The process a subcontractor completes before starting work for a new client or general contractor. It typically includes submitting insurance, certifications, and banking details for payment setup. Delays in onboarding can push back mobilisation and hold up first invoices.
Onboarding
Related Terms
Loaded Wage Rate
WorkforceAn employee's base hourly wage plus all associated costs the employer bears, such as payroll taxes, benefits, and insurance. Subcontractors use this figure to accurately price labour when bidding jobs or building crew budgets. Billing clients only the base wage without loading costs is a common cause of margin loss.
Energy Workforce & Technology Council (ewtc)
WorkforceA U.S.-based industry association representing energy sector employers and workforce development initiatives. For subcontractors, it publishes training standards and competency frameworks used by operators to qualify field crews. Membership can signal credibility when bidding on contracts with major energy clients.
Load Ramp
WorkforceA gradual increase in work volume or crew deployment at the start of a project or contract. Subcontractors use load ramps to scale up equipment, labour, and invoicing in a controlled sequence. Understanding the ramp schedule helps avoid resource gaps and cash-flow shortfalls early in mobilisation.
Back Wages
WorkforceUnpaid earnings owed to workers for hours already worked. For subcontractors, this often arises from payroll errors, misclassification, or disputed overtime on remote job sites. Unresolved back wage claims can trigger labour audits and project holdbacks.
Load Forecast
WorkforceA projection of anticipated workload volume over a set period, used to plan crew levels and equipment needs. Subcontractors rely on load forecasts to avoid understaffing during peak demand or carrying idle workers in slow periods.
Geofencing
WorkforceA virtual boundary set around a job site that triggers automatic alerts when workers or equipment enter or leave. Subcontractors use it to verify on-site attendance, automate timekeeping, and support accurate billing. It also helps clients confirm crew deployment without manual check-ins.
Latest Workforce News
Pentagon Rebuild Offers Playbook for Compressed Heavy-Civil Schedules
Facilities Dive details how the Pentagon renovation team used short interval production scheduling and integrated project delivery to finish under budget and ahead of a shortened 10-year timeline. The approach offers lessons for today's fast-tracked heavy-civil rebuilds.
yesterdayWorkforceUntapped US Dams Could Add 15.2 TWh of Hydropower, Study Finds
A new Oak Ridge and Idaho National Laboratory study finds existing US dams could generate 15.2 terawatt-hours of additional power through retrofits, pointing to future licensing and construction work at non-powered dams.
yesterdayWorkforceOil and Gas Extraction Jobs Edge Up in August, BLS Data Shows
US oil and gas extraction employment rose from 114,700 in July to 114,900 in August, a rare month-over-month gain that Rigzone notes has only happened three times in the past decade.
4 days agoWorkforceData Center Boom Strains Labor Pool, Squeezes Subcontractors
ENR's Top 400 report shows telecommunications and data center revenue up 86% as contractors warn labor shortages and cost volatility are outpacing hiring, forcing subcontractors to weigh chasing AI infrastructure work against existing client commitments.
9 days agoRelated Guides
How to Hire and Retain Field Workers Without Raising Pay: The Complete Guide
Losing crew to competitors over small pay differences? Struggling to hire in a tight labor market? Here are the recruiting, onboarding, and non-wage retention strategies that actually keep oilfield and construction field workers from walking.
Workforce GuideWhen Your Crew's Behaviour Becomes a Business Problem: Managing Field Conduct on Active Subcontracts
What subcontractors are liable for when field personnel create conflict on a GC-managed site, and how to protect your contracts before it becomes a termination issue.
Workforce GuideHow to Get Your First Oilfield Job: A Practical Guide for Tradespeople and CDL Holders
No oilfield experience? No problem. Learn which certifications, service lines, and job boards actually get tradespeople and CDL holders hired.
Stay sharp on field operations
Industry news and insights, delivered to your inbox.
Subscribe to FieldNews
