4Refuel

So I'm nearing the halfway point of a year spent with my new company. I believe that gives me enough time to accurately discuss my experience and my general thoughts about my employer. I will try to review this period to the best of my ability. I'm putting this under the 'Favorite Trucking Company' section mainly because I have had more positive situations than negative ones. So let's begin, shall we?

The Company:

http://www.4refuel.com/
4Refuel Canada LP is one of North America’s fastest growing fuel logistics companies. The company manages nearly one billion litres of fuel per year and is currently growing at 26% annually.
As Canada’s largest and most experienced mobile refueller, 4Refuel has dominated the direct-to-equipment market for over 15 years and ranks among the country’s largest fuel buyers.

The Hiring Process:

After submitting my resume to the company I was contacted by the Human Resources Generalist for my hiring area. I had a thirty-minute interview over the phone (while sitting at a shipper in Roanoke, VA). We discussed my current and past employers, types of equipment I was familiar with, that sort of thing. The lady in HR mentioned that the job itself was strenuous (dragging the fuel grade hoses around - larger than the types you would see at gas stations or truck stops, climbing up and down from the top of the tank, climbing on construction equipment, etc.). I'm 27 years old and in fairly good shape, so none of this was going to be a problem. After exchanging goodbyes, I was told to expect a call from the District Manager sometime within the next day or two. Sure enough, the very next day he was calling and it was more or less of the same; although he spoke with greater knowledge of the trucking industry in general and mentioned his past experiences. This was a simpler call mainly due to the fact we could directly relate to our own experiences. Both phone calls went well so I was set up for a face-to-face interview and a road test the next week. It was a bitterly cold day in February during the road test phase but it went smoothly, as did the face-to-face interview.

So far things had been looking very good. I'd liked what I'd heard from the company and we both wanted to move forward to the next step. They had me ride along with a driver on his daily route for a few hours to know what I'd be getting myself into. Since the company mainly deals in fleet and construction refuelling, I learned very quickly what the job entailed. I learned how the delivery process worked, how physical it actually was, and just how accountable the drivers are in handling their fuel loads (juggling declining balances, the paperwork involved - hint: there's plenty of it, and so forth). I was still excited about the position and looked forward to the challenge. I was a little nervous, but I ended up signing an offer letter of employment and was hired on as a CRP (Certified Refuelling Professional).

After Hire:

I was given my letter of employment to sign which outlined my pay, benefits, RRSP contributions and expected hours among other information. I was brought on at $20/hr (since increased to $22/hr) at an average of 50 hours a week. We are entitled to safety bonuses up to $300/month which is really cool.

I was sized for and provided with seven fire retardant suits as well as given a 'gift' bag that included specialized gloves, a construction helmet, safety glasses, a headband flashlight, company pens and a company hat. They will provide steel-toe safety boots after one year at no cost, valued up to $250. My boots are the only thing I had to provide and I already had a great pair.

I rode along as a trainee for three weeks with a senior driver learning the ins and outs of the business. This was a great opportunity to learn on the job by slowly watching and gradually becoming more active in my role as a trainee. Any and all questions that I had were answered, my trainer explained everything precisely and cohesively. He worked with me and helped me learn as much as I could in that time span.

Requirements:

One of the key elements to working this job is the ability to load the truck with fuel. We deal with UN1202 - ULSD - both clear and dyed. The big oil companies (Shell, Esso, Ultramar, Valero, etc) have terminals in the city. Each one requires their own training separate from the rest. The training is extremely safety conscious and there are many rules and regulations to follow. You have to complete their training before you can start supervised loading - where a co-worker who already has received his training and is "carded" can accompany you to the facility to load. At Shell, you must complete 10 of these supervised loads before you are able to "test" for you card. The test is a supervised load from a key employee at the facility where you perform all the steps to load your truck without any instruction. If you can safely pass this test, you are now "carded" at this particular facility and may load your truck unsupervised. Currently I am only carded at Shell, which works out fine because they are the cheapest source of fuel.

To haul the fuel itself you must be certified by the Canadian Fuels Association and carry the certification card with you at all times. I'm assuming this is comparable to the TWIC card I've seen other American members speak of. You also must be trained in Hazmat and Dangerous Goods. All of these tests were time consuming and done mostly online, set up through the company. I was paid for the training even though I worked and studied from home.

The Job Itself:

Our location has about 20 twenty power units. Each of these are rotated between a day shift and a night shift. I work Wednesdays to Sundays, usually from 7am-5pm. Occasionally I will work earlier or work a six day week. I'm always given two days off in a row. There are times when I work up to 14 hours in a day, but I don't mind. In fact, being an hourly worker, this works in my favour.

We get two types of customers - set customers and call in customers. Essentially, our set customers already have accounts set up and have certain delivery schedules. The call-ins are usually smaller businesses that need a generator or reefers filled up. We mainly work within a 75km radius of the yard. Routes are given out according to location, which means they try to keep one CRP in the same area with his daily calls. It's more efficient than having him drive around the city from call to call.

We fill up anything that takes diesel fuel. Reefers, construction equipment, trucks, generators, tanks, jerry cans, you name it. We have a computer in the truck that deals with inventory, balances, invoices, transfers - it's the lifeblood of the truck. I'll break down a call so you might get an idea of what I'd do:

- Arrive at customer
- Enter information in computer (name, location, type of fuel)
- Open the correct compartments, valves, turn on PTO
- Drag hose to fill up required equipment
- Once complete, reverse process
- Enter unit numbers correlating to each amount of fuel delivered
- Print docket, record it on MDS sheet, calculate remaining balance

It's more complicated than that, but it's a simple breakdown to try and follow along with.

Thoughts:

So far I'm really liking the job. It's definitely physical and demanding. We're outside in all sorts of temperatures and weather conditions. It was really stressful at the beginning with the amount of training required, but we take on an even larger responsibility by hauling fuel around. I still get a little nervous when going to load at Shell as they have the clout to not only ban you from every Shell facility in the world, but to encourage your employer to fire you if you are neglectful or practice anything unsafe. They have rules in place for a reason, and even the smallest infraction is a very serious matter. 1L of fuel spilled, not wearing your seatbelt on the property, etc. They actually call these "Life Saving Rules" and you'd better follow them.

The hours are okay I suppose. Sometimes I have to start at 5am which is unfortunate because I'm about 30 minutes commuting, so I have to wake up at 3:30am. Everyone I've dealt with - co-workers, management, corporate - seems to be pretty good thus far. It seems as though we have a positive corporate structure with a big emphasis on safety. Routine maintenance is performed regularly on the trucks. There's an open door policy for drivers. It's like little family at our location. This can change over time as my experience with the company grows, but for now I'm calling it as I see it. This is easily the best and most professional company I have ever worked for.

I have a certain amount of pride in the fact that I'm 27 and performing the job I do. I think that's the best part about it. Thanks for hopefully reading along with me, and if you have any questions or criticisms, please fire away.

 

I just wanted to share a little bit of information.

I experienced a loss in my immediate family last week. Not only did my employer send their condolences personally, but they also encouraged me to take time off until I was mentally ready to return to work. I was ready to return to work after three days and they gave me five off. They also explained to me that I was entitled to bereavement pay and that I would receive it for the five days I was excused - something I'm entitled to (for a maximum of three days) pertaining to my province's Labour Act - but was unaware of.

The way my company treated me during this unfortunate time is just another example that there are employers who care about you as an individual. If you haven't already, go out and find them!

 

Also, mods : Is it possible to change the title to 4Refuel - Toronto, Canada?

Thanks in advance.