going on. And most of the truck drivers are just like you see anywhere else, people just trying to make a living.
The Crumps said
08:47 AM Mar 14, 2014
Thank you all so much for helping squash my fears. My husband said we could buy a "snake charmer" that ever I could shoot if we did see a snake. The rest of the critters don't scare me, much!
We are both happy, friendly people so maybe that will help us have a good experience with the drivers.
We might try a winter run in TX this year. We have a good income but it would be nice to make some extra cash to pay off the last of the bills and maybe take a cruise. It's worth a shot, right? We like adventure - that's why we took a house sitting job in WI this winter. Won't do this again!!! Worst winter in about 40 years. But, we do like trying new stuff.
manycats said
10:13 PM Mar 14, 2014
There's a blog, MyOldRV, that has tons of information about gate guarding realities and tips. Quirky and not for the fainthearted but fun to read. Temperamentally and life stylewise my DH and I would be suited for that work, we are both loners (don't need much company) and I'm the day person and he's the night owl plus he's the handyman supreme who can fix almost anything. However, physically we have problems, I can't handle too much heat and he only has one lung and can't handle too much dust in the air. We've lived in Texas and we know all about Texas summers and windstorms. The plus side is that the pay is better than any workamping job I've ever seen and your expenses are minimal. If we can find the same type of work in a different location we may go for it.
suse1023 said
04:04 AM Mar 15, 2014
we leave florida tomorrow to start our texas adventure, and I sure appreciate your writing about your experiences.
we had gate guarding services at the top of our list of companies to make contact with, I will be sure to ask about the services provided now.
we know going in that we're going to be working this summer in the heat, and among other things have installed a new and secondary ac unit in the rv, as well as just finished waxing the entire rig with a sun protectant.
I am prepared to order an extra portable ac and we have room for an aux little freezer so I think we'll be comfortable enough. (plus I intend to pick up a watering trough to keep filled with water to dunk myself into a dozen times a day if necessary, lol).
dh and I think we'll be particularly suited to this work, as we are loners who found each other.
and as long as we have books and each other we'll be fine.
that all said, which companies would be your next best choice to recommend to newbies just starting out?
thanks, I really appreciate the detailed information.
happy trails!
MarkS said
09:36 AM Mar 15, 2014
Two things to remember concerning truck drivers. It doesn't require an education and it doesn't require parents. Some were raised by wolves, I'm certain of it.
Terry and Jo said
05:16 PM Mar 15, 2014
The Crumps wrote:
Thank you all so much for helping squash my fears. My husband said we could buy a "snake charmer" that ever I could shoot if we did see a snake. The rest of the critters don't scare me, much!
With regards to the above that is now in bold and underlined, be sure and check on whether one can have firearms as a gate guard. I'm thinking that I remember someone saying something about firearms not being allowed. Sadly, I don't remember where I read that, so I can't go back to check. However, with all the experienced gate guards on here, someone ought to have an answer.
However, keep in mind that there are good snakes and bad ones. Many of the good ones help keep the rodents under control.
Terry
Alie and Jims Carrilite said
06:02 PM Mar 15, 2014
You are correct Terry, no firearms or alcohol on site.
Workinrvers said
10:06 PM Mar 15, 2014
as far as the firearms rule "loose lips sink ships" so if you do, and I'm not admitting anything here, keep it quiet and inside your RV/home.
Phil
Workinrvers said
10:17 PM Mar 15, 2014
just remembered a funny story regarding guns at the gate guard site. Last year we were way out in the middle of nowhere guarding a gate down a long deserted dirt road. The owner/rancher and his wife pulled up to talk like they sometimes did. They were both elderly people and she was a frail looking 90'ish Great Grandma looking gal. We talked about rattle snakes being out, illegal's coming through ranch etc and she asked if I had a gun. I just kind of dodged the question when she reached in her purse and pulled out a pistol that would make Dirty Harry jealous and said "I never leave home without mine!" Yep, welcome to Texas!
rutsue said
10:07 AM Mar 16, 2014
So much depends on where you are. We were in Cotulla the first time and there were alot of bugs there flying around the lights. Lots of mosquitoes after a rain. No illegals. Then we were right at the end of 2688 and 83. Right where 2688 t'd into 83. We had illegals like crazy. No flying bugs because I think the flares kill them off. Or something does. But there were a couple scorpions I saw, a black widow. But that was over seven months of being there. Never saw a rattle snake although the workers did and killed them. I was never scared there. The border patrol used to sit right on the corner pretty much every night. They were on the property fairly often hunting down illegals. Once a pick up truck full of illegals, (23) came through our closed gate and tore it off the hinges and kept going w the border patrol in hot pursuit. Once after a thunderstorm there were illegals under our trailer. I came out to check in a semi at about 2am and he told me there were men under my trailer. He was blocking the border patrol from getting through the gate and all I could see were headlights so I didn't know they were waiting to come in. Never did find the men under the trailer that I know of because it was so muddy. Even then I didn't feel afraid. The border patrol guy told me I should "be careful" they could grab me when I come out. It just sounded so dumb to me. There is no way to know if someone is under your trailer when you come out the door. Seemed like some illegals they tried harder to get than others. They had helicoptors and horses, but they didn't always use them. If I ever did it again which I don't think I will, I would not want to be in an area that has illegals continuously. There are routes they seem to take. When we were in Cotulla they said we probly wouldn't see any because they went east of there and west of there and we never did. Once an illegal came up to my husband and asked to use his phone. My H didn't let him because he didn't want to get in trouble. He told the guy to leave and my husband called the bp. Don't think they ever found that guy either. The illegals we saw were just regular joes trying to get to somewhere they could make a living. The danger even with them is they get desperate and then that's when things can go awry I think.
As for rude drivers we didn't have many of them. They can appear rude because I figured out as they come in to work their 2 weeks or whatever they can be pretty sullen. They are totally different when they are on their way out and going home. Happy and smiling. A 10 or 14 day stint in the hot TX weather would make me crabby and sullen too. I truly don't know how they do it. Those are my experiences.
What we didn't like about it was when there were more than 1 or 2 pads running on a property. It can get pretty busy when you have multiple rigs and they each have traffic in and out. Some days it was overwhelming. When you can't even go to the bathroom without someone honking that you aren't coming fast enough that is too much traffic. And we found it very difficult to never be able to go anywhere together. It is a sacrifice to do that job. The money is decent but when you consider the 24/7 of it, it's not really worth it if you have other money. If you have to earn as you go it's good for short periods of time. We did 7 months. The companies love when you do long stints but it really is a hardship I think. Take what you like and leave the rest
Sue
phyllen said
06:07 AM Mar 24, 2014
We've been lucky with our two assignments. Last year we were just 12 miles from Huntsville, TX. Were there for 2.5 months. We just finished up a gate across from Alliance Airport in Fort Worth on Saturday. We were only there for 5 weeks. Both places were easy to get to and close to towns. No snakes, not a WHOLE lot of dust, etc.
Hoping to be able to work until early June. We are currently parked at a COE park in Benbrook, TX waiting word for our next assignment. Hoping it's not too long in time or distance.
I detest taking funds from savings to investments. We are doing this is support our trip to Alaska in June. Easy enough work for sure. But right now enjoying the opportunity to EAT OUT!
Workinrvers said
05:12 PM Mar 24, 2014
enjoy your time off Phyllis. We are are the downhill slide on our gate I'm thinking. Been through drilling of two new wells, fracked them both, did coil tubing on both and now the work over rig is here. All that in less than 6 weeks! This company doesn't mess around and as one crew is rigging down the other is rigging up so I'm thinking they'll kick us out as soon as flow black ends in another week or so. That fits right into our plans though and we are ready for a day off.
Phil
-- Edited by Workinrvers on Monday 24th of March 2014 05:12:54 PM
Alie and Jims Carrilite said
06:21 PM Mar 24, 2014
We moved the the new pad Saturday and had the night off! We should be here for 4-6 months. 6 holes slide the derrick 30' sideways and do 2 more.
No fracking here. We'll move to the next site with the rig.
Its not a job for everyone by any means. We were originally only going to do this for the winter and start moving around now, but we decided to build an HDT and buy a Smart Car or Jeep, and this is an easy way to build up cash!
Wheel_Estate said
02:39 PM Apr 7, 2014
Interesting info. We don't mind sitting in remote areas for some time if it means making some good bucks. Couldn't be much different from boondocking in the desert all winter, especially since these companies provide hook-ups. We have no issue with working opposing/split shifts.
We don't have a toad, but I could see buying a little beater pick up locally...just a grocery getter, and selling it off upon leaving.
Might be worth looking into a little more.
The Crumps said
09:30 PM Apr 7, 2014
We are considering doing this next winter. I talked to our tax man about employee vs. contractor. He said we'd pay 15% tax for self employed plus the income tax so it would be better to be considered an employee. Any info on this would be helpful. It could be I gave him incorrect information. We would just like the best tax break. We have good income, insurance, and medical so this would be gravy to pay off a couple of pesky bills and get some play money.
Workinrvers said
09:53 AM Apr 8, 2014
it is a nice way to make some $$'s and we have been doing it a few months the last 3 winters. Just like anything else though there are some drawbacks, it's not always fun and easy. The job is really hard on your rig so be prepared for that. We left the oil patch last week to head back north and at our first stop I cleaned the a/c condenser with a hose and you would not believe the mud that came out! There must have been 10 lbs of dust packed into the a/c. Rudee dusted the rig and washed and mopped the hardwood floors 2-3 times per week and within a few hours there was always a layer of new dust everywhere. This past season we were 1/2 mile from a larger size town with a grocery store and gas but the prior 2 years we were more then 17 miles one way. There are Rattlesnakes, very BIG Rattlesnakes that live in the brush in south Texas, they have killed rattlers as close as a few hundred yards from our rig in past years, this year we did not see any (Ya!!). You will have mice inside your rig. I don't care what you use or how well you seal up your rig, you WILL have a mouse or two get inside. We have found that the wooden spring traps baited with peanut butter works the best for us. On average, I have caught 1 mouse for every week we are on the pad. Sometimes it is HOT, very HOT, we saw temps in the mid 90's several times in March this year. Rain is actually the worst weather though, everything turns to mud and the roads into and out of the gate become virtually impassable and you are constantly tracking it into your coach. Be prepared to be separated from your spouse, travel partner. This statement may seem odd since you will both be trapped in less then 400 sq ft of living space but one will be sleeping while the other is working and you cannot leave the gate unattended so only one person goes to town at a time and if you are at a busy gate you pretty much just eat, work, sleep and repeat with no days off for weeks at time. The biggest thing we look forward to when leaving the gate (besides being able to sleep in the same bed together, at the same time) is going out to eat together for an uninterrupted meal. I don't want to scare anyone off of gate guarding but do want you to be prepared. The job is not as bad as some I have done but it does require that you put your personal life in neutral for as long as you are on the gate and does require a 24 hour 7 day a week commitment. We will, most likely, return next winter for our 4th year in a row. We work anywhere from 8-12 weeks after which we are more then ready to leave! Several, including some on this forum, work much longer and my hat is off to them, it's a tough life in the oil patch but the bank account is a lot happier when your are finished.
Phil
-- Edited by Workinrvers on Tuesday 8th of April 2014 09:57:36 AM
Alie and Jims Carrilite said
07:39 PM Apr 8, 2014
We vacuum 4 times a week, basically every other day. Alie buys a box of the swifter dusters a week and we use them daily. On the site we just moved to, we do have some afternoon shade which will be nice by later this month. This isn't for everyone by any means, but it allows us to put money in the bank quickly as we want to trade trucks up to an HDT without spending any savings. If you do this, don't forget to pay in some quarterly taxes, because you are self employed and your Uncle Sam wants his share.
WestWardHo said
08:30 PM Apr 8, 2014
This info is so well presented for those who are considering this. Thanks to all of you who gave realistic details!
Sherry
The Crumps said
05:33 PM Jun 3, 2014
I just looked at Timekeepers website and see that they pay $160/ day. I notice most of you recommend GGS. Are they still paying $125? Is it enough of a difference between the two to take $125? We're going to attempt to do this for the first time this winter. Any help would be great.
suse1023 said
05:39 PM Jun 3, 2014
Gate Guard Services just raised their daily rate to 150.00 a week. YAY!!
We are with them and have been treated very well, all of our needs are met by our excellent service man.
The Crumps said
05:37 PM Dec 2, 2014
Apparently, we have an opportunity to work for Sitewatch. Has anyone had any experience with them? How do they rate vs GGS?
Alie and Jims Carrilite said
05:54 PM Dec 2, 2014
They rank much better than GGS. You'll be happy with them.
-- Edited by Alie and Jims Carrilite on Tuesday 2nd of December 2014 05:55:21 PM
The Crumps said
06:09 PM Dec 2, 2014
Thank you for your response!
Workinrvers said
09:13 AM Dec 3, 2014
Alie and Jims Carrilite wrote:
They rank much better than GGS. You'll be happy with them.
-- Edited by Alie and Jims Carrilite on Tuesday 2nd of December 2014 05:55:21 PM
Agree with Jim and Alie, Sitewatch has always had the reputation of being one of the "elite" companies to work for.
BillyandKris said
12:40 PM Dec 3, 2014
Agree with Alie and Jims and Workinrvers. We have only worked for Sitewatch. Our fourth year now. Not sure we could work for anyone else. We are spoiled! We try very hard to do a good job for them and it is appreciated.
BillyandKris said
10:35 AM May 18, 2015
Sitewatch is currently looking for crews for several positions for 12 hour jobs in Oklahoma and also some positions in south Texas. You can go to their website swgateguards.com and fill out the questionnaire.
The Crumps said
07:45 AM May 28, 2016
It looks like we may get a GG job at a Wind Farm with SiteWatch in South TX in a couple of weeks. This is a 12 hr shift, 5 days a week, in an air conditioned shed. Our RV will be in a nearby campground. It pays very well plus they give a stipend for the RV site. Has anyone worked Wind Farms?
BillyandKris said
08:25 PM Jun 11, 2016
Hi Crumps,
How is the job going? Sent you a PM. Hope you will get a chance to see it and reply. Hope all is well down there.
Hi Tom,
I am currently Workamping at Garner state Park, north of Uvalde. I am going to have to get a job that pays $$$$$ for a while to build up my reserves.
I am considering GG, however I am solo. Do you know of any women that are GGing solo and how they do it. I sure would like to contact some one that is doing it before I make any kind of commitment. I understand that there are busy gates and slow gates.
I really don't want to get a real JOB back in corporate America. Even then I would still have to find a place to park my 5ver, as I FT.
Any information would be helpful. You can email me at nessiekatt@sbcglobal.net
Thanks, Susan
Sue
on board. There's plenty for me to do by myself. I'm already doing that now. What about Internet connection availability? And phone reception? I currently am tethered to my cell for Internet.
What about safety?
Just need to know the little details. As you say it is a significant commitment.
Depending on who you work for you get a certain amount of water. Ours is I think 300 gallons every two weeks. And they give you a sewage tank of 300 gallons that gets emptied every 2 weeks. Dumping gray water on the ground is dependant on how you feel about it and the land owner. Every day is different as far as traffic is concerned. Totally dependent on what is going on with the rig. Some days are very busy and other days not so much. Weekends usually slow down. Most of the traffic comes between 6 and then by 4 or 5 it starts slowing down. when they move the rig it's just go go go. Just when you think you may have things figured out it changes. For us it's been about 50 vehicles average signed in during the day plus whoever is leaving. So not exactly double. There are guys that work one week on and one week off and two weeks on and two weeks off. At night is less than 20 vehicles. Some employers give you the lights and warning signals when a vehicle comes or goes and some you have to buy them. We don't sit outside because the bugs are bad. Guess that would be sight dependent as well.
As far as internet I think that depends on where you are. We are able to get internet with a hot spot on Verizon network. It's slow. We have an amplifier but that still isn't fast enough to do any video. The phone works fine. We have Verizon for that also. But again I'm sure that's site specific. We are in Los Angeles TX by Cotulla.
Now this is what I'm making an educated guess on. Safety is dependent on where you are located. We are 60 miles from the border and they tell us that most of the "bad" traffic is east and west of us. I feel pretty safe. I keep the door locked. No one has ever come to the door from the rig or otherwise. O I think once some Jehovah Witnesses came. When you go outside it's always been rig related. There are alot of guys that are lost looking for a rig. They give them terrible directions. We have those huge baseball lights attached to our generator. What lights you get depends on who you work for. I think most of them give you the smaller lights and that doesn't give you as much light around your trailer. Smaller lights probably means less bugs though too. The people are in their vehicles so there is no foot traffic. If anyone would be on foot that would be a warning sign. I think that there might be a business for someone to offer their services to gate guards to sub for them. I know we'd pay someone once a week to work for us for 8 hours. There is another couple close to us that I think was looking for some time off as well.
Any more questions, ask.
Sue
For all of you noobs to gate guarding you can click on our blog site link below and we have a GG FAQ with lots of info.
Then, after reading, ask for any specifics.
Tom
Length of assignment varies greatly and is not dependent on how long you want to be there at that gate. We've sat on gates for less than 24 hours and as long as 4 weeks, solely dependent on the needs of the gate guard company. In each instance, we've gotten approximately 1 hour's notice of the move.
Flexibility and adaptability are key ingredients to maintaining your sanity while working in this environment.
We have been gate guarding for a little over a year and while it's not for everyone, it is for some. We have worked on pipeline construction, man camp construction, two rigs and one fracing job. Fracing is really busy and you don't get any down time on our shift. Trucks coming and going all the time. Our pipeline job was the best cause it was from 8-5 everyday. We were free to leave the site every evening. At the man camp, we were the night security, so were were free to leave during the day. We are doing a 24/7 at a rig right out of Centerville, TX and it's so nice to see green grass and trees. We were down in south Texas for a long time, so now it's nice to be more north. All the companies we have worked for have treated us really good. No complaints with any of them. We plan on doing this till the spring of 2014 and then take a break.
We have searched the internet and haven't found one thing about gg in ND or anywhere up there. How do you know there a plenty of jobs up there? Its a pretty state and we wouldn't mind working up there. Thanks for the info.
Here is a link you might find helpful. On the left side of the page are the major players as far as GG companies go. Gate Guard Services out of Corpus Christi, TX, has been considering ND for an office there.
http://www.roadworking.com/oil-field-gate-guards.html
Good luck.
tom
I am still looking at what kind of rig I will purchase, but trying to be a little proactive I looked into working on the road at first for Amazon in Fernley Nv. Could you give some more information on your experience working with Amazon ( pros and cons).
Thanks, I appreciate any information.
Roger
my dh and I are headed to Corpus Christie in a few weeks, we aim to arrive before April first and get working asap. we intend to work summer, even knowing it may be brutal.
we believe we can manage a summer before the weather gets a bit more tolerable, and hope to work for a full year before taking a big break.
I've been reading and re reading every blog, post and item I can about this work and the living conditions and still have a question or three.
I wonder if ups or fed ex makes it regularly out to the gates.
can we buy/find the lights and driveway alert system when we get to texas or is it wise to prepurchase those items?
would you advise us to have our own back up generators?
is a screen room attached to the awning a good way to keep critters and dirt out of the rig?
i'll think of more...
thanks!
Good morning Susan,
I will try and help and I hope that others will add their knowledge as well. If a ranch or property or work site does not have a physical address, then UPS/FedEx will not deliver. You can have mail and packages shipped to you, in care of General Delivery to the closest post office to your location.
Worklights can be purchased in several places like Lowes, Home Depot, or Harbor Freight (http://www.harborfreight.com/500-watt-dual-head-halogen-shop-light-40123.html) and they look mostly like whats in that link. That unit shown is a dual 250-watt unit and I would recommend a dual 500-watt unit for more light. Either way, get several spare bulbs as it may be a long way to a decent hardware store.
A generator is always a good idea. If the main one supplied by the GG company breaks down they won't generally come out to fix it until after sunrise. If you are a 24/7 working gate then they should have a tech on-call. But, you might need to work in the dark for hours until he gets there. Also, you might want to power up your RV as well.
I cannot see where a screened enclosure will be beneficial since we never had 'critters' coming anywhere that close to us. Personal preference I guess-I hope others will contribute to this.
Good luck.
tom
Its a little different being in the area we are, we literally are on the edge of a town limits that has a dollar general, and a great market that has fresh beef and pork ( think thick slab custom cut bacon), 20 minutes to a walmart and HEB. In the southern area its a lot further for groceries etc.
Send me a PM if you need more info!
Hi. We are new to this forum so just discovering this thread. I was reading discovered it went WAY back so I just skipped to the newest posts.
"I wonder if ups or fed ex makes it regularly out to the gates.
can we buy/find the lights and driveway alert system when we get to Texas or is it wise to prepurchase those items?
would you advise us to have our own back up generators?
is a screen room attached to the awning a good way to keep critters and dirt out of the rig?"This
Here's my two cents: This is our third season doing this work. We like it, but I always say IT IS NOT FOR EVERYONE. The weather can be brutal...hot or cold. This winter is the worst we have seen. However, south Texas weather can be awesome good also. Today is a rough one. Very busy, drizzle, cold, WIND, papers getting wet, blowing away, mud everywhere. Oh yeah!!! Probably everything else has been previously covered here by someone.
Sometimes you will have an address for UPS. Usually not. We have used a Post Office in tiny town with a nice postmistress (not the norm); used a local RV Park who we made friends with owners, etc. Some use a local Ace Hardware (Cotulla?). It varies depending on where you land. You will have to ask around once you get a gate what is the going thing in that area.
Depending on who you work for you may not need to purchase lights and alarms. We don't. Our company provides everything.
We prefer working as employees. Just our preference. Easier.
We brought our generator the first two times and never used it since our company is very prompt and we usually don't have any problems anyhow. Be sure you work for someone with good equipment.
I think the more junk you haul around the more hassle it is to move and you could move at any time. I would think a screen room would be nice in summer or evenings with the bugs. The wind is wild out here so you may have hard time keeping it from flying away. If you have busy gate you will be zipping it open and shut constantly. If you have non-busy gate, may be nice to sit in there. At our gate this year we don't know what "sitting" is!
I think this was more like three cents! Good luck to you. It's an adventure.
-- Edited by BillyandKris on Monday 10th of February 2014 10:40:49 AM
To Billy and Kris,
Where are you guys located at?
Near Whitsett, TX
Ahh, okay. You mentioned Cotulla so wondered if you were still in this area. I am on a ranch south of Catarina off of US-83. You are way over off I-37 north of Three Rivers-nowhere close. LOL.
Welcome to RV-Dreams. It is always nice to meet new people and RVers. Take care and be careful at your gate.
-- Edited by Texas TomT on Tuesday 11th of February 2014 07:58:40 AM
Also, I was told that the drivers coming through the gate are in a big hurry, very rude, and curse you out. Is this the norm or unusual?
snakes and scorpions will depend on outside temps and region....
Drivers that are grumpy, rude and in a big hurry ......will normally be greeted by a gate guard that is trying to not be Grumpy , rude and who all of the sudden seems not to be in a rush....
Where we're currently located we haven't seen any critters, but its been cold and wet here all winter as well with 6 ice events so far. We are contract employee's with water, septic and generator provided by the company.
I had one rude driver - one time - quick conversation with his boss and I never saw him again!
Most of the guys are very nice, respectful and friendly. I have never been ma'amed so much in my life!
I suspect that the part that is in bold and underlined is because you are in Texas. There is a lot of that in the South and Southwest.
Terry
When someone thinks of the oil field rig hands, most would imagine these big burly muscle-bound no neck guys. What we've seen are a bunch of scrawny computer geeky kids that sit at computer monitors and push buttons. The biggest guy on our site is the forklift driver with a continual case of the munchies going on. And most of the truck drivers are just like you see anywhere else, people just trying to make a living.
Thank you all so much for helping squash my fears. My husband said we could buy a "snake charmer" that ever I could shoot if we did see a snake. The rest of the critters don't scare me, much!
We are both happy, friendly people so maybe that will help us have a good experience with the drivers.
We might try a winter run in TX this year. We have a good income but it would be nice to make some extra cash to pay off the last of the bills and maybe take a cruise. It's worth a shot, right? We like adventure - that's why we took a house sitting job in WI this winter. Won't do this again!!! Worst winter in about 40 years. But, we do like trying new stuff.
we had gate guarding services at the top of our list of companies to make contact with, I will be sure to ask about the services provided now.
we know going in that we're going to be working this summer in the heat, and among other things have installed a new and secondary ac unit in the rv, as well as just finished waxing the entire rig with a sun protectant.
I am prepared to order an extra portable ac and we have room for an aux little freezer so I think we'll be comfortable enough. (plus I intend to pick up a watering trough to keep filled with water to dunk myself into a dozen times a day if necessary, lol).
dh and I think we'll be particularly suited to this work, as we are loners who found each other.
and as long as we have books and each other we'll be fine.
that all said, which companies would be your next best choice to recommend to newbies just starting out?
thanks, I really appreciate the detailed information.
happy trails!
With regards to the above that is now in bold and underlined, be sure and check on whether one can have firearms as a gate guard. I'm thinking that I remember someone saying something about firearms not being allowed. Sadly, I don't remember where I read that, so I can't go back to check. However, with all the experienced gate guards on here, someone ought to have an answer.
However, keep in mind that there are good snakes and bad ones. Many of the good ones help keep the rodents under control.
Terry
Phil
just remembered a funny story regarding guns at the gate guard site. Last year we were way out in the middle of nowhere guarding a gate down a long deserted dirt road. The owner/rancher and his wife pulled up to talk like they sometimes did. They were both elderly people and she was a frail looking 90'ish Great Grandma looking gal. We talked about rattle snakes being out, illegal's coming through ranch etc and she asked if I had a gun. I just kind of dodged the question when she reached in her purse and pulled out a pistol that would make Dirty Harry jealous and said "I never leave home without mine!" Yep, welcome to Texas!
As for rude drivers we didn't have many of them. They can appear rude because I figured out as they come in to work their 2 weeks or whatever they can be pretty sullen. They are totally different when they are on their way out and going home. Happy and smiling. A 10 or 14 day stint in the hot TX weather would make me crabby and sullen too. I truly don't know how they do it. Those are my experiences.
What we didn't like about it was when there were more than 1 or 2 pads running on a property. It can get pretty busy when you have multiple rigs and they each have traffic in and out. Some days it was overwhelming. When you can't even go to the bathroom without someone honking that you aren't coming fast enough that is too much traffic. And we found it very difficult to never be able to go anywhere together. It is a sacrifice to do that job. The money is decent but when you consider the 24/7 of it, it's not really worth it if you have other money. If you have to earn as you go it's good for short periods of time. We did 7 months. The companies love when you do long stints but it really is a hardship I think. Take what you like and leave the rest
Sue
Hoping to be able to work until early June. We are currently parked at a COE park in Benbrook, TX waiting word for our next assignment. Hoping it's not too long in time or distance.
I detest taking funds from savings to investments. We are doing this is support our trip to Alaska in June. Easy enough work for sure. But right now enjoying the opportunity to EAT OUT!
enjoy your time off Phyllis. We are are the downhill slide on our gate I'm thinking. Been through drilling of two new wells, fracked them both, did coil tubing on both and now the work over rig is here. All that in less than 6 weeks! This company doesn't mess around and as one crew is rigging down the other is rigging up so I'm thinking they'll kick us out as soon as flow black ends in another week or so. That fits right into our plans though and we are ready for a day off.
Phil
-- Edited by Workinrvers on Monday 24th of March 2014 05:12:54 PM
No fracking here. We'll move to the next site with the rig.
Its not a job for everyone by any means. We were originally only going to do this for the winter and start moving around now, but we decided to build an HDT and buy a Smart Car or Jeep, and this is an easy way to build up cash!
We don't have a toad, but I could see buying a little beater pick up locally...just a grocery getter, and selling it off upon leaving.
Might be worth looking into a little more.
it is a nice way to make some $$'s and we have been doing it a few months the last 3 winters. Just like anything else though there are some drawbacks, it's not always fun and easy. The job is really hard on your rig so be prepared for that. We left the oil patch last week to head back north and at our first stop I cleaned the a/c condenser with a hose and you would not believe the mud that came out! There must have been 10 lbs of dust packed into the a/c. Rudee dusted the rig and washed and mopped the hardwood floors 2-3 times per week and within a few hours there was always a layer of new dust everywhere. This past season we were 1/2 mile from a larger size town with a grocery store and gas but the prior 2 years we were more then 17 miles one way. There are Rattlesnakes, very BIG Rattlesnakes that live in the brush in south Texas, they have killed rattlers as close as a few hundred yards from our rig in past years, this year we did not see any (Ya!!).
You will have mice inside your rig. I don't care what you use or how well you seal up your rig, you WILL have a mouse or two get inside. We have found that the wooden spring traps baited with peanut butter works the best for us.
On average, I have caught 1 mouse for every week we are on the pad.
Sometimes it is HOT, very HOT, we saw temps in the mid 90's several times in March this year. Rain is actually the worst weather though, everything turns to mud and the roads into and out of the gate become virtually impassable and you are constantly tracking it into your coach.
Be prepared to be separated from your spouse, travel partner. This statement may seem odd since you will both be trapped in less then 400 sq ft of living space but one will be sleeping while the other is working and you cannot leave the gate unattended so only one person goes to town at a time and if you are at a busy gate you pretty much just eat, work, sleep and repeat with no days off for weeks at time.
The biggest thing we look forward to when leaving the gate (besides being able to sleep in the same bed together, at the same time) is going out to eat together for an uninterrupted meal.
I don't want to scare anyone off of gate guarding but do want you to be prepared. The job is not as bad as some I have done but it does require that you put your personal life in neutral for as long as you are on the gate and does require a 24 hour 7 day a week commitment.
We will, most likely, return next winter for our 4th year in a row. We work anywhere from 8-12 weeks after which we are more then ready to leave! Several, including some on this forum, work much longer and my hat is off to them, it's a tough life in the oil patch but the bank account is a lot happier when your are finished.
Phil
-- Edited by Workinrvers on Tuesday 8th of April 2014 09:57:36 AM
Sherry
We are with them and have been treated very well, all of our needs are met by our excellent service man.
They rank much better than GGS. You'll be happy with them.
-- Edited by Alie and Jims Carrilite on Tuesday 2nd of December 2014 05:55:21 PM
Thank you for your response!
Agree with Jim and Alie, Sitewatch has always had the reputation of being one of the "elite" companies to work for.
It looks like we may get a GG job at a Wind Farm with SiteWatch in South TX in a couple of weeks. This is a 12 hr shift, 5 days a week, in an air conditioned shed. Our RV will be in a nearby campground. It pays very well plus they give a stipend for the RV site. Has anyone worked Wind Farms?
How is the job going? Sent you a PM. Hope you will get a chance to see it and reply. Hope all is well down there.