Hauling Milk?

Discussion in 'Tanker, Bulk and Dump Trucking Forum' started by MacgyverIt, Jun 10, 2012.

  1. MacgyverIt

    MacgyverIt Light Load Member

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    Dec 23, 2011
    Clayton,Ohio
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    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
     
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  3. mastllc

    mastllc Medium Load Member

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    Aug 28, 2008
    somewhere in ga
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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!
     
  4. retiredguest

    retiredguest Light Load Member

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    Apr 29, 2011
    susanville, CA
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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.
     
  5. MacgyverIt

    MacgyverIt Light Load Member

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    Dec 23, 2011
    Clayton,Ohio
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    I have two younger children that I would like to see grow up so seven days a week I am not interested in. Don't get me wrong I liked to work... I currently average 48-50hrs a week doing driving,heavy lifting, operating metal saws. I would like to be able to spend my money with my family not just drop off a check & get back into the truck. He made it sound like I could run 7 days if I wanted to. I think he has misinformed me, cause what you are saying makes sence.
    Thanks for the heads up,
    Jason
     
  6. retiredguest

    retiredguest Light Load Member

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    Apr 29, 2011
    susanville, CA
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    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.
     
  7. gomowing

    gomowing Bobtail Member

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    Jun 13, 2012
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    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
     
  8. bulletproof77

    bulletproof77 Medium Load Member

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    Oct 2, 2009
    Victorville, CA
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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.
     
  9. poorhouse

    poorhouse Bobtail Member

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    Jun 2, 2012
    INDEPENDENCE, MO
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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
     
  10. bulletproof77

    bulletproof77 Medium Load Member

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    Oct 2, 2009
    Victorville, CA
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    You "heard it from a guy in a truck stop"...The rates are usually the cheapest the dairymen can get away with. They promise the moon and never deliver. And as soon as they "think" you are making a profit off of them...It's NEXT !! Of course he had more work than he knew what to do with...Cows don't stop. But the money sure does. In California they replaced all the long time haulers with mainly illegal immigrants that will do 5 hours worth of work for a whopping $60 a load. Dairymen have NO allegiance or loyalty to anything but THEIR bank accounts. Frankly, I enjoyed running over their manicured lawns...And that's also why the quality of milk out here has suffered greatly. When I got my weighers and samplers license and was THOROUGHLY trained by an old union driver, he told me one thing. "If you would not let YOUR kids drink this stuff, then you don't let anyone ELSE'S kids drink this stuff either"..Nowadays, they look the other way for "hot milk", flies etc..We used to just tell him it's your choice, it can go to the pig farm or down the drain, you choose.
     
  11. Grouch

    Grouch Road Train Member

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    Feb 3, 2009
    Between here and eternity
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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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