A couple simple tanker questions...

Fantastic, informative thread here. Thanks guys, for all who contributed. I can't seem to get enough knowledge about tankers. I'm very interested in pulling tankers OTR and have the endorsement, as well as Hazmat, just not the experience. Six months OTR so far. So I wait.

 

Have you tried TriMac i thought they hired new drivers if you went to a PTDI rated school

 

Oh no, I haven't tried any where yet. I guess I'm just either a daydreamer right now, or a preplanner starting early. I'm new, just over 6 months OTR and I'm committed, contractually at least, to my current company for a year or else pay through the nose for training. My home base is eastern NC, so being close to Wilmington, a port city, I'm hopeful that a tanker company will scoop me up hurriedly since I'm endorsed to the max, eager to stay out weeks at a time and have a passion for tankers. I'm company man material with a good head on my shoulders so maybe a small company is a good fit for me, although from what I'm reading Schneider may be the training company I should look to.

 

Many companies will train you on the specifics of their tanker operations. You live near a port, and if that tanker company pulls from the port, a twic card may be in your future.

 

No problem on the TWIC I'll be more than happy to get that. Not so happy about the cost of getting one, but if necessary....
I'm searching hard here on the forum for Chinatown input on tanker companies and having a difficult time finding it. I know it's here somewhere, I just keep getting sidetracked. Thanks for your input.

 

NEVER cheap out when investing in YOURSELF. Not sure what TWIC is now. I think I spent $90 or something because I had HAZMAT. Little cheaper if you already been checked by them. That's not even a 1/2 days pay when you start making tanker money. Keep your record clean. We just got about $400 a week raise to help retain drivers with clean DPS and CSA records. I started out a yr ago making about $1100 a week and last check was little more then $1700 a week. That was a normal week. This one will be about $600 higher because I had a trainee for 5 days at $60 a day and also hauled 6 loads of biodiesel which is $50 extra stop pay to add 1500 gallons of that nasty stuff into the ULSD to make 20% blend. Takes about 15 minutes. No Scully or security to mess with. Pull up, open gate where tank car is spotted. Ground and load. Push button and print BOL. Lock gate and go deliver.
I am just saying that you can make real good money for not very hard work in tankers with good company. I have not asked for any of the stuff they have given me. Lots of guys here who have forgotten more then I know who used to train. Got too many points and off the list they go. Great money loads like biodiesel just came from showing up on time ready to work and learn. Get along with others and dispatch. Had all the TWIC and others before I even applied. You sound like you are on the right path. Forget a couple of meals out and get your paper. You will look back and be glad you did. They will know that the man in front of them is here ready to work and make them money.

 

now that sounds nice.