If you have your CDL, then your number one priority is to get trucking. The first year will fly by. Get through it without hitting things and getting tickets and the world of trucking will be your's.

You might want to consider bumping docks for the first year to hone your skills. After 100k or so miles then you can go bulk and start dealing with surge and the greater propensity for a rollover. Getting slammed by 45,000 lbs of sulfuric acid while trying to "find" a gear can be a bit unsettling.

In my 2-years I have done Dry Van, Tanker, and Flatbed. Dry Van was by far the "easiest" overall job.

Flatbedding is great with respect to getting in and out of shippers/consignees the little backing you do is greatly assisted by the increased visibility. The downside is chaining, strapping, and tarping. Especially the tarping in crappy weather. Percent of load pay has definite ups and downs. No pay for deadheading stinks, but keeping deadheads to an absolute minimum is in everyones best interest.

Tanks weren't bad. Pump offs and slinging 3" hoses were the only real "work." Consignee locations can also be a PITA - like why am I delivering a tankload of chemicals in what appears to be a residential area! Getting paid for the little things like PTI's, sleeping in that roomy truck, and all the other hourly things are a bonus. But, at Superior you will do a lot of deadheading at 34-cents a mile. The man giveth and taketh.

The pay schemes at every company are well thought out. What looks like a gimme in one part of the pay package is offset somewhere else. Don't get me wrong, Superior is super place to work. The health insurance is so affordable. A hassle free workplace.

The terminal dispatch system leaves a lot to be desired and is ripe for abuses through cronyism and favoritism. Supposedly, there are controls in place to monitor/prevent such abuses, but people will be people.

Getting on with Superior as greenhorn would definitely be a jumpstart to a trucking career. But, you need experience and presumably a paycheck. The dream job will eventually come, and will also eventually become just a job. Personally, I am kind of into trucking for nuances and adventure. I want to pull super oversized loads, high explosives, nuclear waste, run the ALCAN. Ya know, keep it interesting - otherwise it becomes just a job.

In conclusion, I can't say a bad word about Superior or anyone I worked with while I was there.

Good post MBA. When Superior told me they couldn't put me in a tanker I made a lot of phone calls and did some more research. I've got two Van companies lined up if I have to.

But the first year pay is fairly low, with a nice increase after that. Besides being a good company to work for long term, Superior doesn't put their first year drivers through that low pay period. Being a rookie, I like the sounds of that.

If I can't wrangle my way into a tanker I'll go ahead and start my career in a van because like you say, I need the experience and a pay check, even if it is a tad small.

pd

I don't know anything about this opportunity but I thought I would pass it along.


Recent Graduates of Truck Driving School, Tanker Positions (Hiring in Atlanta & within 90 mi. radius) Paid Training, Paid Orientation, Tuition Reimbursement. Out for 10-14 days with 2-3 days off. Excellent miles. Great starting pay with quick pay increases, plus accessorial pays (paid on everything you do). Full Benefits. NO fuel hauling. Must be willing to get tanker and hazmat endorsements and company "will reimburse up to $100 for the cost of hazmat assessment". Must have graduated driving school within the past 90 days. Email resume or response or call 770-528-9619 for more information. Reply to: [email protected]

Thanks for the info Holeshot. I called them - they're recruiting for CTL and are starting the drivers out at .30/mile. I know they are a pretty good company but I'm hoping I can get on somewhere at a better pay rate than that.

pd wrote:If you go with CTL the learning experience can be more valuable by learning properly from the start how to handle a tank. True, their pay package is not stellar. However (and I'm sure a very good friend of mine here will agree.........Skywalker lol), CTL will teach you the right way to handle one of these beasts. And though their pay package sucks compared to many other tank companies, it still beats the hell out of a van/reefer/flatbed outfit that pays virtually nothing at all for accessories (besides flats and tarping)! Stay safe and best of luck to you

:wink:

What does CTL stand for?

If I remember correctly... Chemical Tank Lines.

But more affectionately... Cutthroat Tank Lines, Cheap Tank Lines :lol:

Thanks Cyanide. Having read all of your posts I planned to start my trucking career pulling tanks, but the first year pay with all of the tanker companies that will take students is so low that I'd started to reconsider that plan. Superior is of course the one exception to this rule, and from all I've heard, it's a great company to work with. But they couldn't find me a truck!

Well, as it turns out they just may have found an opening for me. I'm assuming you would agree that their training would be topnotch as well. In my mind, excellent training AND better pay with a good company is the best of all worlds.

It's far from a done deal but I have high hopes that it will work out. Thanks to you, Skywalker, BHG and wsyrob for all the informative posts.

pd I'm glad I could help somehow. Yes, I would say our training is top-notch but it IMHO is geared more towards an experienced driver, whereas CTL and Schneider are more of the chemical-industry training outfits. If you can't get on with us then I would strongly suggest either of those two just because of the general knowledge you would obtain. Superior isn't going anywhere and will be here waiting if you decide you still want to come here later down the road. A chemical tank is a chemical tank; the primary difference is how companies handle initial training, pay policies, and paperwork, and also the different unloading equipment (some use a PTO-shaft pump on the trucks, some use a HydraPak pump system). Nonetheless, already having chem tank experience is a big plus if you go to switch companies as well. Sorry for rambling.... :lol:

A few more days off...
 

Got in Wednesday night and figured I'd update this again while my son's in school. Just taking off down here in Florida until next Friday or Saturday, so if any of y'all are through Jacksonville say hi! Just waiting for next month once school's out, and then the real fun will begin! :D

Week 18
-Valparaiso, IN (hook preloaded tank)
-Valpo, IN to Huntsville, AL (customer unload)
-Huntsville, AL to Valpo, IN (drop dirty tank, hook preloaded tank)
-----Valpo, IN to Westville, IN (drop loaded tank, hook preloaded tank)
-Westville, IN to Huntsville, AL (customer unload)
-Huntsville, AL to Valpo, IN (drop dirty tank)
Gross: $3,191.08
Miles: 2,244
Avg.: $1.422/mile

Superior Carriers, (Dedicated Account) Independent Contractor Totals, January 01 to May 04, 2008:
Gross Revenue: $49,131.25
Hub Miles: 38,409 (ALL ODOMETER miles off-duty and on-duty.)
Loaded Miles: 20,990 (55%)
Empty Miles: 17,419 (45%)
Avg. Revenue: $1.279/mile
Total expenses: $31,358.25 ($9,693.95 Fixed and Variable Costs, $21,664.30 Fuel for 6,238.211 gallons.....6.157 m.p.g. and $3.472/gallon)
Taxable Net: $17,773.00
Avg. Taxable Net: .462/hub mile
Days Working: 74 (59%)
Days Off: 51 (41%)

Compared to what I did as a company driver...

Superior Carriers, Company Driver (July 31, 2006 to Oct. 07, 2007)
Gross Pay: $61,343.70 (All mileage pay, training pay, orientation pay, hourly pay, holiday pay, personal day pay, vacation pay)
Hub miles: 115,898 (ALL ODOMETER miles off-duty and on-duty.)
Avg.: .529/mile
Days Working: 318 (72%)
Days Off: 124 (28%)

Superior Carriers, (Dedicated Account) I/C Totals, Oct. 08, 2007 to May 04, 2008:
Gross Revenue: $80,935.03
Hub Miles: 66,087 (ALL ODOMETER miles off-duty and on-duty.)
Loaded Miles: 35,807 (54%)
Empty Miles: 30,280 (46%)
Avg. Revenue: $1.224/mile
Total expenses: $49,852.18 ($15,617.31 Fixed/Variable Costs, $36,203.87 Fuel for 10,794.251 gallons.....6.122 m.p.g. and $3.353/gallon)
Taxable Net: $31,082.85
Avg. Taxable Net: .47/hub mile
Days Working: 126 (60%)
Days Off: 84 (40%)

:wink:

Some different info next post...