Ok. I've been trying to get on with a local fuel company here in the Tampa, FL area since before Thanksgiving. I have one small company who's been telling me that I have the job but they've been dragging their feet since early December. The guy keeps telling me one excuse after another like his boss hasn't had time to go over the paperwork, etc.

I have put in applications with numerous fuel companies but to no avail. I put one in with FL Rock and have left at least a dozen messages but those fools just don't return calls. I've called the local terminal and talked to one of the managers there who said he'd get back to me later that day. Guess what. No call.

So, to make a long story short, I've run out of time and am now at the point that I'm going to probably have to go back over the road but if I'm going to do that I want to get a job that will eventually help me get a local fuel job so that means I want to drive for a tanker company.

I had an interview with Martin Transport on Friday and it sounds pretty good but on another forum the only thing I can find on Martin is bad. I'm supposed to hear back on Tues or Wed about my application.

I talked to the local guy with Dana Companies here in Tampa also on Friday, put in the online app and will go see him on Monday to do a long form app.

I put in an online app with Cryogenic Transport today (Saturday) and will call them on Monday.

Carry Transport & Superior Carriers aren't hiring currently in the Tampa area.

Dillon says they're probalby going to be bringing on 1 or 2 drivers in the next couple weeks but nothing so far.

I called Indian River and they're hiring but they pay only .32/mile and don't pay for orientation, washout, etc. So, I'm not really interested in them. (I know, I'm being picky but if I'm going to go out on the road and away from my family then I want to at least make some decent $$ doing it.

I applied with and got an offer from Quality Carriers. I went and took a road test a few weeks back and did fine on that but that truck was an absolute piece of junk and the other trucks they had sitting there looked just as bad. I just didn't have a good feeling with these guys. They pay .35/loaded and .30 empty. No benefits at all, no 401k, no nothing. I was scheduled to go to orientation but called and declined. (Again, being picky maybe but it is what it is.)

There's a few other companies that I've contacted but none are hiring at the moment.

So, it boils down to Martin and Dana and maybe Cryogenic - depending on what they say. So, can anyone provide me with any insite to either of these companies?

Also, if anyone has any ideas on other companies I should check out that'll hire out of Tampa I'd love to hear about it.

Thanks in advance gang.

L

IF the martin Transport you are talking about there is based out of Kilgore TX...then you should find them a pretty decent company. I have talked with a lot of their drivers out of the Beaumont TX and Houston terminals...and none of them have ever had a bad thing to say about Martin.

Mike3fan is an O/O with Dana. Most of the Dana drivers that are true "company" drivers that I see are pretty happy. Ohiomohawk is a company driver for LTC, which is part of Dana. He might have some insight for you.

You might take a drive out to Lakeland and see what MILS has to say. They are the "Intermodal" side of Miller Transporters and pull both ISO containers and tankers. The drivers there at Lakeland are union...and have decent benefits. Calling out there won't do you any good. You will have to walk in the door to get the chance.


Miller Intermodal Logistics Services :: MILS


Drivers

http://www.mils3pl.com/about/locations.php

Tanking is good work. Good luck.

If you want tanker then aslo check out Bynum and Oakley in the Lakeland area, if you want box van then check out Heyl, they are in the lakeland area, they have a decent pay package and drivers seem to be happy. I have 2 years of OTR with food grade but only 10 months in the last 36 so Indian River and Bynum said no, Oakley offered me a job, their orientation is a week and they pay you for it, I was extremely lucky to get back on with Aartman/Ruan out of Ripon, CA this last week so I declined Oakley's offer. I was in the Fort Myers area and moved back to Cali for Ruan, the companies I listed above are hiring in Fl, if ya don't mind van work then I would sugest checking out Heyl...
Good luck

Thanks for the input guys. Orange, I wasn't aware of MILS so I'll head out there on Monday and see what's up. TYVM. I know that Miller closed their Auberndale terminal a couple years ago and for "Miller" you must live within about 75 miles of their terminals.

I called Bynum at one point but honestly can't remember what they told me - I didn't make a note on them for some reason. I'll give them a call Monday too. Oakley, well I didn't call Oakley because I'm actually allergic to something in the material that Volvo uses in their sleepers. I found that out when I went to work for Knight Trans a few years back. It was ugly. I just can't run OTR in a Volvo - simple as that and to my knowledge, Volvo is all that Oakley drives. Ruan is one of the companies that I put an app in with but haven't heard back from. They had a part time job opening - local work on a dedicated account that was supposed to turn into full time in March. I was hoping to hear back on that one actually. I'll call them too on Monday at the local terminal and see what's what.

Thanks again for the input. Would love to hear more if anyone has any other ideas.

Thanks,
L

Hey Luzon,
Have you tried SSI Petroleum out of Auburndale I think they are off of Rocker Road.
SSI Petroleum - Serving Florida Businesses With Quality Fuels & Lubricants For Over 45 Years.

I would tell you to be cautious of Florida Rock, the guys I talk to stay things are getting worse for them and the company is expecting all drivers to work 14 hour days on a consistent basis. In a year at Mansfield I have only worked two 14 hour days and less then 10, 12 hour days, for the most part they are 10 to 11 hours, today was 7.5 hours and I pulled 4 loads. Who is the manager you are talking to at the Tampa Terminal is it Bob McCray?
If FRTL is all you can get then take the job and let them train you and then move on after you have at least one year pulling with no incidents. They have a tendency to react very slowly, it took me two weeks of trying before I got answers back from them. Have you checked with Pipeline or Eagle yet? Eagle is big in the Orlando area and they hire and train drivers with no tanker experience, the drivers I know are not to happy with the company as the hire big and pull short.
Not so sure about Pipeline and their policies their guys seem to be happy and they contract with us at Mansfied to pull our product if we are unable to get to it. Pipeline just lost a truck and driver this past week due to some guy who lost control of his pickup truck and pushed the tanker off the road over by Cape Canaveral, so they may be tighten up on their hiring policies.
Also look into SunState Oil they are the other company that contracts out with Mansfield to pull our extras when needed.
SunState Oil Inc.
And last but not least look into B line Carriers out of Brooksville.
B Line Carriers Inc
1169 Culbreath Road
Brooksville, FL 34602-6022 map
Tampa-St Petersburg, FL Metro Area

Phone352) 754-5381

This last link is a list of fuel companies through out the state, start calling numbers and see what comes your way... Good Luck and keep me filled in..

Oil Fuel - FL

Timberwolf

Thanks Timberwolf. I was hoping you'd chime in.

I called B-Line but the guy to talk to, Jason, was gone for the day. I'll call them in the AM.

Left a message at SSI. No call back yet.

I left a message on Friday with Bynum and they called today and said they could get me into orientation on Wed. Frankly, they sounded desperate. When I asked about pay the guy was vague and evasive. Finally when I pinned him down he went over all the "perks" first. I finally dragged it out of him, .32/mile. The main kicker is that they want you out 3-4 weeks at a time. uugh. I realize that I may have to go OTR to get the tanker experience but 3-4 weeks? I've all but ruled them out.

Left a message for Cryogenic Tran but no call back yet.

I went over and talked to the guy with Dana and it sounds good actually. 10-14 days out but there's good chances to get back in town from time to time. The Savannah manager was there and he seemed like a nice guy too.

I'll start on that list you gave me. That's an awesome resource so thank you very much.

I'll keep y'all posted.

Appreciate it gang.

L

Luzon,
I have a buddy I worked with at FRTL who got the raw end of a bad deal with them and was let go as they told him he had a mix 8 weeks after it happend, (Ya right, it was a case of the good ole boys southern network in my opinion).. Regardless he was out of work for about a year and wanted to get on board at Mansfield when they came into Orlando. I told him he was welcome to try however since he had not driven in a year and Mansfield was looking for drivers to start up right away with no headaches they may not be so quick to look at his application. My advice to him was to take any job he could get regardless just to get back on the road driving, then once we had an opening I would do my best to get him on board. So he took a job with LCT and worked for them for 5 months when we got our first opening, I recomended him for the job and he has been with us kicking ass ever since, I quess I am telling you, you may just need to suck it up for a few months and deal with the BS to get the tank experience. You sound like you have your **** together and seem to be proactive so hopefully you will get picked up soon..
Keep me informed....

Timberwolf

Sorry to hear about QC. They mainly are all affiliate carriers and not company terminals. If I wasn't an O/O I wouldn't be here either.

I got a job offer from Linde up here and am considering it. I can sell my truck and pay off all my bills and be with a steady company, home everyday and fill benefits. Not too sure if I will like having a boss tho after 7yrs of being my own LOL

Also Luzon, have you talked to Schneider about a tanker position? I know they will hire out of Florida for tankers

You can try DB Trucking. They have trucks in Tampa. Not a very good company but they will probably hire you and in a year or two transfer over to one of the better companies. Telephone: 954-761-9997 * 800-451-5581 Good Luck!