"Pee Wee" is short on temper and long on loyalty. When he doesn't get his way, this Midland native makes clear what he thinks in a hurry. But he has the respect of his elite crewmembers, who have been with him for years. He has even known three of them since grade school. Since they are the crew for the Daylight Tour, Pee Wee and his men are responsible for the majority of Big Dog Rig #28's regular maintenance, in addition to the everyday drilling duties of the rig. As a result he works himself and his crew at a breakneck pace. Standing just over five feet tall (hence the nickname), Pee Wee owns a home and likes to have his boys over on occasion for a beer and barbecue. He also enjoys spending time with his girlfriend, Ashley.
Gerald likes to tell people, "Of the world's top 10 badasses, I get Christmas cards from nine of 'em." This longtime roughneck can do just about anything on an oilrig. He's been working the oil fields for over 30 years and has been through several marriages. He is missing part of a finger as the result of an oilfield accident. Currently living in Odessa, Gerald is living with his wife Rose (whom he married on the show). He also prints his own t-shirts and drink cozies.
"Mack" has been Pee Wee's best friend since the fifth grade. Before they rode their American choppers to roadhouses together, they used to ride their BMX bikes with each other around the hood. A man of contradictions, Mack has a level of intelligence that is somewhat rare in the oilfield, but his flippant personality frustrates his superiors and keeps him from advancing on the rig. Meanwhile, he is a lady's man who lives at home with his mother and stepfather. He is fiercely loyal as a friend, co-worker and family member. He enjoys family get-togethers that usually come in the form of a good ol' Texas barbeque or an authentic Mexican fish fry. Mack, a convicted felon, gets his nickname from his estranged father.
Before coming to Big Dog Rig #28, Cheston had never seen an oilrig, let alone set foot on one. After a few weeks of roughnecking, he may decide he should have stayed in Dallas parking cars. He has a girlfriend back in Dallas and can't wait to get back there to marry her, that is if he survives working for Pee Wee.
Chuck has been around rigs for most of the years he's spent out of prison. There is nothing on a rig he can't do. With an encyclopedic knowledge of drilling rigs and a work ethic that knows no boundaries, Chuck will never be caught just sitting around. He's the first to teach a new hand and the last to leave a bar. He lost part of his right pinky finger while throwing chains. A convicted felon, Chuck seems to have conquered a meth addiction, but he still struggles with alcohol. He has two kids and lives with his parents.
At 53, Freddy Moore has been in the oil fields for 30 years. Originally from Virginia, he started out as a worm and worked his way up to chain hand, derrick man, driller and eventually tool pusher, which he has been for about a decade. Freddy began working for Big Dog four years ago and has been on Rig 28 for eight months. His most serious injury occurred when he was working as a driller. The rotating head on the drill got stuck and as the crew worked to get it out, the pressure released and shot all kinds of mud and dust into Freddy's eyes. He was temporarily blinded. The worst injury Freddy has ever witnessed occurred when a man got his arm stuck in the power tongs. The tongs ripped the man's arm from his body. Freddy enjoys working in the oil fields, for him, the rush of not knowing what he's going to drill into keeps him going every single day.
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