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...

*Deleted and reposted*

I just wanted to give a +1 to Cyanide for all the great info.
a lot of people are just terrified of a tanker, and if i only talked to them i'd only drive a dry van.
But all the great input has opened me up to other options and possibilities in the trucking industry.

I pulled an orange box for just under 2 years, and I recently got a call from a chemical and waste tanker company with a local terminal. when I had to make a decision, i had a well thought out pro/con list that allowed me to accept the offer.

I think it's going to be a really good move and a great experience hauling chemicals. I've been with the company for about a week, and monday i'm set up to take a tank to the washout on my first solo run.

So far it all seems pretty straightforward. I think i'm a little anxious to get in the saddle, but i don't want to rush them. My new boss seems to be a bit tightly-wound.

But I wouldn't have made the move without all the great info on this board and all of Cy's prolific postings.

All I can say is don't fear the tanker.

Thanks Phreddo!

Please keep us posted on how things go for you there. If only more drivers shared your view regardless if they try tanks or not.. People build up this huge, terrifying fear of tankers without ever giving it a try due to hearsay and preconceived notions of how dangerous it is. I hope you find this to your enjoyment once you're solo, and that it is all you expect of it. BTW, who'd ya go with up there? Be safe and have fun!

:wink:

Dadgum slack-azz corn syrup transporter...
 

A little bit of info now concerning Carry Transit (and not all of it good, depending upon how you view it). Was told earlier in the week that Carry may be implementing a hiring freeze at several terminals very soon until further notice. It seems for the time being that just about all of their trucks are filled at certain yards. :shock:

And another note: Baby Bullseye and I went through all of her paperwork from last year and in a nutshell, she made some pretty decent change for the amount of work she did (or rather lack thereof).....just at $36,000 gross and, with 132 days off! I will admit though that unfortunately, almost five weeks of that said time off was due to two separate family emergencies. However, she was given no grief whatsoever being able to take that amount of time off to care for family needs.

She wanted me to pass along a warm "Hello" to everyone and as soon as she can get the time, she'll be stopping by to drop in on all the rest of us slackers again. Also, I'll be (occasionally) posting her numbers as I have done with mine. I can tell you this much for now though, up to May 11, 2008 she was at $15,871.86 gross and with 39 days off (according to her, her average week is around 1,900 miles and, since I share the time with her, home every weekend). I do have several of her settlement sheets here now, and I will share the basics of them (after being granted permission) :roll:. Please note these are varied by date between July 22, 2007 through May 11, 2008, and also that the lower pay weeks were during time off being taken. What, did you think that I'm the only one who slacks all of the time! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Gross: $497.30-----Miles: 1,335-----Avg.: .372/mile
Gross: $920.40-----Miles: 2,264-----Avg.: .406/mile
Gross:$1,461.80----Miles: 2,296-----Avg.: .636/mile
Gross: $720.00-----Miles: 320-------Avg.:$2.215/mile (No, that's not a misprint!)
Gross: $630.56-----Miles: 1,405-----Avg.: .448/mile
Gross: $481.80-----Miles: 993-------Avg.: .485/mile
Gross: $983.20-----Miles: 2,281-----Avg.: .431/mile
Gross: $539.90-----Miles: 1,314-----Avg.: .410/mile
Gross: $684.95-----Miles: 1,518-----Avg.: .451/mile
Gross:$1,092.60----Miles 2,255-----Avg.: .484/mile

Not too shabby considering that I dare say almost 95% of the loads she does are out-and-back, half loaded, half empty which would make her base mileage rate .35/mile (.40 loaded, .30 empty). Remember as well, she also runs more regionally in nature, whereas a true system driver (O.T.R.) will turn more miles and bounce between the company's terminal network wherever for loads much like Superior drivers. However, Carry drivers unload almost 100% of the products they transport, unlike Superior where the customer does much of it.

Finally, I'll refresh a point that I and others have made on here and on other boards over the years, accessory pay adds up and makes it nice when you don't have to worry about how many miles you can cram into a week! So I call bullschitt on any driver who says you can't make a good living turning lower miles, especially when you get paid for other job-related tasks. More to come later from this side of the "Superior" house..... Time to go swimming, see "Iron Man" (again), and barbeque. Y'all have a great weekend!

:wink:

10-fo on that.

You have my truck number, just look for me. I think I will be working local next week-Thursday, as I have a flight to catch on Friday that I cannot be late for. Costa-Rica awaits me.....

After all the good info and reviews I called the TM in Auburn, ME for SCs about 2 weeks ago. We had a 25min conversation (about 10 mins in he decided he wanted to sit down with me) and this Thursday the 22nd we have a meeting WOOT! Im guessing all Entry-level drivers follow the same scheme. He said if I get in, im with a trainer for 60 days, off to Kingsport and back for another 2 months local. Wish me luck guys, I really want this and im gonna work my ass off for it!

Good to hear keep us posted brotha. 8)

Re: Dadgum slack-azz corn syrup transporter...
 

Hit me up when you are back on the road brotha.

Just got in this afternoon, I'm takin Sunday and Mon off then off to do some local work till Thursday.

I went with Transwood. I never heard of them before, but they have a terminal 12 miles from my house. The company has a lot of drivers, not sure of the number, but they have like 30 some terminals up and down the midwest.
This terminal has like a dozen drivers, and they primarily service 1 customer here. They seem like a good buncha guys. They're real old school, but they're getting up there in years. I worry about the old guard retiring out and new people coming in and spoiling the fun.
I get the impression they don't take many walk-in hires. The pay is better than what i was making, and i would consider it around or above the industry average at 36 cpm and $13/hr.

the funny thing is that during my first week i got a call from Saf-T-Kleen to drive a local tanker. Odd.

That seems a long time with a trainer. I went 2 weeks with 1 trainer then 2 weeks with another trainer and then to Kingsport and then another 2 weeks with a trainer then I was on my own. They kept me local for a bit and gradually started sending me out. I'm out of the Springfield terminal so I'm sure we'll be running past one another. BOL

I agree.....CTL may not have the best overall pay package in the tank industry....but they are a good place to start out. They will train you right, and get you started..... 8)

Yes and no. Lots of OTR companies have you with a trainer for 2 months. Thats fine by me if I start with SC. Specially since im a newbie. Ill take ALL the training I an get. Your training was only 2 weeks shy of 2 months so not to big of a deal. Also it depends whether you work 5 or 6 days a week. Once again, ill take the training. :)

More training is "better" than less training when it comes to tanker operations. Our trainers have one heckuva lot of experience...especially with tankers.

The longer period of training...or so it might seem....but in actuality is roughly the same as regular OTR....is more intense as it will generally be more hands on...because you will be learning the "safety protocols" or the "ropes" of many of our shippers and receivers. All are not the same, and some have their quirks..... But you will learn how to "air off" and "pump off" loads....and you will learn it well. You will also learn to do it by following a process that works properly. Driving....you will learn how to drive correctly and handle a "smooth-bore" tanker and control the surge and not get beat up by it. Its "all about SAFETY".....and you will learn how to do it all "SAFELY"! The school in Kingsport is fairly intense and deals with a lot of Hazmat handling and some hands on as well. And the two gentlemen who teach the week long course are very good at what they do.

Its well worth the time and effort. 8)

well, tomorrow i go get my first load. i'll have an experienced guy in my passenger seat watching me do it and making sure i don't kill myself. otherwise it's all on me.
it'll be a waste pickup, and my first time pulling a loaded tanker.
i'll follow up with impressions if i make it thru alive ;)

:party:

Sooo....the "Slacker" surfaces!!! Phone tag...you're it!!! :P

He just wants to see a noob take a chemical shower :P
man, it's too early...


Okay, so i went to illinois, picked up 3500 gallons or so of waste, and pulled it back into wisconsin.
I was pretty sweaty and tense on the first stretch of road trying not to slam it around too much. I felt it, but i think i kept it under control. It's not like it's going to just fly off into space for no reason. They may be getting ready to turn me loose soon.

tomorrow i have to deliver a new trailer to the main headquarters tomorrow. so it'll be a night in the truck. whee! i can finally catch up on all my stockpiled podcasts i save for driving.

He tagged me when I was in High Point Wed. with his gangster joke. hahaha, caught me off guard.

spent 5 hours in the tank wash and 1 hour on the shoulder after getting rear-ended.
what a pain in my ass :/

Harleypiper... Always be on your guard when dealing with me! :lol:

DDCavi... Keep that positive attitude going and eventually good things will come your way.

Phreddo... dammit man! Are you okay? At least you got paid for it all right?

About to hit the hay and wanted to say hi to everyone again and update things quickly. Still slacking off in FL til Monday so my son and I are definitely cramming in more movies and cook outs with the extra time. Looks like we'll break out the dvd's and watch the not-so-new, yet improved entertainment system at home there (new sub woofer for the surround system and we modified how the t.v. is mounted in the entertainment center). Definitely makes a difference! Now, once I go pick up that new high-def dvd player and do some other minor tweaks to everything..... :roll:

Anyway, I'll catch back up with y'all later. Here's what's happened up to recently. Be safe and have fun!

Week 19
-Valparaiso, IN (hook preloaded tank)
-Valpo, IN to Westville, IN (drop loaded tank, hook preloaded tank)
-----Westville, IN to Elizabeth, CO (driver unload with truck pump)
-----Elizabeth, CO to Westville, IN (drop dirty tank, wash fittings, hook preloaded tank)
-Westville, IN to Huntsville, AL (customer unload)
-Huntsville, AL to Valpo, IN (drop dirty tank)
Gross: $4,559.65
Miles: 3,409
Avg.: $1.337/mile

Week 20
-Valpo, 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 Huntsville, AL (customer unload)
-----Huntsville, AL to Jacksonville, FL (drop dirty tank)
Gross: $2,371.96
Miles: 2,277
Avg.: $1.041/mile

Week 21
-N/A due to time off.

Superior Carriers, (Dedicated Account) Independent Contractor Totals, January 01 to May 25, 2008:
Gross Revenue: $56,062.86
Hub Miles: 44,095 (ALL ODOMETER miles off-duty and on-duty.)
Loaded Miles: 23,833 (54%)
Empty Miles: 20,262 (46%)
Avg. Revenue: $1.271/mile
Total expenses: $36,852.80 ($12,105.80 Fixed and Variable Costs, $24,747.00 Fuel for 7,017.283 gallons.....6.283 m.p.g. and $3.526/gallon)
Taxable Net: $19,210.06
Avg. Taxable Net: .435/hub mile
Days Working: 84 (58%)
Days Off: 62 (42%)

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 25, 2008:
Gross Revenue: $87,866.64
Hub Miles: 71,773 (ALL ODOMETER miles off-duty and on-duty.)
Loaded Miles: 38,650 (54%)
Empty Miles: 33,123 (46%)
Avg. Revenue: $1.224/mile
Total expenses: $57,315.73 ($18,029.16 Fixed/Variable Costs, $39,286.57 Fuel for 11,573.323 gallons.....6.201 m.p.g. and $3.394/gallon)
Taxable Net: $30,550.91
Avg. Taxable Net: .425/hub mile
Days Working: 136 (59%)
Days Off: 95 (41%)

:wink:

i'm good. it was just a stupid traffic jam crash. stopped on the 290/294 split, guy behind me gets pushed by another truck into my bumper. barely a scratch on me, but his grill was pushed in.
next week i start on my actual work, going to michigan and taking a load to memphis. the only sucky part is that i have to roll out monday to make a tuesday morning pickup. should be a good run.
sounds like my primary company will be based in memphis. if i live in wisconsin, i predict some decent miles once this gets going. If i'm going to memphis on a weekly basis, that should come out to a minimum of 3 days out. not great, but definitely a good balance of home time and miles. I think the plan is that i'm going to be shared by 2 dispatchers in 2 terminals. not enough work from either to justify one driver for each, i guess.
i'm not expecting anything. if it works out, i'll stick with it, if not, i'll take the miles and experience and keep my ear to the ground.

You just missed me....#$@^%$#$%!!! I left out of the High Point terminal about 0715 Wed. Had to load up in G'boro and roll!! Maybe we'll meet somewhere else along the way!

Cynide, do you find it hard to find a load coming to Jax when you want to come see your son? I'm enjoying the info about tankers the Superior drivers have put out in their threads. Thanks for the education.

FlaCrakr wrote:Sorry it's taken sl long for me to get back with you and everyone else. Actually I never come to Jax with a load anymore now that I'm an I/C. I usually deadhead from wherever I have previously unloaded and drop the tank at the wash there at home. It's not to say that Superior doesn't have Jacksonville loads because they do (myself and a couple of close friends who drive here have pulled them before), it's just not a regularly occurring load.

If you ever did hire on with us living in FL (which I believe right now is not possible) you would deliver whatever load could get you either into or close to FL, then take the tank to whichever tank wash, then the truck to the terminal closest to home, hop in your p.o.v. and take your time off. Here's a small advantage to Jacksonville versus Savannah or Lakeland... Carry Transit has a yard there and that's where I would park my truck at when I came home to Jax as a company driver. Now, I simply bobtail home.

Now there is also the option of driving to/from Savannah if you're really wanting to drive here, but I personally think that's asking too much. That's a long way from Daytona! Hope I helped some. PLease ask any other questions that you may have. If I can't answer them I'm sure one of the guys here will help out just like we always do! :D

Baby Bullseye update (Carry Transit):

She just threw here latest settlement at me a couple of days ago (really, she did!) and I'll put it up quickly. BTW, she didn't think I would tell anyone, but her birthday was May 28th :D :wink: :twisted: Hehehehehehe. Now that I'm gonna be in hot water....

May 25, 2008
Gross: $1,049.15
Miles: 2,297 (1,148 Loaded...1,149 Empty)
Hours: 24.00
Avg.: .456/mile
Year-to-Date Gross: $17,889.16
Weekly Avg.: $851.86

Like I've said before, not bad income at all, especially for a company driver considering that her time off is slightly less than mine! Allow me to say this as well; she earns every bit of what she makes since she has to unload almost 100% of what she transports regardless of weather conditions.

:wink:

Just thought some might like to see one of the new test Volvo's the company (finally) received a few weeks back...

:)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...1/100_2074.jpg

Yummy. Now I want to work for them even more now. ::Come on test date::

Yea I saw one in Greer SC a couple weeks ago. They let me get inside and look around and I must say they are some very nice tractors. I'm due up for a new(er) tractor sometime by December. Hopefully I will get one of those 8)

Sweet! :D

Volvo,pffft 8)