Tanker/hazmat out of Florida?

Ugh, I hate to be this guy because I'm usually upbeat, but good luck and I mean GOOD LUCK making 700 a week with CCC. Where are you working out of, Brooksville maybe? Dry bulk cement, especially in this area is a tough gig, whether you're pulling fly ash out of Crystal River, or cement out of CEMEX in Brooksville you're always going to run in to long lines and long wait times, some gigs are better than others; Trimac, Southland, Florida Rock. CCC unfortunately doesn't fall in to that list of stellar bulk companies.

Sorry to be such a downer on the whole deal, but I've worked for CCC in the past, and I've hauled enough loads of bulk cement/ash to know what you're getting yourself in to. 2 am start times are very normal, and 8 pm nights are not rare. I see you have 6 years experience listed on your profile, put that experience to good use and find something worth while, keep your ears open when you do start with CCC and find out the better places to go after some experience. Good luck man, just trying to shoot some truth at ya'.

 

Thanks for responding. So, your saying working all those hours I will be lucky to make $700? Is that because we don't get paid while waiting to load? I'm working out of Edgewater, which is 20 miles or so south of Daytona if your not familiar. I believe I'm hauling cement. Your really making me nervous about my decision. Like I said in my post I felt lucky to land a local Monday thru Friday gig. I hope I didn't make a bad choice.

 

My intentions aren't to make you nervous, just shed some light on CCC. You're only paid the load rate, you're not paid to DH, load, unload, all those time consuming parts of your day. Did the recruiter inform you that CCC has the slowest fleet of trucks in Florida, if I'm not mistaken they're governed at 58mph, I know for a fact no more than 60. It's all in what you make of it, but it's long days and the pay sometimes doesn't justify the efforts put in, but hey isn't that trucking?

 

I start driving for CTL fresh out of school back in 2010 my first year was $30k
second year was $41k my third year was $46k fourth year was $51k and this year well in the month of July I just got approve for a truck from lone mountain my truck note will be $1375 a month I'm going to leased to CTL only because the loads are very easy for me and I get gone time even if I wanted to stay out I still end up going home I really like working for CTL and this the only and first company I ever work for now I will soon be in my own truck. I hope I can't make take home pay at least $51000 after taxes and expenses

 

All you Florida guys thinking you will be a local or regional tanker yanker in FL and make great money are in for a big dose of reality. If you absolutely must have family time at home, and absolutely cannot move out of FL. Well, you best find another field to get into. Maybe bartending, cooking, hospice care, nursing, insurance sales, car sales, HVAC tech, automotive mechanic or body work... Anything but local trucking!

If you are hellbent on pulling hazmat tankers; move to the oilfields. Get your start in Houston for the first year with anybody that will train you, then buy a travel trailer and ship out to the best paying oilfield in TX, OK, CO, and if you are really hardcore go to ND.

 

Rocky. Are you making money and seeing family as a flatbedder in Florida? Is flatbedding the better option (as a company driver)?

 

I operate primarly in the midwest, mid-atlantic, and new england(spring and summer). I rarely go home in spring and summer, but I take off a lot in winter to make up for it. I work a solid 8 - 9 months and clear more than company drivers do working all year.

I'm not a family man anymore. I'm into piling up money so I don't have to be out here if I don't want to be.
You've got to decide what your priorities are in life, first. Then go shape your life to fit them. One job won't fit all.
I guarantee you a family man living in Florida and driving a truck for a living is going to have a really hard time. Those 3 conditions just don't fit nicely together.

 

Got disagree with ya rocky. I live in Tampa, I work for a logistics company out of Lakeland hauling hazmat tanker regionally and am only gone no more than 3 nights a week. I am off every weekend and will likely be close to 60K this year in pay. I do admit there is not much high paying stuff in Florida but with a little experience and finding the right nitch, you can find something. As always, it depends of on your style of living and what you need to survive. I had a local job with McKenzie Tank Lines out of Tampa right out of school. Pay was ok considering I was home every night and normally did not work more than 6-8 hours a day. If business had not slacked off I would still be there. Fuel haulers in this area make very good money as well. Most of the jobs pulling van and flatbed are hourly and you have to work 14 hours a day to survive. A lot of people I have talked to say the oil fields are over rated. Guess its all what your looking for.

 

Yeah, you can fi d a sweatheart deal anywhere if you are related to the right people!

I'm describing the median, typical tanker job in FL. I don't believe in holding up an example of a job that is a statistical outlier and then tell everybody this is what you all can do as if it were the norm. It's NOT the norm.

Most local/regional tanker haulers in FL will make $30k-$35k a year, and they will be squeezed to work as hard as possible. Their life will be all work. Juzt run home to eat and sleep. They will get mileage and accessorial pay but the gross pay divided by the hours on the job, either driving, waiting, or loading; will be about $10/hour or less. They will also be on call ir have a different schedule every day.

This is the TYPICAL Florida driving job, it is also the TYPICAL Southern driving job. Empoyer's in the South think you should be their little slave. That's why I'm an O/O who works primarily in the North, but still resides in the South.

If you make way more than what is typical for a Southern local company driver, this tells me you know people or you are in their family clan sonewhere, or you have a close religious connection with the boss, maybe singing in the choir with him. You are in the IN crowd and get the gravy runs, you are a company man!

 

Needless to say I am not going to waste to much time debating a point with some one who obviously does not know what tanker drivers in Florida can possibly make. I will agree that there are companies out there who do pay for crap and will run the driver in the ground. Drivers responsibility to get away from that company and find a better one. They do exist. Again, with some experience and some research, they can be found. I did not attempt to proclaim my job was the norm and very likely is the exception to the rule. When I was working local, I was home every day at a decent hour, never on call, loads rarely ever changed. Pretty normal job. You said those types of jobs do not exist in Florida. Well the 17 other guys who work out of my terminal and make likely more than I do, would disagree as well as the half dozen gas haulers I know who are pushing 50K a year and home every day. These jobs may not exist in great numbers but can be found. I am not related to anyone in this industry and certainly do not belong to any choir. Sounds like your the guy who could never find the sweet gig and naturally assume that since you could not find it, anyone else who had it must be connected or related. Wrong on both counts here. You make it sound like a bad thing to be a company guy? If that means I am loyal to my employer who pays a good wage, pays me correctly and constantly every Friday, provides quality equipment to drive, benefits I can afford and a safe working environment, then yes, I am a company guy and as long as this company continues to do it, I will continue to be that guy.