When I was in CDL school 2 years ago the recruiter from TMC stated that reefers wait the longest for a load, dry vans second, then flatbeds wait the least. He didn't say anything about wait times for tanker trucks. My question is: What are the average wait times for tanker trucks? Are they longer than reefers, dry vans, & flatbeds? I realize that the cargo your hauing & your company may influence these wait times. I mainly would just like to know if the detention time for tankers is shorter or longer than the other type of trucks listed above. I have a tanker endorsement on my CDL & have always had an interest in driving them. Plus, what are some pros & cons of driving a tanker compared to a dry van? Any feedback from anyone who knows would be appreciated. Thanks

It all depends on what type of cargo your going to load and who you run for. I can only speak for gasoline or diesel haulers. The wait time there is very little. You might have to wait you turn in line to get loaded but the loading process should run like clockwork. I ran local in town for a large oil company. We had our own loading racks even at a common carrier pipelines becuase we pulled alot of gallons each day. But wait time didn't bother us because we got paid by the hour. So it was like a break for us.

Don't expect to come right out of school and go to tankers. Every company I know will not hire a driver without some experience behind the wheel. But it is something you might want to set your goals for. Running gasoline tankers for the company I did paid better than any job I've ever had. Back 10 years ago it was not uncommon for a driver to gross over 70K a year and be home every night. If you counted the stocks and investment plans into that you'd be over six figures. But that's the top and you need a clean record and good experience before they would even look at you. The waiting list was 5 years for new hires. But still that can and does change so if you like tankers that would be a good goal. I've also heard good things about running chemiclas OTR too. So if that's the way you want to go the money and benefits are there but you'll have to do some time in the trenches like we all had to do.

I haul dry bulk tankers, and the majority of loads I do are preloaded so all I have to do is back under it and be on my way. At delivery, it's extremely rare not to be hooked up and pumping product within 10 minutes of pulling into the customer's driveway. Once in a while there can be a slight delay of 20 min or so whil the lab tests a sample, but those places are the exception, not the rule.

And the same thing applies with us, we don;t hire beginning drivers. You need a certain experience level and driving skills before we hire you. Pay is also above average, though not quite as high as for fuel loads. Of course, my loads aren't anything hazardous or flammable, so from where I sit they can have the extra dollars. My 02.