Now Hiring GasLine Survey Will Train

[Bill & Janet Adams]

Last I saw $9.50 hour.

[Pepthedog]

This is straight from our company web site. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

 

Up to $16.30 an hour (includes mileage, travel allowance and per diem) ($9.00hr. plus $200 travel allowance a week. Reimbursement for usage of personal vehicle is $2.30hr - This hourly vehicle use rate is normally used and will vary for each gas leakage survey assignment. Transportation between assignments is paid at $.815 per mile – if you are hauling/towing an RV)

Upon completion of training and completion of two weeks on first assignment, the technician will receive a training/reporting bonus of $500. Technicians will also be paid incentives when assisting in training another Technician.

[oldretiredafguy]

This is straight from our company web site. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

 

Up to $16.30 an hour (includes mileage, travel allowance and per diem) ($9.00hr. plus $200 travel allowance a week. Reimbursement for usage of personal vehicle is $2.30hr - This hourly vehicle use rate is normally used and will vary for each gas leakage survey assignment. Transportation between assignments is paid at $.815 per mile – if you are hauling/towing an RV)

Upon completion of training and completion of two weeks on first assignment, the technician will receive a training/reporting bonus of $500. Technicians will also be paid incentives when assisting in training another Technician.

 

Seems rather low for the oil/gas industry. I have been mentoring a young man in our area regarding aviation. He's torn between commercial aviation and his current job as a field technician for an oil service company. He drives a company supplied truck, and receives per diem when away from his local area. He's making $46.03/hr.

[Bill & Janet Adams]

It's WAY to low unless you are looking to supplement some other income and like working in terrible conditions and you need a lot of exercise.

[Pepthedog]

It all depends on how you look at it. The compensation is by far better then a typical work/camp scenerio, especially when you factor in the 81.5 cents per mile to relocate to a new assignment. I was sent from Salt Lake to Tennessee in September and was reimbursed $1359.00 for the trip. That's tax free. Not bad when most full-timers are paying their own way to get to a work/camp job. Some RV park work/camp jobs aren't paying anything more than a free site. Amazon, about $10 or so per hour, 12 hour shifts mostly at night. I've never exceeded the $800.00 per month per diem I'm given every month, tax free also, usually paying no more then $450.00 per month for a site in an RV park, sometimes less.

 

As for terrible conditions, again, it depends on wheater you enjoy the outdoors or not. If sitting in a recliner with the AC on full blast and watching the tube is your thing then by all means this may not be for you. Me, I'll take the great outdoors even if I have to pace myself in the heat or bundle up on occasion. We work in the south in winter and the north in summer so usually the temperature is more than comfortable.

 

Excercise, that's the best benefit of them all. I'm in the best shape of my life from the walking I do and I'm by no means expected to overdue it physically. On the contrary, we take our time to be safe and avoid injury.

 

Lastly, it's extremely satisfying to find a leak that left unfound would in fact become a danger to someones life or property. We are literally saving lives every day.

[Bill & Janet Adams]

I work in similar but better paying conditions. By the way, your $1359 is not tax free. You will get a 1099 and you owes taxes on this less the expenses you might write off against this such as fuel. If I only got .81 mile to drive my bus conversion I would lose money on the travel but it would help offset the costs.

[Pepthedog]

No 1099 here. We're not independent contractors. We're employees. The travel reimbursement and weekly per diem are not taxed, only the salary is and since I'm a Florida resident I don't have to pay state income taxes. As employees we have half of our Social Security paid by the company and they offer health insurance and a 401K as well.

 

As for the 81.5 cents per mile re-assignment allowance, your mileage may vary but it sure beats the entire travel costs coming out of your pocket.

[dewilso]

Sounds to me like WE need to just go ahead and pay everyone $50 an hour!

[Bill & Janet Adams]

Sorry about my mistake. I forgot that my employer was reimbursing me all the fuel used plus 1.25 mile. The $1.25/mile was a 1099 item as the total reimbursement was higher than would be allowed as a vehicle expense. That's likely why your company is using the .81 cent number as the entire amount can be expensed.

[Pepthedog]

No worries. It's really a shame that so many "jobs" these days are independent contractor positions. I know it's advantageous to the employer in many ways but it's another hit to the guy trying to make a living or add a little income to his pocket. Paying all of your Social Security as an independent contractor, versus an employer paying half, has put many people in a bind come tax time; even though they know that have to keep some money aside. I believe some of the oil field gate guard jobs are independent contractor positions and many others. It's actually gotten to the point that we automatically assume it's that way. I appreciate what my company does and that was a big part in my decision to go with them.

[texasclarks]

This is straight from our company web site. Let me know if you have any questions.

Up to $16.30 an hour (includes mileage, travel allowance and per diem) ($9.00hr. plus $200 travel allowance a week. Reimbursement for usage of personal vehicle is $2.30hr - This hourly vehicle use rate is normally used and will vary for each gas leakage survey assignment. Transportation between assignments is paid at $.815 per mile – if you are hauling/towing an RV)

Upon completion of training and completion of two weeks on first assignment, the technician will receive a training/reporting bonus of $500. Technicians will also be paid incentives when assisting in training another Technician.

How many hours a week do you work? I think this could be a good option for a way to see the US and earn supplemental income to my military retirement. I know one will not get rich with this sort of job, but if you like to be outside and walk it may not be a bad gig.

[Pepthedog]

40 hour week, Monday through Friday. We work the hours of the client gas company so they can respond when we find underground leaks. I'm currently in Nashville so that means 7 to 3:30 (30 minute lunch). Each job goes from a few weeks to as long as 5 months. Some of us take the winter off (spring and summer are busier). Some take some time off between assignments, i.e. while enroute to an assignment out west from the southeast you can still fit in that Grand Canyon stop.

[Agyoung]

Pepthedog ---- Called you & left my number.

[Pepthedog]

I found out yesterday that Southern Cross is now holding off hiring techs until after the first of the year. As is the case every year at this time future bids and contracts are pending for next year. When those get decided I'll let everyone know when they're opening things up again.

 

Feel free to still contact me though. I'll be happy to provide any information you need. They're still taking applications and will process those in the order they're recieved.

[Pepthedog]

Good news. Southern Cross is hiring RV travelers again. I spoke with the travelers project manager today. The spring contracts are coming in and he said we need 10 people as soon as we can get them. Please read through the last few pages of this thread and take a look at my blog post about the job for more info. http://airstreamtalesandtrails.blogspot.com/2013/07/walkin-line.html

 

A few of you have contacted me in the past about this then the company put things on hold. If our recruiter has not contacted you yet then let me know if you're still interested and I'll make sure you get attended to first. For those of you just seeing it, feel free to message me and we'll chat on the phone about it.

 

 

[Pepthedog]

Also, there have been some changes to the compensation package. Good changes. Look back a few posts and you'll see the details. The 9.00 per hour salary is now $10.50 per hour. Daily mileage is now 57 cents per mile. Relocation miles when towing your rv is 82 cents per mile. The $200.00 per week per diem for rv park expenses stayed the same. I'm telling ya, if this type of work is up your alley it's a great opportunity.

[Pepthedog]

Thanks to all of you who have contacted me and/or visited my blog about the job. Some of you I've talked with and I'm glad you share my enthusiasm. For those of you we've hired, congratulations. My project manager is saying that we could still use 5 or so more traveling techs though for a couple of new projects. If you know anyone who hasn't seen the post, but may be interested, please tell them about it. It really is a great job for full-timers who want to work full-time through the summer - even year round if they choose.

[JQuad]

Is Southern Cross still hiring Mobile Leak Survey technicians? Have experience in this field but couldn't get through to an HR recruiter. Any working phone numbers greatly appreciated!

[Pepthedog]

I feel that more details need to be posted about the job. Actually, I've been having people that are interested just call me and we talk for 20 minutes or so about the job then I send them to the recruiter. I do feel it's still the best way to answer questions and describe the job but a member of the Airstream Forums asked for more details and I provided them on that forum. I'll do the same here but do apologize for the length of the post.

Here's what I tell people in our phone conversations.

Southern Cross Corp is a company based in Georgia, just outside Atlanta. We've been in business since the late 40s. We contract to gas utility companies all over the country to do DOT mandated gas line inspections. Every gas line in the county has to be walked over and surveyed for leaks every 5 years. Some utilities do it themselves and some contract it out. We are the contractor. As a traveling technician you are a full-time employee, NOT an independent contractor. We take out taxes and Social Security and offer a 401K, health insurance and paid time off. The company provides all of the equipment you need including gas survey equipment, work shirts, and cell phone (for calling in leaks to the gas company and communication to the home office. We do have to purchase our own boots however. They don't have to be steel toe but do have to be above the ankle. I've found that hiking boots work far better than work boots as we walk 6-8 miles per day. More about the walking in a minute.

Project length/hours. Each project can last from a few weeks in a small town to 6 months in a large city. Currently I'm in Provo, UT on a 6 month project. I worked a project last year in Bessimer City, NC that lasted 3 weeks. Sometimes you're the only person from the company on that project. Sometimes there may be 10 or more. In that case there will be a lead tech to manage everyone. I'm currently the lead tech in Provo. We have 19 techs here in the greater Salt Lake Valley right now. I have 4 with me in Provo. We work the hours of the gas company since they have to respond to the leaks we find. Monday through Friday 7 am to 3:30 pm is usually the norm with a half hour for lunch. We don't work part-time hours since the projects are time sensitive and have to be done by certain dates so no, no part-time work. However, a lot of our guys take the winter off since we slow down in the winter. I work all year by choice. The travelers get sent south in the winter and north in spring. When you're sent from one project to the next it's okay to take some time to visit the Grand Canyon, etc. We do earn time off like any normal job so we use that or just take a few unpaid days to see the sights.

RV parks are always close to where we're working and I've never had a problem finding a place to stay. I always book a monthly rate which is usually 300-500 per month. Last winter I stayed on a farm in Watertown, Tennessee for 200 per month. The company pays you 200 per week per diem, 800 per month. If you find rent below that you still keep the full 800. It's our responsibility to find RV parks - I prefer it that way.

We do hire couples and I actually have a couple working for me here in Provo. They are both employees and each get separate paychecks plus each get the 200 per week RV per diem, 400 per week collectively. Couples always work the same project and always work together. It's preferred they each have separate transportation so that during the work day they can each work separate neighborhoods but not absolutely required. The couple that work for me have 1 car so I give them maps that are next to each other.

Compensation. The company web site needs to be updated. Here's the current info. You're not going to get rich doing this job but it beats any other work camping job I've seen. We get paid every week on Friday. Salary is $10.50 per hour. This is taxed just like it would be on a "normal" job. Per diem of $200.00 per week. This is an expense reimbursement and not taxed. Mileage reimbursement for the use of your vehicle during the work day is .57 cents per mile from the time you leave your RV to the time you get home. This is not taxed. Relocation allowance, when you're sent from one project to another, is 82.5 cents per mile when towing or driving your RV. This is also not taxed. This is where the job really shines. Most work camping jobs don't pay you to travel. We do. There is also a $500.00 sign on bonus.

Requirements. No specific educational requirements. On the job training - usually about 2 weeks - is provided. You have to pass a drug screen and as a gas industry worker you have to submit to random drug screens, DOT requirement. We do a criminal background looking for felonies and such. We do a driving record check looking for DUI's and revocations. I don't think a few speeding tickets are going to be a deal breaker. You have to be a fill-time RVer. We don't do hotel assignments. We go where the work is. However if you want to go to somewhere specific, and we have a project there, then the project manager will send you there. At the end of the day though if he needs someone in South Carolina for example he will ask that you go there. It works best for someone who just wants to travel for travel's sake. I have not been disappointed yet with any place I've been.

It's not a strenuous job but we do walk a lot. Usually in neighborhoods but also in downtown areas and rural areas. Anywhere there is a gas line. Typically we walk 6-10 miles per day. At you own pace, taking breaks when you need to. Safety is paramount. If there's a dog in a yard we don't go in that yard. If there's a dangerous neighborhood we work in teams. I've never felt threatened though. We wear reflective vests and utility company garb so blend in quite well. For our female techs we make sure to work in pairs in questionable neighborhoods. 95 % of the time though you'll just be in typical neighborhoods or farmland. Important... if you have had a knee replacement or hip replacement I would recommend you not do this. It will take it's toll on you. If you're out of shape it's the best thing you could do for yourself.

Again, sorry about the long post. That's why I was just talking to people over the phone but this should about do it. We ARE hiring so if this is up your alley, or you know someone who doesn't read the forums but may be interested let them know. The best way to apply is to call me at 404-759-5759 and we can talk. I'll give you the names of the recruiter and project manager, send you a link to the application then put in a good word. I'm NOT a human resources person, just a tech getting the word out. Like I said, I want everyone to have all the information they need to make the right decision for them. Do your research. Google Southern Cross Corp and check out the company. Check out my blog and the post I made about the job. It's up higher in the thread but here too. http://airstreamtalesandtrails.blogspot.com/2013/07/walkin-line.html

I hope this answers some questions but feel free to call. That's my company phone and it may go to voice mail but I'll call back as soon as I can.

Kevin

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

Say Hi to Ruth and Shon for me!

[Pepthedog]

I'll see them Wednesday and tell them you said hi. They're working with the Salt Lake crew now. Still staying in Provo but working the south valLey.

[Summitradio]

This sounds great! I would love to do this!

[mcwyant]

No posts on this thread for awhile. Will they be hiring starting in the spring of 2016? My wife and I plan on retiring by early summer next year. This sounds like a great transition to full timing.

[Pepthedog]

We're always looking for travelers and actually have 3 coming on board right now. The work picks up in spring but winter is a good time for us to hire and train.

[whatsnext]

You mentioned that it is OK if a person wants to take several weeks of unpaid leave to visit certain sights. Is it discouraged? Or does the Project Mgr just move on to the next person and when you "come back online" then they'll assign you to the next project?

Just wondering if a person did the unpaid leave several times a year if there would be any negative consequences (other than not being paid).

Thanks

David