I would just like to get the general feeling from some people about leaving my cushy union job for a fuel tanker job... Stop laughing...
I have been with UPS Frieght for 1 year now started right off as a city driver. When the Teamsters came in, in March/April I joined and felt pretty secure even as I saw the layoffs and bumps begin to happen. Right after I hired on our barn hired at least 20 more behind me, so I was lucky enough to be in the top 90% once the Teamster came on board. Garanteed 40 hours a week, which is what I have been getting for the last three months unfotunatley they have been on the docks with 7 other city drivers the highest in senority being an 8 year guy, then two 5 year guys, one 3 year guy, two one plus year guys, and one guy who hired on the day after me. I have seen a 13 year road driver bumped to city driving. My questions lie with in the realm of reality and fantasy. the fantasy of spending 25 years with UPS Frieght and leaving with a nice pension plus my own savings, and the reality of our economy and plain and simple operating a business.
My supervisor has told me it will most likely be at least one year if not longer before I get back into a truck on a consistent basis, my concern with this is that in 8 years if I make it that long I will still be vunerable to being bumped back to the docks. while I am in decent shape and exercise regulary I must say dock work is extremely hard work not something I envision myself doing in my 50's.
This past month I have spoken with at least 10 fuel drivers around my town from various companies all of them said they love the job, all of them said you will make at least $50 grand your first year if not more. I noticed some of them were at least 60 years of age with one who looked to be in his early 70's he told me this is an old mans job you can do it for many many years. So the next step was to send out my resume and in two weeks I was turned down by 3 comapnies for lack of experience in fuel hauling no interview or any conversation at all just a plain thanks but no thanks call us when you get experience hauling fuel. However one company has taken the time to interview me and has told me they would train me to haul fuel, The termional manager has a LTL background and is understanding of my current situation. SOOOO am I crazy to try this??
My gut is telling me go for it it cant be any worse then my current situation especially if a year goes by and I don't get to drive and then get laid off, Already been two + months since I have driven..
Lay it on my folks the good the bad and the ugly.....
is this crazy to want to make this change?

Timberwolf

Fuel jobs are good jobs so I wouldnt call it crazy. Just remember with any good job nobody ever quits so life at the bottom can be rough sometimes. It seems the worst thing about fuel is the hours as they run pretty much 7/24/365. So the new guy will get the weekends and holidays for years. As for UPSF I think you will be OK in another year or two. Once the election is over and people adjust to fuel prices you'll get back in a truck. UPSF is and will continue to grow, especially as smaller LTL's start folding. Your working for the 800lb gorilla of freight and they will keep expanding. Whichever way you go you're going to have to stick with something. There will be good times and bad over a 20-30 year career.

I say go for the fuel job! Too many guys wait around for things at UPS hoping for the best and taking all the b.s. that comes with it. You will have a good job hauling fuel and a steady one at that! If you meet with a financial planner and invest ur savings wisely you can easily meet all ur retirement goals. Im 29 and single and I started contributing to my IRA at age 24 along with other investments. Never rely on someone else to provide ur retirement when you have the ability to invest in ur own future! I dont even have insurance at my current job and I am still able to provide for my retirement. I believe you will be much happier in a job that provides u more stability.

I hauled fuel for two years and then went on to upsf. I only quit the fuel thing because the hours got too hard with a new baby. Yes I was working nights, weekends, and holidays. After 6 months at upsf my boss from the fuel gig called and offered me a day shift and a weekend day off. I could not put my two weeks notice in fast enough at upsf. I love the job and it is very easy once you learn it. Pm me if you want to know more.

I pull chemical, but I talk to the fuel guys and 90% of them wouldn't pull anything else. Especially if you get one of the gigs that pays over $20 an hr.

Correct. And that is not all that difficult to find.

I got off of the phone a few minutes ago with the operations manager of the company that I work for.

I need to attend Security Awareness training for one hour on Thursday:

250 mile round trip in my (one week old) Toyota paid at .58 cents per mile. (and I said that I would never turn another wheel for CPM :lol

8 hours of straight pay for the 1 hour of training.

Regarding work Thursday evening? "Whatever you wanna do, it's up to you."

I wouldn't trade my fuel hauling job for anything.

Damn thats not too bad there 8)

They only pay us the empty miles (.34) if we have to drive our POV for work.

My dispatcher called me in today to get a load pumped off 2 miles down the road. I get there and they can't hold the product. So I get paid 8 hrs for 1 hr worth of work.

Yea I'm in the same boat as you. If I ever did leave it would be to a local fuel hauling gig. NOTHING BEATS YANKIN A TANK :twisted:

Off to Texas tomorrow.

Hmmmmmmm.


Timber...Have you asked around about a fuel gig? Do you have an idea as to what the pay rate in your area is?

There isn't anything "hard" about hauling gasoline. All you need to do is use your eyes.......read the labels......trace the hoses.....and read the labels again..before you ever open a valve.

The big thing about fuel is the stress. Yeah I know...the guys whom haul fuel in markets that are not as congested as others will say that there is no stress...but I assure you..after having done 16 years of hauling fuel in one of the countries most congested markets..there is plenty of stress...which is why I took the walk, when it was offered. Being in Florida...you are automatically in a "Congested" market. If you have a problem handling stress...fuel may not be the gig for you.

As has already been pointed out..there are some really good paying fuel gigs out there...but in order to get the good "$$" your gonna have to put in your time at the cheap-o hauler. Which means that you will spend plenty of time at the bottom of the boards...because if you get lucky, and do get a gig at say...BP..your gonna start on weekend night shitd..at "El Cheapo" then at BP.

Not trying to discourage you..just being realistic.

Thanks for all the reply's everyone.
I have done a fair amount of research on this paricular comany and the job requirements. The Company FRTL is strong and looks not to be going anywhere they are a subsidary of Patriot Holdings Inc. I talked with 3 of their drivers during my intial research and got two yeas and one nay, (fairly common in this industry) their equiptment looks fairly decent 02 to newer 6speed macks and 06/07 10 speed Freightliners. The pay rate is not to shabby, 4 to 6 weeks to train at $500 a week. Once you are on your own they give you 5 weeks of supplement pay while you begin slow starts at $500 a week plus your loads then progressively goes down a 100 a week. As I said all drivers I spoke with said you can easily make 50 grand. Right now at UPS freight I am at $19.18 and hour and have not seen any ot in the last 3 weeks, since union inception I have received a total of 23 hours Ot, this is for 3 months. Prior to the union I was getting 10 to 20 hours a week. Things have changed and I am not so sure it is for the better even moods have changed it is really strange but the air in this barn just seems so unhappy... Robotic if you will..
I would be driving nights in the Orlando area and East Coast FL from Daytona to Ft Pierce working weekends to start but within a year I will be able to get at least one weekend day off Fri/Sat or Sun/Mon so I am told. I also figure there are fewer idiots out at night so hopefully it will be easier to manage. My main concern is coming home alive, my wife is not to keen on this idea as the day I mentioned doing this type of work a tanker exploded on I75 south of Tampa, so getting her on board is important. As far as paying attention to detail I am not worried about that my parents gave me a great work ethic and most importantly common sense. So it seems as if it will be just a point of doing your job the same way every day, creating steps and sticking to them.

Hamboner my father is a retired Army colonel he helped me start my IRA in 1986 when I graduated from college I have been putting into it every year since then. I am one of the fortunate few who lives a very simple life when it comes to daily finacial reponsibilty, very low expenses and fairly decent cash flow. My wife is a GM and she brings home some decent cash.
Thanks again for all the replys and if I can get my wife to sign on I think I will make this change.

Timberwolf

Hmmm...have you ever driven in Orlando at night? That place is jammed 24/7...some of the worst traffic in the country is in Orlando. Lots of idiots in tricked-out cars and crotch rockets cutting you off. I've got family that live down there...Orlando is no picnic man no matter what time of day. Crime is pretty bad also. Lots of stick-ups and carjackings. You want to be delivering fuel at night in that area?

Sounds to me like you'll only be making more money by working more hours, which is OK I guess if that's what you really want to do. Personally, tho I'd find an hourly paying tanker job. The reason UPS isn't giving you overtime now is that the entire industry is slow so they've got to manage their expenses. Just like all these coolie carriers screaming at their drivers for idling the truck.

Have you looked at the total package? What about vacation and accrued personal time? Holiday pay? What does UPS charge for medical benefits vs the tanker outfit?