The Driller
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EQUIPMENT
  • SAFETY
  • VIDEOS
  • EDUCATION
  • SOURCEBOOK
  • EVENTS
  • SUBMIT
  • ABOUT
  • SIGN UP
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Water
  • Geothermal
  • Construction
  • Environmental
  • Mining
  • All Industry News
  • EQUIPMENT
  • Rigs & Heavy Equipment
  • Consumables
  • Pumps
  • Featured Products
  • VIDEOS
  • Newscast
  • Drill Talks
  • Ask Brock
  • Emerging Drillers
  • EDUCATION
  • Drilling Business Insights
  • Reference Desk
  • Sponsored Insights
  • EVENTS
  • Conferences & Demo Days
  • Newscast LIVE
  • SUBMIT
  • Drillers @Work
  • ABOUT
  • Contact
  • Advertise
The Driller
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
The Driller
  • NEWS
    • Water
    • Geothermal
    • Construction
    • Environmental
    • Mining
    • All Industry News
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EQUIPMENT
    • Rigs & Heavy Equipment
    • Consumables
    • Pumps
    • Featured Products
  • SAFETY
  • VIDEOS
    • Newscast
    • Drill Talks
    • Ask Brock
    • Emerging Drillers
  • EDUCATION
    • Drilling Business Insights
    • Reference Desk
    • Sponsored Insights
  • SOURCEBOOK
  • EVENTS
    • Conferences & Demo Days
    • Newscast LIVE
  • SUBMIT
    • Drillers @Work
  • ABOUT
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP

Remember When - and What It Means Today

By Howard "Porky" Cutter MGWC
January 1, 2005
Howard "Porky" Cutter's thoughts on pricing and the drilling industry

Comic books used to cost only $0.60.
Most people can't remember back as far as I do because they weren't around then. I can remember when comic books only were a dime. As our sons were growing up, comic books were $0.60 and then a $1. I quit buying them - mostly because our boys would run away with them and I didn't get to read them.

My grandfather thought paying a farm laborer $8 per day was far too much. He felt even $6 per day was excessive.

I can remember when it cost a nickel to play a record on a jukebox and the same to play the pinball machines. My dad wouldn't let me play either when the price went to a dime. Pay phones and pool tables were a dime. I think a package of chewing gum was a nickel.

Back in 1968, for Mothers' Day, we purchased Bess a new Simca four-door car with everything on it for $3,000. She and the boys drove it from Adel, Ga., to Enid, Okla., and back (2,000 total miles) on $35 worth of fuel. The same trip today would cost over $180 for fuel. Motels were $8 to $13 per night; motels today - forget it. They drove through Biloxi, Miss., soon after Hurricane Camille went though, and I remember the governor of Mississippi threatened to lock up anyone gouging the public by charging $1 per gallon for gasoline.

I remember a Tom's Peanut delivery truck operator in Louisiana telling his story about being overcharged for gas. He said he told his friend, the gas station owner, to put 20 gallons of gasoline in his truck. When he gave his friend a $20 bill, his friend thanked him. The peanut man said, “Whoa, wait a minute, I gave you a $20 bill.” To which the station owner replied, “That's right; gasoline is $1 per gallon.” The peanut man went to his truck, got his pistol and told his friend to give him back his $20 bill - and his friend did. The peanut man then told his friend to call the cops, tell them he stole his gasoline and drove off!

In 1954, when my dad was working for George E. Failing Co. and I requested a price quote for a new Failing CFD-2 (a 300 ft. rig) mounted on a new 3/4-ton Dodge power wagon with 100 feet of drill stem. The total price: $14,750. The equivalent today probably would cost in excess of $150,000. To buy a fully equipped rig today could cost upwards of $850,000.

Back then, we charged $400 for a 60-foot 4-inch well. That's about $6 per foot. What do drillers charge today? I know some who still will drill for $6.50 per foot.

I now have drilling businesses that often call me looking for experienced drillers. They are willing to pay an experienced driller with a CDL license as much as $13 per hour and let them work as much as 70 hours per week. I have said it before: A person with a CDL and an excellent driving record can earn $10 to $25 per hour, sit on his tail and only is allowed to drive (work) a maximum amount of hours of a 40 hour week. Why don't we have more young people wanting to be drillers? I think the above speaks for itself.

If we don't get well drilling and well service prices and salaries equal to today's standards, I suspect that in a few years, there won't be anyone who wants to work in the water well industry. Then eventually many small water well contractors will quit or go out of business. The only contractors left will be major large contractors charging a reasonable amount for their service and paying reasonable salaries.

Drilling contractors today should be changing with the times and charging for their expertise. After all, if it weren't for drillers, most people would not have safe water. Can anyone live without safe water? No!

In my foreign travels, I see people dying of illnesses caused from contaminated water. When we get those people safe water, they treat us royally. In third-world countries, people appreciate safe water - people in the U.S. expect it.

People don't realize the value of a well driller and safe water until there is no water. In reality, without us drillers, where would people be?
ND

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Howard cutter 200px
Howard "Porky" Cutter, MGWC, is a regular contributor to The Driller. For more Porky columns, visit www.thedriller.com/porky.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • geotechnical drilling rig

    6 Onsite Phrases Environmental Drillers Hate

    Here are six phrases that highlight common frustrations...
    Environmental Monitoring
    By: Jeff Garby
  • Wayne Nash

    Pipe Stuck? Common Causes and Solutions for Drillers

    If you have drilled for any length of time, sooner or...
    Opinions
    By: Wayne Nash
  • submersible pumps, water well pumps

    Selecting and Sizing Submersible Pump Cable

    This article helps pump installers and servicers decide...
    Markets
    By: Bob Pelikan
You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Subscribe For Free!
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • Manage My Preferences

The Driller Newscast: 21st Century Drillers | Part 1 DEMAND

The Driller Newscast: 21st Century Drillers | Part 1 DEMAND

The Driller Newscast: Coiled Tubing Drilling and the Future of Geothermal

The Driller Newscast: Coiled Tubing Drilling and the Future of Geothermal

The Driller Newscast: New York Geo Talks 2025 Conference with Hands-on Driller Education

The Driller Newscast: New York Geo Talks 2025 Conference with Hands-on Driller Education

The Driller Newscast, Episode 147: Global Geothermal Collaboration at NY-GEO 2025

The Driller Newscast, Episode 147: Global Geothermal Collaboration at NY-GEO 2025

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the The Driller audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of The Driller or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • demo of a DM450 drilling rig during a customer factory visit
    Sponsored byGeoprobe

    Built for You: Smarter Drill Rigs, Stronger Support, Bigger Opportunities

Popular Stories

MainPhotoTwoBrothers.jpg

Two Brothers' Journey Through the Drilling Industry

Tariffs

Tariffs Shake Up the Drilling Industry

AI and Drought Concerns

AI’s Growing Thirst for Water and Power

The Driller Classifieds

COMPRESSORS

EAST WEST MACHINERY & DRILLING IS BUYING AND SELLING AIR COMPRESSORS, AIR BOOSTERS, AIR ENDS & PARTS
Company: East West Machinery

DRILL RIGS

LOOKING FOR LATE MODEL TOPHEADS & DRILLTECH D25'S
Company: Spikes’s Rig Sales

DRILL RIG PARTS

MEETING DRILLERS NEEDS AROUND THE WORLD
Company: East West Machinery

ELEVATORS

SEMCO INC. PIPE ELEVATORS
Company: Semco Inc.

GROUTERS

GROUTING EQUIPMENT - GROUT PUMPS & GROUT HOSE REELS
Company: Geo-Loop Inc.

PUMP HOISTS

SEMCO INC. - BASIC PUMP HOISTS
Company: Semco Inc.

WELL PACKERS

LANSAS PRODUCTS - INFLATABLE WELL PACKERS
Company: Vanderlans Lansas Products

WELL SCREENS

WELL SCREENS & SLOTTED PIPE
Company: Alloy Screen Works

Products

Water Quality Engineering: Physical / Chemical Treatment Processes

Water Quality Engineering: Physical / Chemical Treatment Processes

By carefully explaining both the underlying theory and the underlying mathematics, this text enables readers to fully grasp the fundamentals of physical and chemical treatment processes for water and wastewater.

See More Products

Subscribe to The Driller Newscast

Related Articles

  • Porky's Hole Thoughts: Today's Drills vs. Yesterday's

    See More
  • Porky's Hole Thoughts: The Economy - As I See It

    See More
  • Porky's Hole Thoughts: Porky's Fun

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • M:\General Shared\__AEC Store Katie Z\AEC Store\Images\ND\new site\in-too-deep.gif

    In Too Deep: BP and the Drilling Race That Took it Down

See More Products

Events

View AllSubmit An Event
  • October 14, 2016

    Virginia Water Well Association's Fall Field Day 2016

    This year, we are looking forward to stepping back in time and seeing first-hand what it took to construct wells, tools and maintain them.
View AllSubmit An Event
×

Dig deeper into the drilling and water supply industry!

Build your knowledge with The Driller, covering the people, equipment and technologies across drilling markets.

SIGN UP NOW
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
    • Classifieds
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eNewsletters
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

The Driller
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
The Driller
  • NEWS
    • Water
    • Geothermal
    • Construction
    • Environmental
    • Mining
    • All Industry News
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EQUIPMENT
    • Rigs & Heavy Equipment
    • Consumables
    • Pumps
    • Featured Products
  • SAFETY
  • VIDEOS
    • Newscast
    • Drill Talks
    • Ask Brock
    • Emerging Drillers
  • EDUCATION
    • Drilling Business Insights
    • Reference Desk
    • Sponsored Insights
  • SOURCEBOOK
  • EVENTS
    • Conferences & Demo Days
    • Newscast LIVE
  • SUBMIT
    • Drillers @Work
  • ABOUT
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP