DRY BULK is for the birds

[Mackman]

Well my short time doing dry bulk and i got to say i like it alot. Venezia is a alright company to work for but i HATE the hours. Everyday is a 14hr dayl. I do local cuz i want to have time to be home and see my girlfriend and hang out with my friends. All i got time for is to sleep and eat. I start one day at 2am the next at 4am dont get home till 4-6pm it sucks i aint used to this. I talked to a local guy(at venezia) that works 13-14 hrs a day and says he brings home around 600bucks a week :shock: that aint no money.

2marrow am going to talk to my driver manger and see what she can do about the hrs if she can cut them back am be willing to try to stick it out. If not am moving on (turing into a job hopper) But i learn one thing about this i will never work for cpm, % or by the ton. I think i need to go back to dump trucks or honey dippin.

[Skywalker]

I don't know where you are....but see if they have any local chemical tank runs....probably a better gig. Or if they have any semi-regional stuff. Chemical is far better... 8)

[TruckerChris]

I work 12-14hr local shifts 5 days a week and it's the night shift. I'm all alone and I don't get to see anybody during the week, but on the weekends the party is on! It's not too bad, the first month or so sucks but you get used to it...

[jegzus]

Welcome to the world of bulk delivery, especially bulk cement. Your time changes in starting time isn't bad at all. I can start at 6pm one night and 4 am the next. I work nights and don't find out what time I have to load until it's just about that time. My dispatchers call my house and tell my wife what time I have to load and she wakes me up.

And that guy you talked to is pretty much right on the money, you will average about 600 bucks bring home a week. Some will be better some will be worse. If it rains... be ready to have a short day and a small pay check, same if it is too hot. (ready mix plants are dead in 95+ temps)

My advice would be to ask to work nights, most loads you get at night are for precast places and are open 24/7 rain or shine. That's my advice to a new bulk hauler.

[obiedon]

The thing with dry bulk is some days are long and some are short. What I have learned is a short day = no $$ while a long day is usually good $$. It takes some getting used to, but for me I love it. I made over $60k my first full year which seems to be considerably more than the new OTR drivers are getting from what I've read on this site. Plus I get to sleep in my own bed every night.

[Mackman]

Hey jegzus you drive for silfies dont you. Keep your eye open for me day cab truck #699 am always up at keystone in bath and essoc <--- i think thats how it is spelled. and am always at that place camden getting slag. I saw that MAck rawhide truck you guys got all chromed out that thing is one bad son of a bit*h.

[Griff]

Well after 2 month's of running hard for Foodliner another bulk driver hang's it up. The bottom line there's just not enuff money in it been working 14hr's a day for chump change. It's the same old song and dance. Recruiter promises you the world then you get there it's far from that. Foodliner is basically a swift,jbhunt,england company in another form of trucking. They are very secretive about pay it's like pulling teeth to get detention or find out what the load pay's. So starting monday i'll be a surge runner pulling a tank at 24% gross to the truck in a flat top pete

[inmate1577]

Personally speaking, since trucking involves sitting on your arse most of the time, what percentage is actually.........work?

[Chris M]

I haven't found anything that pays close to hauling gas and home every night. You can make 48-50k a year (around here anyway) hauling gas and be in your own bed everynight.

Personally speaking, since trucking involves sitting on your arse most of the time, what percentage is actually.........work?

If I'm on the job and I'm waiting around (docks full, traffic, waiting on a load, paperwork, dispatch, waiting in line, etc) then plain and simple I'm gonna get paid. I won't sit around for free and consider it "off duty" or "sleeper berth" or whatever tricks drivers use to work endless hours. That's why clock time beats .cpm and % any way you slice it.

My uncle runs a successful residential concrete business: he builds and repairs driveways, steps, foundations - you name it. Imagine if he could get his workers to punch out as they waited for a mixer truck to pull up or for gravel to be delivered. That's exactly what over-the-road truckers do on a daily basis.

I never could, nor do I still see, the logic of donating one's time away that is so prevalent in OTR trucking. TIME=MONEY. You only get so much of it in this life. Don't fritter your time away in a fiberglass box.

[Kranky]

Personally speaking, since trucking involves sitting on your arse most of the time, what percentage is actually.........work?

If I'm on the job and I'm waiting around (docks full, traffic, waiting on a load, paperwork, dispatch, waiting in line, etc) then plain and simple I'm gonna get paid. I won't sit around for free and consider it "off duty" or "sleeper berth" or whatever tricks drivers use to work endless hours. That's why clock time beats .cpm and % any way you slice it.

My uncle runs a successful residential concrete business: he builds and repairs driveways, steps, foundations - you name it. Imagine if he could get his workers to punch out as they waited for a mixer truck to pull up or for gravel to be delivered. That's exactly what over-the-road truckers do on a daily basis.

I never could, nor do I still see, the logic of donating one's time away that is so prevalent in OTR trucking. TIME=MONEY. You only get so much of it in this life. Don't fritter your time away in a fiberglass box.

Amen, brother, Amen!!!!!!

[Mackman]

well said CFM like always

[doctorfillgood]

inmate1577 wrote / Personally speaking, since trucking involves sitting on your arse most of the time, what percentage is actually.........work?

if your in the trk your working load or no load your baby sitting company eqmpt your strageticaly sitting so if and when they decide to give you a load they got a trk sitting there if you say im not working i have no load and get out of the trk and walk away till they call you at home or what ever your going to get fired for not being on the job IE not in trk no load no job its work alright your just not geting payed is all :?