CDL-Free Truck Rig for Highway Success

Landing a large I-70 contract, employee-owned OWN Inc. needed a capable rig — without requiring a Class A/B CDL.

“We looked at a conventional rig, but weren’t finding what we were looking for,” Gary White, drilling manager, said. “We knew about how the little Geoprobe^® rigs could do environmental and had seen a demonstration of the 3100GT when Lee [Shaw, sales representative] buzzed through town a year ago.”

After visiting Geoprobe^® headquarters, the team quickly realized the 3100GT truck rig could do it all.

“The 3100GT is a truck-mounted drill rig that does everything we needed it to do. We could sample with 4-inch augers, core, and it weighed less than 26,000 GVW,” White said. “It has the ability to do what we need and one of our secretaries could run it. In fact, one in Kansas City really wants to.”

Efficient and Easy to Operate Truck Rig

Since this September, the 3100GT has bounced between the I-70 and I-44 expansion projects — drilling, sampling, and coring through shale.

“I can just hop in and go. I don’t have to have a CDL or send a semi-trailer to haul the rig,” Tim Carriker, driller, said. “It makes it faster and easier to do the jobs. I could almost run the whole rig by myself — everything is just right there.”

Carriker especially likes how the mast swivels and tilts, allowing quick, precise alignment on every hole. The intuitive control layout, clearly marked with icons, helps streamline operation and minimize training time.

From Conventional to Compact Truck Rig

With more than four decades in drilling, White acknowledges switching from a conventional rig to the 3100GT was simple.

“I’ve run conventional mud rotary and air rotary rigs for 41 years, and it’s really not bad to get used to drilling on the other side of the rig,” White said. “Plus I don’t need a truck and trailer to haul it, and we can get into smaller spaces.”

All the Power, None of the Hassle

Compact yet capable, the Geoprobe^® 3100GT truck rig gives OWN Inc. the performance they need without the logistical headaches.

“It’s everything we ever want or need compacted into one truck-mounted rig,” White said.