I chatted with an OO from Michigan a few days ago. 28 yrs driving, 12 as an OO. He's a Landstar contractor, and loving it. Has a late model Pete almost paid off already, said his longest day is 8 hrs, gets to pick and choose his loads, doesn't get hassled if he decides to go fishing or golfing for a week and let the rig set...and he's close to retirement, he's made his money, just getting a few more years in before hanging it up and spending lots of time with his sweetheart.

Averages 4800 gross a week, said 3100 after all expenses and dicking around are taken out.


Sounds like a blast to me, however I have to remember this is a 28 yr driver with experience that is priceless.

Some folks have business savvy and others don't, this guy apparently has alot if it

They dont pay very well for that kind of work, Do they!?

True indeed! Please remember those starting pay rates are for drivers that have no prior tank experience. I also know that Bynum will start an experienced tanker-yanker higher than a regular driver. But, also remember that in food-grade several companies (mine included) have it the easiest. Being said, we as drivers do only that...drive to the shipper or receiver, weigh in, and pull or back into a bay. We absolutely deal with no involvement of physically loading/unloading, and our freight/customers don't usually entail long waits, not to mention are pleasant to deal with.

Job satisfaction plays a major role in being successful and happy doing this occupation. There's much more to it than the money aspect. Many drivers I encounter in this realm of trucking are 20+ years older than I and have been around the block many times over. There's an overwhelming, unanimous agreement that this is the best kept secret in the business. Having consistent, long runs and being able to, over the course of a year, legally run many less trips but with more miles than the usual company driver freight-hauler (not to mention a very relaxed, laid-back work environment with much less b.s.). This makes it very attractive to a driver who doesn't feel the need or want to make a sky-high c.p.m. figure and doesn't want to do short-to-medium length runs. Once again, it's not always about the money...

Our customer base is so small here that you could almost call it dedicated. Once you've been with a company several months to a year you quickly learn the freight system, and can accurately predict where you'll pick-up and deliver to. As for my company, there aren't many customers remaining that I haven't been to! The other nice thing is that many of our customers have no issues with us showing up early to get unloaded, much less parking at their facility and staying overnight. Dairy (milk/cream) and eggs are outstanding in this regard! Almost every run I do is scheduled the day after I actually arrived to unload and have entered in my journal here and on the other site...

Now here's a touchy issue for many but I have to mention it (not trying to insult anyone's intelligence or start an argument either so no offense is meant by it). Being that many companies pay per diem helps out with the actual bring home each payday vice waiting until tax time to get it back (I know many who hate it, I personally like it). In a nutshell this means that true, a per diem driver will make much less gross income than a straight rate driver, but depending upon how great the difference is in pay rate, can actually bring home the same or more each payday, but will bring in less at tax time!

Let's do a comparison for fun :roll:. Let's say that I was a driver with two years experience and decided to go along these different options for companies...Shaffer where I'd be making .38 to start (my former high-paying employer of a couple years ago who currently advertise that drivers are averaging 121,400 miles and $53,800 annually...hey, that works out to .443), Heartland Express .435 (including bonus), Bynum .28 (.07 per diem), and then we'll use two sets of numbers for here at Aartman to see the difference (first will be set as a newly hired driver who will only take 75 days off annually, compared to my 88 days for the per diem allowance). We'll use the averages for mileage of 122,000 for the high payers, and 140,000 for Bynum and the "new" Aartman driver, and my figures from the past year. We're going to take into account that all things will be equal as to say this will be based upon mileage and milage bonus only. That no extra stops or unloading will be done for the two freight companies, no cash advances will be taken out, no insurance is being purchased by the driver, no 401k contributions are being made, and the tax rate is 25%. Figures will be rounded up/down when necessary. Here we go....

Heartland Express
122,000 x .435 = $53,070 Gross
$53,070 - 13,268 = $39,802 Net

Shaffer/Crete
122,000 x .38 = $46,360 + $200 quarterly bonus (averaging quarterly mileage against bonus program requirements) = $46,560 Gross
$46,560 - 11,590 = $34,770 Net

Jim Aartman (using new hire figure first)
140,000 x .33 = $46,200 Gross
290 Days x $41 = $11,890 Per Diem
$46,200 - 11,890 = $34,310 Adjusted Gross
$34,310 - 8,578 = $25,732
$25,732 + 11,890 = $37,622 Net

(now with my stats)
$45,277 Total mileage pay (went through old pay scale with two raises)
277 Days x $41 = 11,357 Per Diem
$45,277 - 11,357 = $33,920 Adjusted Gross
$33,920 - 8,480 = $25,440
$25,440 + 11,357 = $36,797 Net

Bynum
140,000 x .21 = $29,400 Gross
140,000 x .07 = $9,800 Per Diem
$29,400 - 7,350 = $22,050
$22,250 + 9,800 = $31,850

We all know that these numbers can be adjusted up or down, but from personal experience I ran 118,045 miles my first year at Shaffer and when I left them was on pace for maybe 110,000 my second year :shock:! I do know drivers there who had no problem getting 130,000 miles annually, but it was not the average or norm. In food-grade 140,000 miles annually is not hard to achieve, and many drivers get upwards and above 150,000.

Basically it still all boils down to what works for one individual will not work out for another, based upon needs and wants :wink:...

This is a great post. Top notch outstanding info , thank you.

I have a few questions however.

I went to Aartmans page and not a whole lot of info there about some things.

I live in Northwest Iowa on the border of Nebraska, South Dakota and Iowa, in Sioux City. Where is it that you live? Do you think I would have much shot at getting hired on living in this area? I have relatives and grew up in Southern Cal and wouldnt be too awfully opposed to having to change domicile.

My experience is from 1992 until 2000 I drove mainly over the road. In 2000 I went to work for a Local Asphalt Company and have been there now 5 years driving a semi pulling a side dump, belly dump and asphalt tanker. Do you think my OTR experience would be enough for them or does it get washed out by 5 years local?

What really intrigues me about your posts are the very nice long hauls from Fla to Ca. My goodness if I could just do that every day I wouldnt really want to get home heh.

Any way it really looks very appealing to me and wanted to get your thoughts on my chances of employment with Aartman. I have pretty much decided that this will be my last season in construction and long for the big road once again after all this city traffic.

Thanks again for the outstanding posts.

Hey there James!

Where the webpage doesn't give answers, I do :wink:... The area you live in is actually good, and your experience should slide you right in if you want to come here. We pull LOTS of eggs outta Iowa (Rembrandt and Thompson). Mind you though, those runs can be fast-paced, and many drivers don't like doing them because you have to run 11-10-11-10 to get them to California. However, once you get unloaded you're going to have the next day off anyway to rest up. Again, you'd have no problem getting hired from where you're at now, and especially not if in SoCal.

Our main freight lanes for drivers running off the California board are I-80, I-40, and occasionally I-10, the last one only if you happen to run a load south. We don't run I-70, and of course are paid to run via Salt Lake City when going to/coming from the Midwest from/to SoCal. A small note of interest, our miles are paid using P.C. Miler Practical Route ! It's nice knowing that what I actually drive, I'm getting accurately paid for.

Technically, I live in Florida but split my time off between there and Indiana with family and friends. I also tend to take a day here, day there in California also. They're very flexible with your time off, provided you stay within reason, and pick-up/deliver your loads on time. You can scour my posts and see that from the amount of time I take off.

As for the long hauls, yep, we have plenty of them. Theoretically, someone living in California or the Midwest could run back and forth between there almost exclusively, which would keep you around an average trip length of 2,000 miles. You could almost never go to Florida, unless there were no Midwest stuff available, and then you'd run south and work your way into Florida then for one of the really long runs!

As for our equipment, you can click on the links and see what we run (we also have a few older International 9200's and Western Star 4964's, but they're very few and far between). Our trucks are serviced every 15,000 miles, and the trucks are all spec'd the same...

-Cat C-12/C-13 set at 430 h.p./1650 ft.lb. torque.
-10-speed trans., 3.70 ratio (Petes are 3.56, new KW's are 3.36).
-75 m.p.h.
-Sleeper sizes: T-800 and 9200 72", Columbia 70", 379 63", Western Star 50" (All single bunks).
-Jake brake.
-Fixed fifth wheel.
-Cruise control.
-Tilt/telescoping steering wheel.
-AM/FM/CD/Sat radio ready receiver.

Anyway, if you need contact info shoot me a p.m. and I'll give ya the man to talk with. Please feel free to ask any questions you have about the company, loads, equipment, etc. Be safe .

This is a great and informative thread, especially for this noobie who is information hungry.
Kudos to you, Cyanide.

Quick update for y'all...

Hey everybody, hope this finds all well. I had a pretty good vacation myself, and figured I'd better get back to work! Been fairly busy the last couple of weeks. Will be taking off a few more days later next week after returning to the Midwest on this next load. Meant to tell y'all that anyone wanting to contact me needs to shoot me an email when I'm out here on the road. I have no computer with me, and am presently using a t/s computer kiosk!!! Anyway, here's what I've done since vacation.

Week 27:
Vacation.

Week 28:
-Braselton, GA to Jacksonville, FL (tank wash), then to Blackshear, GA for load to Ripon, CA (477 empty-2,652 loaded=3,129 total.....washout and live load 07-11/0700-0845, Drop & Hook 07-14). Took the 15th off in Ripon.
End of week total: 3,129 miles.

Week 29:
-Ripon, CA to Hilmar, CA for load going to Greenwood, WI (29 empty-2,155 loaded=2,184 total.....washout and live load 07-16/0325-0435, live unload and washout 07-19/0600-0700).
-Greenwood, WI to Farina, IL for load going to Las Vegas, NV (513 empty-1,839 loaded=2,352 total.....washout and live load 07-20/0600-0840, live unload 07-22/1110-1300).
End of week total: 4,536 miles.

Here's what I'm planned for next once I leave Vegas (dadgum 34 hour reset I tell ya :roll...

Week 30 (subject to change, will correct if necessary):
-Las Vegas, NV to Tulare, CA (tank wash), then to Tipton, CA for load going to Stockton, IL (360 empty-2,079 loaded=2,439 total.....scheduled to washout and live load 07-24, scheduled to unload 07-27).
End of week total: 2,439 miles.


2005 Totals (will adjust as necessary)
Miles: 84,175
Loads: 41 (82)
Live Loads/Unloads: 69 (84%)
Drop and Hooks: 13 (16%)
Length of Haul: 2,053 miles
Days Working: 149
Days Off: 54

Y'all be safe and have fun :wink:.

Thanks for that post, Maybe when I get good in a couple of years I might try that tank thing.

What's up!

Hey everyone, how are y'all doing! Well I hope. I've just been out there running my miles and working out as usual. I did enjoy the fact of being able to see Malevolent Creation on vacation, and then twice again after I'd left out . I reckon I should get this caught up so I can move on to the holiday weekend. Let's see now, where'd I leave off at...

Week 30:
-Las Vegas, NV to Tulare, CA (tank wash), then to Tipton, CA for load going to Stockton, IL (360 empty-2,079 loaded=2,439 total.....washout and live load 07-24/0135-0250, live unload and washout 07-27/1300-1500). Then took a few days off in Fair Oaks.
End of week total: 2,439 miles.

Week 31:
-Stockton IL to Fair Oaks, IN (swap tanks), then to Neosho, MO for load going to Norco, CA (792 empty-1,513 loaded=2,305 total.....washout and live load 08-02/0730-1030, Drop and Hook 08-04).
End of week total: 2,305 miles.

Week 32:
-Norco, CA to Chino, CA (tank wash), then to Tipton, CA for load going to Stockton, IL (215 empty-2,079 loaded= 2,294 total.....washout and live load 08-05/2100-2250, live load and washout 08-09/1245-1500).
-Stockton, IL to Neosho, MO for load going to Vernon, CA (634 empty-1,548 loaded=2,182 total.....washout and live load 08-11/0515-0745, live unload 08-13/0600-0950).
End of week total: 4,476 miles.

Week 33:
-Vernon, CA to Chino, CA (tank wash), then to Tipton, CA for load going to Waupun, WI (250 empty-2,228 loaded=2,478 total.....washout and live load 08-15/0300-0500, live load and washout 08-18/0145-0305).
-Waupun, WI to Fair Oaks, IN for load going to Braselton, GA (237 empty-685 loaded=922 total.....live load 08-19/0445-0515, live unload and washout 08-20/1450-1700).
End of week total: 3,400 miles.

Week 34:
-Braselton, GA to Blackshear, GA for load going to Ripon, CA (285 empty-2,652 loaded=2,937 total.....washout and live load 08-22/0600-0825, Drop and Hook 08-25).
End of week total: 2,937 miles.

Week 35:
-Ripon, CA to Hilmar, CA for load going to Greenwood, WI (29 empty-2,155 loaded=2,184 total.....washout and live load 08-26/0745-0950, live unload and washout 08-30/0430-0530).
-Greenwood, WI to Fair Oaks, IN for load going to Winter Haven, FL (384 empty-1,121 loaded=1,505 total.....Drop and Hook 08-30, live unload and washout 09-01/0650-0835). From there back to the house where I now am enjoying the next few days off til I get back at it on Thursday .
End of week total: 3,689 miles.

2005 Totals (with leaving out 09-08 )
Miles: 100,982
Loads: 49 (98 )
Live Loads/Unloads: 82 (84%)
Drop and Hooks: 16 (16%)
Length of Haul: 2,061 miles
Days Working: 185
Days Off: 65

If everything stays as scheduled, I'll reload sometime Thursday in Ft. Pierce, FL and head back out to Turlock , CA...my figures will look something like this(add 156 empty miles and 2,843 loaded for 2,999 total):
Miles: 103,981
Loads: 50 (100)
Live Loads/Unloads: 83 (83%)
Drop and Hooks: 17 (17%)
Length of Haul: 2,080 miles

Y'all be safe and have fun :wink:...

Nice Writeup and tons of good Info in general on this thread!

Thanks for taking the time to let us know whats up!