Truck drivers from all across the state and country are flocking to South Texas where there are hundreds of open Eagle Ford jobs. The economic boom creates a lot of opportunity for all professions. One unintended consequence is many drivers are moving out of cities like San Antonio for higher wages in the oil field. With signing bonuses and higher rates for workers in the Eagle Ford, it is very difficult attract drivers in other areas.
“Before the Eagle Ford, but after the economic downturn, we still had plenty of qualified people looking for work,” Levy said. “But since the onset of activity in the Eagle Ford, we have had very few to no qualified (commercial driver's license) drivers apply.”
A commercial driver's license, or CDL, is a key requirement for many trucking jobs, both in San Antonio and in the shale.
The Levy Co. LP, which transports and installs highway construction signs and lights, requires a CDL for most jobs. The company needs workers who can drive to a job and then complete the work.
Workers capable of doing such a job “were never easy to get, but there were more people I could at least train, as long as they had the CDL,” Levy said.
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