Cyanide

I was thinking about tanker driving after I attend school. Just how many times a day/week do u have to climb up top the tank? Is putting on the protective suit a daily occurrence or seldom done? According to your posts the farthest West u go is Tennessee. If I sign on with your sister company Carry Transport, Just how far West would they go? If u wanted as must home time as possible which division would u sign up for?

thanks

crunch

I saw one of those Volvos in Springfield a couple of weeks ago.

Crunchy you will get on the dome every time you hook up to a tank and anytime you are loading or unloading. I usually look on top for leaks en route but that doesn't require going all the way on top.

Rob

I got a bad knee. Would driving food stuffs around for Carry be any easier? I was kinda hoping it would all be hook and drop. hehe

thanks

crunch

I would think that this job would be very difficult with a bad knee,There are times when I have to get on top of the tank multiple times a day.

Crunchyknees wrote:You aren't going to find a 100% drop-and-hook tanker operation with any of the major players out here. Even with food-grade you still must climb up top and open/close the dome lid as necessary. Food-grade companies such as Carry, Foodliner, L.C.L., H.R. Ewell, etc. where the driver unloads the majority of the products can actually do more work than us chemical transporters. Trust me, my wife can testify to that! :wink:

Typically, I climb up on the tank several times a day:

1. When I hook a clean tank at a tankwash or terminal, I go up top to secure the dome, and make sure all of the washout caps are tight.

2. When the tank is finished being loaded, whether on the shippers property or off...depending on their rules...I go back up and double check the securement of all dome dogs and washout caps, and also make sure the valve on the "christmas tree is closed and the chicago fitting is on.

3. If I offload that same day....usually I will go up to either hook up the air or nitrogen line to "air off" the load, or will open the dome for a pump off. In some cases the bulk unloaders will do this. But when the unload is complete, I will still go up and make sure all is secure and tight.

4. If I am making a run that goes over night, after my ten hour break is over, and I reinspect the rig before moving....I go up on top to make sure everything is nice and tight. Vibration and temperature changes can cause things to loosen up a little.

5. Even if its a "drop and hook"....I am up and down the ladder to make sure everything is secure. I trust no-one....to do my job. I am ultimately responsible, and I make sure that everything is right before I move the truck and do enroute checks as required or needed.

As you can see...we are up and down a lot.

I think if you really have bad knees...if could be a difficult job for you. If you have problems walking on a narrow platform...and risk having a knee give out...as in its happened before....tanks may not be a good idea. While the compensation for pulling chemical tanks is very good in comparison...the reality is that it is a "safety sensitive" job...and you have to be able to climb up on the tank ladder and walk the platform, and be able to bend and tighten caps....the gratings (walkways) are rough and not nice on knees...I do it all standing up.

New Volvos...

Are limited in number and being assigned to the most productive drivers in the fleet (or at least are supposed to be) so that they can run the hell out of them and try to break them. Apparently Volvo has given us these trucks with a 5-year/500,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, and the company wants to see exactly how well they are concerning reliability and when something does break, how good that warranty truly is!

Anyway, just finishing up unloading here in Huntsville (nothing new there :P), and will update what I can now before heading back north. Y'all be safe and have fun...

Week 22
-Jacksonville, FL (hook clean tank)
-Jacksonville, FL to Savannah, GA (live load)
-Savannah, GA to Greenfield, IA (customer unload)
-Greenfield, IA to Westville, IN (drop dirty tank)
-----Westville, IN to Valparaiso, IN (hook preloaded tank)
-----Valparaiso, IN to Huntsville, AL (customer unload)
-----Huntsville, AL to Valpo, IN (drop dirty tank)
Gross: $4,095.75
Miles: 3,032
Avg.: $1.35/mile

Superior Carriers, (Dedicated Account) Independent Contractor Totals, January 01 to June 01, 2008:
Gross Revenue: $60,156.61
Hub Miles: 47,127 (ALL ODOMETER miles off-duty and on-duty.)
Loaded Miles: 25,632 (54%)
Empty Miles: 21,495 (46%)
Avg. Revenue: $1.276/mile
Total expenses: $39,359.17 ($12,410.65 Fixed and Variable Costs, $26,948.52 Fuel for 7,507.286 gallons.....6.277 m.p.g. and $3.589/gallon)
Taxable Net: $20,797.44
Avg. Taxable Net: .441/hub mile
Days Working: 89 (58%)
Days Off: 64 (42%)

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

Superior Carriers, Company Driver Aug. 05, 2006 to Oct. 07, 2007 (Training status July 31 to Aug. 4, 2006)
Gross Pay: $61,343.70 (All training pay, mileage 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 June 01, 2008:
Gross Revenue: $91,962.39
Hub Miles: 74,805 (ALL ODOMETER miles off-duty and on-duty.)
Loaded Miles: 40,449 (54%)
Empty Miles: 34,356 (46%)
Avg. Revenue: $1.229/mile
Total expenses: $59,822.10 ($18,334.16 Fixed/Variable Costs, $41,488.09 Fuel for 12,063.326 gallons.....6.201 m.p.g. and $3.439/gallon)
Taxable Net: $32,140.29
Avg. Taxable Net: .429/hub mile
Days Working: 141 (59%)
Days Off: 97 (41%)

:wink:

As for Baby Bullseye (Carry Transit), she ran locally pretty much all of last week and ended up grossing a little over $1,100 off of 600 or so miles! :shock: Believe you me, she ran her azz off and hustled hard doing all that local stuff! :lol:

Yea I did just miss you. I just got back from Wicklilffe KY, funny people down there. Dropped dirty tank at Kingsport, got loaded in Va. and have to deliver Monday in Revere Ma. Tuesday off to Cleveland and deadhead back. I think I'm going home on Wed. and make a long weekend of it. Not sure where I'm going next week, but I'll drop a note before then and see if your around.

Great check list there Rob !! A "slosh test" is in order to! Always nice to find out if a leak is in the works.

Damn...now you made my back ache !!! All that climbing you reminded my of !!

Stan...good point on the "slosh test"....I generally do one as well, and especially if the load is "Hazmat"....

My wife says since I started this job... "My buns are tighter"! :oops: :oops: 8) I guess its all that up and down on the ladder. 8)