The guy I am possibly buying a truck from says he might be able to get me a gig hauling milk. I have yet to discuss rates with him yet. Says their is enough work for me to drive 5-7 days a week. Does anyone know if this pays well or not?
Thanks,
Jason
Hauling Milk?
Discussion in 'Tanker, Bulk and Dump Trucking Forum' started by MacgyverIt, Jun 10, 2012.
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dont know what the rates are, but usually milk hauling is a 7 days a week/365 days a year type gig, because the cow must be milked everyday!
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I drove milk tanker for about 10 years out in Cali, NV, AZ. Mastllc is correct about 24/7 operation. If you will be doing "farm pick up" you will need to get a weigher/sampler liscense from the State Dept Of Agriculture, not hard. Both dairy farmers and the haulers get paid by the hundred weight of the raw product, and I dont know exactly what that rate is now, but many of the o/o's I knew and drove for were not starving, had show trucks for equipment, and paid by the load. The best money I made as a driver was $450.00 a day and the least was $175.00 a day, $250.00 average but ran my ### off to get it.
Things to think about before you do this as an o/o is back up equipment, tractor and tanker, because if you have a break down you've just lost your account. Dairy farmers don't like excuses, and get really P.O'd when they can't milk because their tanks are full. Some will even have to dump product down the drain because once the milking string has started they can't stop and they all know and talk to eachother. Another problem you will sometimes run into are long waits at the creameries depending on how much traffic is scheduled in that plant for the day. Expect to work long hours seven days a week unless you know a driver who can fill in for you when you need time off and don't be suprised if another o/o tries to undercut your rates. If you're contracted with a co-op, you don't have to worry about that as much since they will have more than one company service certain farms.
All and all it's a totally different kind of business and very tight knit, atleast that was the case out here, but I enjoyed it more than any other trucking I've ever done, and I did see a couple of one or two horse operations succeed. Sad thing is, Ruan Transportation has since purchased many of the "Mom and Pop" shops out West, including the company I used to drive for, and one of the o/o's I drove for sold all but two of his rigs and went back to OTR pulling a refer. -
Thanks for the heads up,
Jason -
That's why I suggested getting to know another driver that you can trust to run your truck a couple of days a week. Please don't let me discourage you from this type of work because it can be rewarding and there is money in it, but I won't blow any sunshine up your ### either. I was home every night but that was to eat, shower, sleep and be back to work, and I was just a driver. The o/o I drove for also drove a full day, his dad drove a full day and serviced the equipment when they were done. They did not baby sit us either. If you had a blowout, you went back to the shop, got the air impact and did it yourself.
I don't know how big the operations are in Ohio but out here it's huge. I worked a 6 on 2 off, 6 on three off schedule but the 7 day work week is, if you're a one man one horse o/o a reality. Give it a shot and see if you like it. -
I drive as company driver for large food grade. Haul a lot of milk in between other more lucrative loads. Dont make squat on shorthaul that pay pct vs short haul juices. But meet a fair number owners that do ok. Be prepared for some long waits. U may get home every nite, but u will be sitting quite awhile at some plants
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I hauled milk for a while here in California for both CMP (California Milk Producers) and the old Kings County. Milk IS a 7 day a week 24 hour business. The cows don't care weather it's Christmas, your kids birthday or someone just died. It NEVER stops. The dairymen are clannish AND cheap. After all, why pay someone a decent rate to haul this stuff away when my kid needs a new Lexus and 4 more years at Stanford ? On holidays, the open creameries are packed and it can take hours to unload and wash and then it's right back out into the fog and lousy weather. No excuses are accepted. The rates go up and down depending upon what the dairymen feel like paying that year. Milk ? No, never again.
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I spoke to a guy at the truck stop in Kearney Mo about a year ago and he said it was paying really good and he
had more work than he knew what to do with. I hope it was true. I would like to give it a try. Let me know what you find out. Good luck -
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I don't know where anyone gets that hauling milk is "good money". I have been in trucking for almost 50 years and for the last 6 I have been hauling milk and I am here to tell you that it is the cheapest trucking that a person can get into. Around where I live, most of the milk haulers are making around 28-30 cpm and I don't know any of the milk hauling outfits using owner operators, all company drivers.
One more note, get prepared to run illegal. Had a DOT man tell me one time, "whenever I see a milk truck, l see violations"!
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