Oil Companies Seek Drivers for Eagle Ford Shale

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Posted: Apr 16, 2013 9:26 PM Updated: Apr 16, 2013 11:57 PM


McALLEN - Companies in the Eagle Ford Shale are struggling with a shortage of workers.
The Eagle Ford Shale is a gigantic geological formation filled with oil and natural gas. It spans from College Station to near Laredo.
The economic impact on the region is staggering, state records show. The area generated $25 billion in revenue last year. It created 47,000 full-time jobs. The number of jobs is expected to reach 117,000 by 2021.
The state created the Eagle Ford Shale Task Force. The latest report lays out several findings. At the top is workforce development.
Alan Zapata is one of many Rio Grande Valley residents wanting to land a job in the Eagle Ford Shale. Zapata is learning to drive a big rig at South Texas College.
"They can start you in a high pay and oil seems to be driving right now. I decided it was a good idea," Zapata said.
Zapata could end up in a place like Cotulla. The town nearly four hours away from the Valley is at the heart of the oil and gas boom.
A report from the Eagle Ford Shale Task Force states that finding qualified commercial drivers has become a major struggle for employers.
Victor de Leon, with Texas Workforce Solutions in McAllen, said there are more than 900 commercial drivers in the Valley looking for work. He said there are many reasons why those drivers might not make it in the oil industry.
"Maybe they can't pass a background check. Maybe they no longer want to travel. Maybe they're no longer okay with commuting to the Eagle Ford Shale area or out of state or maybe even just across the Valley," De Leon said.
Oil companies said one in four applicants fails the driver screening process.
The task force recommends tapping into the military for oil industry labor needs.
Driving instructors at STC said about 60 percent of those who finish the course end up working in the oil industry.
"Some of them that don't know how to drive standard, or they haven't been in trucks before, they have a hard time trying to get the gears in and get them out and downshift. Mainly, what they're afraid of is when they're coming to the light ... how am I going to stop it? When do I start stopping it?" driving Instructor Juan Hernandez said.
For Zapata, driving a truck seems like second nature.
"I feel pretty confident. Hopefully, if everything goes well, I get my CDL in the next couple of weeks and off to work it is. We'll see how it goes from there," Zapata said.
Texas Workforce Solutions offers paid training for several job skills. For more information, call 877-687-1121.
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