Directional drilling work and crews

Horizontal directional drilling puts conduit under roads, driveways, creeks and yards without opening a trench. Most of it right now is fiber and power, with some gas and water service work mixed in. A typical crew is a drill operator, a locator walking the head, and a hand running mud and pipe.

Also searched as: HDD operator, drill locator, mud tech, directional drilling crew, bore crew, HDD foreman.

Who hires for this

Fiber primes and telecom contractors building out new routes post the most bore work, followed by electrical contractors and utilities that need road and driveway crossings.

What they ask for

• Certificate of insurance naming the prime as additional insured
• Your own drill rig, locating system and mud system
• A crew that has bored the conduit size and length on the job
• OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 cards for the crew
• Bore logs with depth readings turned in each day
• A plan for frac-outs and returns cleanup

How to land more of it

• List your rig make and model and the largest product you pull back. Primes filter on that before they call.
• Say what ground you are comfortable in. Rock tooling and a crew that knows it opens a lot of doors.
• Keep clean bore logs. A prime that gets tidy as-built depths from you will send the next section too.
• Be honest about how far you travel and whether you have a vac truck for mud or rely on the prime.

What equipment do I need to sub HDD work?

At minimum a drill sized for the work, a walkover locating system, a mixing system and a way to handle spoils and mud. Many primes also expect you to bring a vac trailer or truck. If you are missing a piece, say so up front so nobody finds out on day one.

Who calls in the 811 locate on a bore job?

It depends on the contract, so ask before you mobilize. Often the prime holds the ticket for the route, but some expect each sub to call in their own. Either way, you should not put a head in the ground without a valid ticket covering where you are drilling.

Do I get paid by the foot or by the day?

Both happen. Fiber bores are commonly bid by the foot with adders for rock or larger product, while short crossings and emergency work often go by the day or hour. Get the rock and hard-ground terms in writing before you start.

How do I get in front of primes looking for drill crews?

Post a crew profile on the TrackOver board with your rig, tooling, crew size and the area you cover. It is free, and when a prime posts a bore package they can see who is already set up to do it.