Hauling Milk...is it worth it?

Discussion in 'Tanker, Bulk and Dump Trucking Forum' started by AllieCat, Jun 28, 2012.

  1. AllieCat

    AllieCat Light Load Member

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    Apr 9, 2012
    San Antonio, TX
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    I've heard that hauling milk can be extremely challenging. They say if you can haul milk safely, then you can haul anything. At the same time, I've heard that the pay is not that great. :biggrin_25512:

    Would it be worth it, as a newbie, to gain the experience?

    A company is offering $125 per load during training. Training is for 2 weeks. During 90 day probation, 28 cpm empty & 32 cpm loaded. After 90 days, it goes up to 30 cpm empty & 34 cpm loaded. You get an additional $15 to load your own truck. Medical and Life Insurance are paid by the company. It's 24/7/365. If you have hours available to drive during a holiday or weekend & are scheduled to work, you have to work or face disciplinary action.

    Any opinions or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks :biggrin_25519:
     
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  3. Gisquid

    Gisquid Light Load Member

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    Aug 1, 2011
    Fort Carson, CO
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    Trying to get tanker exp?? Then ok. Maybe this could be a route to get you where you want to go!! Did they tell you how many miles you would be getting?? I guessing you might be looking at $600.-$700. per week. After taxes???
     
  4. AllieCat

    AllieCat Light Load Member

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    Apr 9, 2012
    San Antonio, TX
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    Yep, about that. No where near what the oilfields would pay but I'll get the experience. Ugh, one more thing....I forgot just until now....Duh! :biggrin_2552:.....the company has a contract to haul crude oil as well. I didn't have 6 months tanker experience for that division. So, they said I would have to start out hauling milk until I'm able to tf over! This may be a blessing afterall :yes2557:. Guess I just have to pay my dues until that time. Funny how we forget the major details when we focus so much on the little stuff.
     
  5. snowman01

    snowman01 Road Train Member

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    Sep 27, 2011
    North Carolina
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    Be aware that hauling food grade like milk is not like hauling gas or chemicals as the tank is a smoothbore without baffles. This exacerbates the surge when stopping. I have a friend that hauls milk 5 nights a week into a dairy. He is home every day and off weekends. Money is ok but its not for everyone.
     
  6. Kittyfoot

    Kittyfoot Crusty Ancient

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    Sorrento, Louisiana
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    Could be worse... consider what the originator (the cow) gets out of the transaction.... a few mouthfulls of grass, working outdoors in the rain and retirement as dog food.:biggrin_2559:
     
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  7. Grouch

    Grouch Road Train Member

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    Between here and eternity
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    The question was "is it worth it?" The answer is personal. Hauling milk certainly has to be ranked on the lower step of the money ladder, plus you might as well say that the benefits are a joke. Some milk hauling outfits have drivers that only pick up at the farms and other drivers transport the milk to the processing plants and some drivers do both. Tanks vary, some have pumps and some do not. If the tank has a pump, the driver will break down the pump and clean the pump and hoses at the receiving location. And home-time varies also. You take a company such as Indian River, kiss your love ones goodbye, because you aint going to see them for a while, but for the small milk hauling carriers, the driver will probably see home everyday, but that is not saying he is going to get to stay too long.

    Get ready to run a little illegal if you decide to haul milk, on the log book and weight wise.

    The positive side of hauling milk is most of the places you deliver to have friendly people to deal with, there are a few ########, as usual. You can get in most places anytime you arrive and sleep in a secure yard. Take a certain place in N.C., I don't care what time, night or day you arrive, you pull into a secure, fenced in yard, with a guard. You might have to wait several hours to be be unloaded, but usually the dairies have a breakroom which drivers can get free coffee or milk. Coburn Dairy in Charleston, S.C. has a great breakroom, free coffee, free milk, free juice, nice restrooms and super people. And one great thing that keeps me on milk hauling, when I get empty, I don't call anyone, I just go back home empty. Ain't nothing of this crap of looking for a return load.
     
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  8. SHC

    SHC Spoiled Rotten Brat O/O

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    Westville, IN
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    I ran chemical tankers for 3 years and I never pulled a "baffeled" tanker. All of ours were smoothbore. I have never ran milk, but it can't be any worse than 5,000 gal of Formalin in a smoothbore
     
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  9. Flip Flops

    Flip Flops Medium Load Member

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    The Left Lane..
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    Cows don't take days off you will have job security..

    I found when I hauled milk that no matter where you are there is always a milk load somewhere that should have probably shipped already, that gets back to the job security thing..

    As stated in the above posts you will run hard and it ain't for everybody, I swear I ran harder with milk than I ever did with produce or meat..

    Smoothbore requires your complete attention all the time or you can get in trouble real quick..

    Respect the weight.
    Respect the surge.
    Allow extra following distance.
    Slow down in corners.

    I also found milk haulers (tanker drivers in general) to be much more freindly towards one another than drivers that pull general
    freight...JMO
     
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  10. SHC

    SHC Spoiled Rotten Brat O/O

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    Westville, IN
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    That goes with just about and specialized hauler. Flatbed, tanker, and auto-transport seem to be very friendly and always willing to help eachother out. You can't even get most van/reefer drivers to look you in the eyes when you say "Good Morning" to them anymore :(
     
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  11. Flip Flops

    Flip Flops Medium Load Member

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    Jun 1, 2012
    The Left Lane..
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    sad, but very true..
     
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