Truck Driving Jobs

Mr. Ford95 · #11 10-19-2014, 04:25 PM

Here's the trick for winter down here in VA, the dump trucks hire on with VDOT and do snow removal. If you have your own plow and slide in spreader, then you get around $120 an hour working or $80 sitting. Rainy days aren't always a complete waste, my company works in it normally. Gravel still needs hauling!

Biggest expense that will keep popping up is the pony axle tires always getting worn out quickest. I've seen drivers at the local tire shop once a month getting new pony's......or always picking up a flat from deliveries to construction sites. DOT is another expense that keeps on giving, they love to pull the rock haulers and put them on the portable scales around me. They know they can't get you for overweight so instead they go for the overaxle charge on you. For example, I'm legal out of the quarry at 12.5 tons, but I'm overweight on my rear axle at 7.5 tons. Quarry only worries about your overall weight not individual axles.

Depending on how much running your doing, on slow days, shut the truck off and save on your fuel bill. The quarries here have a little shed/house where the quarry haulers can chill out while waiting for the next run.

Hauler · #12 10-20-2014, 01:51 AM

Thanks for the winter tip. That does sound like a great idea and something to invest in. What do you mean by $80/hr sitting? Sorry rookie questions here...

I've read that tires run average of $400/ea. I thought pony tires are mostly when riding heavy on straight runs,why would those get worn out quicker than others?

Thanks for the feedback.

Mackman · #13 10-20-2014, 03:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hauler

Thanks for the winter tip. That does sound like a great idea and something to invest in. What do you mean by $80/hr sitting? Sorry rookie questions here...

I've read that tires run average of $400/ea. I thought pony tires are mostly when riding heavy on straight runs,why would those get worn out quicker than others?

Thanks for the feedback.

If you do snow work for Penndot they pay the same rate the whole time. Sitting or plowing..

Where about in philly are you?? Im South of philly right at the Delaware county/ Chester county line on rt1 in glen mills. I used to work for hanson out of glen mills and sometimes hauled out of the downingtown quarry as well.

Bigmon · #14 10-20-2014, 02:15 PM

Do you guys that do PennDOT or VDOT get paid on time? here in MA some people said it took 9-12 months to get paid.

Hauler · #15 10-20-2014, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mackman

If you do snow work for Penndot they pay the same rate the whole time. Sitting or plowing..

Where about in philly are you?? Im South of philly right at the Delaware county/ Chester county line on rt1 in glen mills. I used to work for hanson out of glen mills and sometimes hauled out of the downingtown quarry as well.

I'm in the northeast, Cottman and blvd.. So pretty much between lower bucks and Montgomery co. Chester is a bit of a way but in reality it's around the corner. How is work in this area? I'd love to get a local perspective on the business and where to look into. Any insight would be great. I'm looking into getting started by March to not start in the slow season.

Mr. Ford95 · #16 10-20-2014, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigmon

Do you guys that do PennDOT or VDOT get paid on time? here in MA some people said it took 9-12 months to get paid.

VDOT is usually a few weeks before the check comes in. Are you direct with the state or work for someone else doing state pushing? Could be the boss holding the pay.....

Hauler, the lower pay in VA is if your sitting waiting to do something with the roads. If your out actually driving/spreading/pushing then you jump to the higher pay. Sounds like PA is different. As for the ponies wearing quicker......hard to say if its the driver who is the problem. Some don't pickup their ponies before making a tight turn so it really grinds on those tires. While loaded though they take serious abuse just going down the road. Those tires are single and aren't rated as high as your normal tandem tires. Some tandems are bigger tires than the pony's and can handle the stresses of rock hauling better. The pony's are just helper axles for your weight.

Bigmon · #17 10-20-2014, 11:18 PM

I don't do either. I was just curious about how quick other states pay.

[QUOTE=Mr. Ford95;532479]VDOT is usually a few weeks before the check comes in. Are you direct with the state or work for someone else doing state pushing? Could be the boss holding the pay.....

Hauler · #18 10-23-2014, 07:11 PM

Mackman, can you give me any insight on work or the outlook on dump truck business in the area? I hear winters are bad, and just starting, not plowing, I want to get an idea of how 'bad' it gets, especially after a snow storm.

Any contractors/quarries around me with good rates you can steer me towards?

My plan is to get started by March after the winter.

Thanks

Maniac · #19 10-24-2014, 08:29 PM

There is dump truck work in the Morrisville Pa area, just around the corner from your area, hauling dirt to the landfill, allways advertisiung in the TNT magazine for tri axles...........how the pay is I dont know BUT the landfill can be pretty bad, especially in the rain, lots of flat tires too.

Mr. Ford95 · #20 10-25-2014, 02:03 PM

YES Maniac, I had to do that last winter for about a week down here. Saw lots of little snakehead like pieces of metal sticking up all over the place. Did my best to avoid them and hoped for the best. Mucky.......ugh, hope you don't get stuck in that soupy watery mess. I go thru the same at the scrap yard when I haul junk steel, as the body raises and still has the weight of the load, got it in gear and moving forward to help alleviate a spin out. I don't have a locking diff so I have to be creative to not get stuck.