There is no single school or apprenticeship that leads directly into horizontal directional drilling. That is one reason people often ask how to become a directional driller in the first place.
Many people find the trade by accident. They start around underground construction, pipe installation, excavation, or equipment. Then they see a directional drill working and realize there is an entire specialty built around putting pipe underground without opening a trench from one end to the other.
That is close to how Atlas Group found the industry. Kyler Woody first encountered directional drilling while working on waterline projects. After seeing a small drilling crew complete shots that other methods could not finish, he began learning the trade with help from an experienced mentor.
For people entering the industry today, the path can look different. However, most successful directional drillers still build their skills one step at a time.
There Is No Single Directional Drilling Career Path
Directional drilling has an unusual workforce problem. The industry needs skilled operators, but there is not a widely established training pipeline that produces experienced drillers.
Someone interested in welding can attend a welding program. Electricians have established apprenticeship paths. Equipment operators can find formal training programs.
Directional drilling does not have the same clear entry point.
Because of that, many people begin by working near a drill rather than operating one.
A new employee might start by:
- Helping a directional drilling crew
- Working around underground pipe installation
- Moving water and mixing drilling fluid
- Digging or preparing access points
- Assisting equipment operators
- Learning how pipe is assembled and installed
- Watching how the driller and locator communicate
The goal at that stage is not to rush toward the drill seat. It is to understand the work happening around it.
Start by Learning Underground Construction
If someone has no construction background, Atlas Group recommends learning the fundamentals first.
Working with a pipe crew can provide valuable experience. You begin to understand why pipe needs a certain depth, why cover matters, how utilities interact, and how a jobsite functions.
Safety also becomes much easier to understand when you have spent time around heavy equipment and excavation.
That background matters because a directional driller does not work in isolation. The operator needs to understand what is being installed and why the project was designed a certain way.
Someone who already has equipment experience may have a shorter learning curve.
Good equipment operators often develop a feel for what a machine is doing even when they cannot see the work directly. Directional drilling requires a similar ability.
The drill head is underground. There is no camera showing every rock, void, or soil change. An experienced operator learns to interpret what the machine is telling them.
Locating Can Be an Important Next Step
Many directional drilling careers move through locating before operating the drill full time.
The locator tracks the drill head underground and helps guide the bore. That means learning depth, grade, steering, beacon calibration, rod tracking, and communication with the driller.
Locating teaches you to think several steps ahead.
You learn that one steering decision can affect the next several rods. You also begin understanding how the bore develops underground instead of seeing the work only from the surface.
That knowledge becomes extremely valuable if you later move into the drill seat.
Pulling Pipe Can Help You Learn the Controls
Another common step is learning the drill while pulling pipe.
During pullback, an operator may not need to make the same steering decisions required during the pilot bore. Instead, the process can help a developing operator learn the machine controls and repetitive movements.
The employee learns how to handle rods, respond to the machine, and become comfortable in the seat.
Over time, an experienced operator may allow that person to take on an easier shot.
The progression is gradual for a reason. Directional drilling equipment is expensive, and mistakes can affect utilities, property, pipe, and entire projects.
Why Learning Directional Drilling Takes Time
Traditionally, developing a new driller can take a year and a half or longer.
Part of the challenge is finding appropriate projects for training.
Experienced contractors often handle work where there is little room for error. A complicated river crossing, rock bore, or utility-heavy project is not the place for someone to learn basic controls.
Smaller and less complex projects provide better opportunities to build experience.
The consequences also increase with equipment size. A mistake on a small machine may damage a relatively inexpensive tool. A similar mistake with a much larger rig can become extremely costly.
That is why the career path usually builds from smaller responsibilities toward more technical work.
Atlas Group Is Investing in a Different Training Approach
Atlas Group has invested in directional drilling simulation technology to help shorten part of that learning curve.
The system allows people to practice drill operation and locating without risking production equipment or an active project.
The goal is not to replace field experience. Judgment still comes from real work.
However, simulation can help teach controls, terminology, locating procedures, and communication before someone reaches the jobsite.
A developing employee can learn what switches and controls do. They can practice locating. They can also work with another person to understand how a driller and locator communicate.
That creates a safer place to make early mistakes.
The Best Candidates Are Willing to Learn
Mechanical experience helps, but Atlas Group also looks for the right mindset.
The strongest candidates are usually curious, teachable, and willing to listen.
Someone does not need to pretend they already know everything. In fact, that attitude can become dangerous around heavy equipment.
Directional drilling requires constant learning. Ground conditions change. Equipment changes. Every project presents a different combination of obstacles.
Even experienced drillers continue learning from other operators.
That makes humility a useful career skill.
A Directional Drilling Career Can Keep Growing
There is no single endpoint once you become a driller.
The industry includes equipment ranging from small utility drills to extremely large rigs used for major crossings. Operators can continue developing more technical skills and taking on increasingly challenging projects.
You may also grow into locating, crew leadership, foreman responsibilities, estimating, training, or other areas of underground construction.
Atlas Group is always willing to talk with people interested in careers such as directional drill operator, operator, gas distribution tech, or foreman.
If you are trying to understand how to become a directional driller, the most important step is getting close to the work. Learn underground construction, listen to experienced crews, understand the equipment, and take opportunities to build skills as they become available.
Interested in a career with Atlas Group? View Open Positions or Contact Atlas Group to learn more about opportunities in directional drilling, gas distribution, equipment operation, and field leadership.