Make Money and Travel – Building The Pipeline

This Make Money and Travel story is a little different.  It’s one of those cases where work and income wasn’t absolutely necessary because the guy is retired, however when an opportunity to travel while building the Keystone pipeline came up, it was too good to pass up.

When Benny reached out and told us his well paying, fairly easy job not only gave him the opportunity to travel but also reach a financial goal that would allow him to buy his dream home on wheels, well… we thought there may be a few of you out there who might want the same.

Benny is the guy who married his high school sweetheart, joined the Army right after high school and worked a diligent 26 years in the Army.  I know a lot of people who’s stories start out just like this and end with something along the lines of ‘now we’re retired and  live on a golf course in Florida’.  There isn’t a thing wrong with living out retirement on a golf course, but considering you’re still reading I’m assuming it’s probably not your dream, and it definitely wasn’t Benny’s either.  He and his wife RC, much like so many of us have a big desire to roam.  So, when Benny retired from the Army he set out to become a wanderer…little did he know it would lead him to his second career.

While in the military I traveled the world over working in and/or visiting a several countries, (some more than once) Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Luxemburg, Poland, Bosnia, Czech Republic, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Philippines, Japan, Guam.  I worked as a Logistician for the Special Operations Forces based out of Fort Bragg North Carolina. That’s where my wife, my kids and I spent the last 15 or so years until I went on terminal leave in May 2013 and retired in January 2014. After I exited the military I soon found that my logistics skills and knowledge were very valuable to the civilian sector.

A few years before retiring Benny and RC along with their trusty Pomeranian named Izzy started planning their new life.  They wanted to travel the US and go wherever they wanted, whenever they wanted and stay for as long as they wanted. Naturally, the RV lifestyle fits this mantra perfectly.  They had no intentions of working and planned to live strictly on his retirement and disability pay which is about $5000 per month.  A nice comfortable budget!  Just as they were about to pursue their plans of selling the house to purchase a Class A diesel pusher, a chance encounter with an old friend in the oil and gas industry changed everything.

The Job

Describe your working situation and what line of work you’re in.  At what point did you realize that you could bring in enough income to continually fund a location independent lifestyle?

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When I think of this line of work, I think hard labor and mostly men.  Is that the case?

The Hours

How many hours do you put in a week and what does a typical workday look like for you?

I put in 40 to 50 hours a week and have every weekend off. A typical work day for me goes something like this:

• 6:00am open the gate so that everyone arriving at the yard can get in.
• 7:00 to 11:30 typical office work, dispatching trucks and equipment to different job sites, locating and or re-positioning equipment from one job site to another, ordering fuel.
• Lunch ( it’s a really long walk to my rig for lunch…125 feet )
• 13:00 to 17:00 more office work. Planning any equipment moves for the next day.  Making online purchases to fill request from work crews.
• 17:00 (5pm) lock the gate.   Then start all over again the next day
• By living on site it makes the daily commute very easy!!!  Lol.  No traffic.

The Pay

If you are willing to say, what is the average yearly salary for someone in your line of work? How long did it take for you to start earning a comfortable/typical living for this line of work?

The Tools

What are the most essential pieces of equipment or programs you need for working while traveling?

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The Search

How did you find the job?  Do you find it or do they find you and how?

The Up’s

What are the best things about working while traveling?  Those things that make you think wow; I really am living the dream.

The Down’s

What are the worst things about working while traveling? Any ways you’ve found to avoid or cope with this frustration?

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Hindsight

If you could go back in time and give yourself  advice about starting in this line of work, what would it be?

The Fantasy Job

What is one of the most creative ways you’ve heard of someone else funding a location independent lifestyle or tell us what is your dream job?

I can definitely see why Benny couldn’t turn down the opportunity (or the pay) and I think this could be a great way for some to make the leap into the traveling lifestyle.

Thanks so much to Benny for sharing the intimate details of his work life with us!  If you found his story inspirational and helpful, or have questions, please leave your thoughts in the comment box below.

If you would like to read more helpful stories like this, check out the rest of the Make Money and Travel series.