hydrovac operator

représentant commercial

outside sales representative

operator

chauffeur de camion

Badger Daylighting Inc.

Essentially a corporate company with a terrible corporate structure. Way to many feet on the desk chiefs drawing salary that look at the few indians (guys doing the actual work),  making the actual money as pretty much fodder. Management is a joke, the hours are as inconsistent as any I have ever seen. If you want to experience 4 to 12 hour work weeks for months at a time and still be expected to be on call for free and make zero plans for no extra money for doing nothing on your weekends this is the place for you. When its busy its still only mediocre busy since badger runs logs in states its not required so making up the slow time is essentially impossible. Their PTO time name should be changed to SMED’s (sales & management excuse days) your time off pay will be used to get by vs actually using it for vacation. Make more an hour here than I have ever made, and currently grossing less in a year than I have in the last 5 years of hydrovacing with other company's. All in all, while the biggest hydrovac company there is, it’s currently the worst place out of the lot to work for besides maybe your city/county hydrovac jobs. 10/10 would recommend running the other way. The corporate structure here is only made for the salary/% of sales based employees. Anyone putting in the real work struggles here. Hopefully this helps any hopefuls thinking badger may be better than their current hydrovac company. If you are new to the industry by all means give it a go, the hours are bad and the management even worse but their starter pay is regardless of experience, as experience isn't rewarded here. If you have done it for 10 years or never you are going to come on making the same as the guy with 10 years experience in the industry. 

My daily duties depended on how many trucks were out that day, If I had 60 trucks going out then I had a long hard day ahead of me. I would start my morning off by opening up the shop and gates, getting everything the men needed for there jobs, hoses, H2S monitors, there job numbers and ipads. We didn't use paper billing, we had IPADS to bill the customers and I was in charge of making sure they were charged, software was working properly and they had the job numbers that day. When it died down around 9 am I would then go into the yard, do labour work, clean up, load shoring and anything else that needed to be done. I would also run supplies out to our trucks on all the sites if they needed it. I have learned a lot working at Badger, I was a team lead in the past for Denesoline but with this position I was in charge or everything, people came to me for all the answers in the tool crib, there was no cross shift supervisor. I was it for all teams. I think management could have been a bit better at the job they had, it was very disorganized and I had done a lot for the company and didn't get recognized for it. The hardest part of my job was honestly keeping people there, I stayed because I loved what I do and I felt like I have full control over the place and if I were to leave It would all go wrong. But the wage for the amount of work couldn't keep anyone there. The most enjoyable part of my job was seeing everyone everyday. I love to interact with people. I am a social butterfly. I would see 120 men everyday and by the end of it I knew everyone by name, I would get phone calls everyday from the guys on what they wanted. Everyone knew me as the go to girl. I still have a good relationship with the company, I go there often and bring coffees and see everyone.

I worked with Badger in Cold Lake for 6 months and the management there wasn’t nice. Spent my first AB winter as a Swamper in -40 and I done an awesome job for them. I worked hard in freezing temps , digging through ice, climbing on top of the truck to water up and the customer was always happy. No raise after 3 months, 4,5 or 6 and no evaluation done. There’s no incentives there at all. I mentioned to management and she said “we will have to talk about it”. She was resentful because on site I wouldn’t share a hotel room with a guy to save her $ even though customer pays for our rooms And no she wasn’t kidding when she asked me why I didn’t check out of hotel room and buddy up with the operator. Two beds in hotel room she said so it’s ok. I was costing her money she said. I was disgusted and felt disrespected as a woman. I wouldn’t share room with a guy and since then I was treated unfairly. She was about the almighty dollar going in her pocket and everyone else didn’t matter. I was very happy to leave that environment but sad because I loved digging and playing in the mud.  It’s also sad to know that some managers still don’t respect woman working in this industry but don’t let that stop you from doing what you want to do.  I didn’t.  Just work hard and stay safe and you will come up on top.

My exp here was limited so can't speak for more than what I've described here.

I went to camp with zero experience expecting training, guidance and mentorship. After all, I'd been in contact with badger for 9 months and been intending to pursue a career with them. The work is fair and the pay is good plus it's unionized! Awesome!

Instead, I was lightly instructed and heavily judged (but had no idea as people were friendly to my face). Doesn't matter if you're a capable/good/earnest person willing to learn anything and everything with intentions to get along with everyone no questions asked. If you don't meet secret criteria that isn't ever explained to you, it's likely you are being spoken about behind your back in toxic ways. 

There were some great people on the badger team I worked with (some from sudbury, north bay and winnipeg), in fact I really liked everyone I worked with! But I have a warning: if you end up with a job here all I can recommend is to be very careful and not to assume people around you are acting in good faith. What you see isn't necessarily what you get. If you chain smoke and swear like a trucker you might be the type to keep the target off your back, for real. I'm a healthy friendly polite honest person willing to work and learn and take any and all criticism to better myself and they decided I was wrong for the team and fired me after my 20 day rotation. With barely any explanation. Makes you wonder.

Got low balled in the door, thought I'll prove my self and get more ha ha ha ya I know. Had some good swampers and some not so good. They think their trucks are the best in the market, I've run my share and they have nothing to brag about who puts a 100+lb filter that has to be cleaned regularly 7 feet off the ground, and hard wires the cabinet heater switch to the battery so you have to remember to turn it on off every time (not to bad once you get used to it, or learn the hard way). 15 year veteran raising his voice and talking belligerent to a 5 year operator because he didn't understand what the customer asked me, then bad mouths me to my manager who then berates me. Couple tough customers, I did every thing by the book, even advised my manager and dispatch of the situation, but the customer is unhappy with the cost of the job and complains, IT WAS BLASTING SAND, I had to clean the filter once an hour nothing I could do about it, so do you think my manager says ok I understand? 3 customers like that in a row, ya one of them I did forget to wash the little bit of mud off the temp power shack the after  7th time the electrisan said we were done then changed his mind, and then gets mad because of the bill. The real kicker $6800 gross in 3 months really what did they think would happen.

There’s a reason why badger has a bad reputation. It honestly boils down to the people running, managing the company. Has the potential to be a great place but, nothing has changed over the years unfortunately. So with that being said, if your not in the click with the management and or supervisor you won’t make it. They will punish you by sending you out on terrible calls in hopes you will quit. If they really want you gone they will set you up accordingly, wait until you come back to the office and give you a reason from the last job you were at that the contractor wasn’t happy with your level of work so they have to fire you. No 3 strikes your out, just your out. Trucks are somewhat subpar. If they like you they will put you on a newer machine, otherwise you’ll get the one that’s been worked on by CAT. The employees that work there have formed a bit of a small group between them, as to whether you fit in, you’ll see. If the group doesn’t like you then they will find a way for you to quit. Razzing and playing pranks on you and your truck is the norm. Always check your emergency stop button, if it’s pushed in won’t be able to run your vac. All in all I would avoid this place like a plague. Not a very good environment to be in, also there’s a lot of better paying vac jobs outside of this one.

As long as you are okay with being on call all the time and having unreliable hours this place is a great place to work as a hydrovac operator helper/in training. With a manager who openly listens to your input, addresses safety and maintenance concerns, and provides feedback from time to time without any of the usual office drama you don't have to worry about feeling like you're working for a corporate brown-noser. The edmonton branch also provides top quality health benefits and the one time I got hurt at work (minor back sprain) the question "when can you go back to work?" was never once asked! Only "How is your back doing today?" with no pestering for going back to regular duties before you're good to go, with an effort in providing alternative duties as well! 

The other operators are also more than willing to give you pointers and train you up. With answers for your questions when you have them and readily provided tips on improving methods and safety.

So, aside from the unreliable hours depending lots on the season I would 100% recommend the Edmonton branch of this company.

Show up early, clean and pre trip my unit. Load it up with all the required gear for the day , and begin the paper trail.  Almost every day was a new customer at a new location. Every day a new challenge requiring its own safe work procedure. 

I learned how to be self sufficient, safe, and how to communicate  clearly with the customer. 

The Management in the Ft McMurray devision   was second to none. We were all apart of a rapidly growing business, and somehow managed to grow without incident or sacrifice to our core values. That was great leadership hard at work behind the scenes, yet never broke a sweat in the publics eye. 

We worked mostly independent of each other, so what i knew of my co-workers was based mostly on the few minutes in the early morning or after work. All good hard working guys. 

The hardest part of the job was that cold - 50 C morning knowing that at some point I will have to leave the comfort of my warm cab to brave the elements.

The most enjoyable part of the job was the look of amazement in the costumers eyes when they seen what would possible with the hydro-vac unit.

The equipment they run in Edmonton is mostly well kept, the in house mechanic is top notch. 

Hours can be brutal, either 13 hour days back to back or 4 hour work weeks. But I can’t blame management completely for that, it’s part of the industry. 

What I can blame management for is poor accountability, poor training, and excuses. 

The dispatcher is a complete disaster. She can’t seem to figure out what her job is, but she’ll be the first to point out your mistakes. God forbid you bring your concerns about her to management, they will be brushed aside and nothing will be done. She’s the first contact for most of the customers and I’ve never seen anyone act so unprofessional. I hear feedback from customers that complain frequently about her attitude and demeanour over the phone.  

Management seems comfortable with their feet up on the desk (literally) collecting a salary while the employees are struggling to put food and n the table during the slow times. 

All in all, I’d say don’t work here. Shop cleanliness standards are absurdly low, hours are extremely variable, the revolving door means no consistency for yourself or the customers. 

I've worked with Badger for 5 Years. Overall it has worked out well for me. The experience I've gained is exemplary. The people I've worked with were all good and decent people who try their best to keep the train on the rails. Management is stretched thin, overworked, underpaid, and unappreciated. corporate atmosphere makes it difficult and time consuming for them to justify any expenditure, including supplies, equipment and maintenance items. Most employees (field staff) consider the environment toxic and have one foot out the door. Very strict post incident drug testing that has ended up terminating a lot of valuable employees who smoke pot in their personal time, making others hide incidents and broken equipment.  Union battle currently is ugly and guys think management doesn't care, but they do. again underappreciated. upper management has been known to come in and fire everyone leaving whoever is left fearful and uncertain of their future. its been getting better. only reason I've left is to pursue a better opportunity at a different company.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Hydrovac operator 91 salaries reported	$29.98 per hour
Représentant commercial 21 salaries reported	$35.88 per hour
Outside sales representative 6 salaries reported	$105,000 per year
Operator 7 salaries reported	$32.01 per hour
Chauffeur de camion 4 salaries reported	$30.20 per hour

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