Regional Fuel hauling experiences?

I can only comment on gasoline. Most of the gas haulers are local but some do go out for a couple of days. It's when you get into specialized fuels you'll see more OTR trucks. Plus, in the Midwest they stretch the miles to drops. Gasoline is mostly local because of pipelines. The companies call it back hauling the pipe. They do not want to send product through the pipeline then haul it back a 100 miles. That's where you see a station getting a load and the trucks come out of a terminal further away from another terminal. Also it has a lot to do with the spec'ing of the gasoline. You have to drop gasoline in a station that is controlled by a certain agency. I've had loads with retain and could not drop the remainder across the street. Even if the gasoline is better you must drop the product that is registered with the controlling agency. You'll see this more out west in the desert that back east. I know everyone is saying gasoline is all the same. That's true to a certain point. When the gasoline is loaded at the loading rack additive is injected into the product. The additive is what makes ARCO-ARCO, Shell-Shell, and all the branded stations who there are. I've seen Tectron the Chevron additive injected into another brand and that rate or amount of additive is what makes the brand. When you see a station shut down they might be doing a tank test but you can be sure they are taking a samples of gasoline to check in their lab. There's been stations caught selling bootleg gasoline and some do end up in jail.


You do know you can lock you caps, domes, and all pipe openings together so no one can steel from you. Sure they could still get into the load but it would take some time and unless you're way out in no where some one would see. About your contaminated clothes. That's really a hard one there. Sure you could throw them in a plastic bag but then there's a slight possibility you might start a fire. Nylon and cotton and gasoline does not mix very well. If by chance you've got a sealed container like an ammo box then I'd wet them down and stick them in there until I could wash them. Parking the truck is a hassle for sure. You are required to keep an eye on it unless you have another qualified person or a safe haven. I would guess that this item is the one that get violated the most. Use the best common sense on this one. I've parked loaded and empty and have gone into a restaurant to eat. Even with the boss a few times (who else is going to pay).

On your time off and pay. My company just made a policy you work your shift. If one of your days fell on a holiday then you just worked. However, we worked 4 days on 3 days off. I had the day shift from Thursday to Sunday. I loved working Thanksgiving week. The company at one time gave everyone their birthday off as a holiday. They changed that and gave everyone Friday after Thanksgiving a holiday. I got paid by the hour so every hour over 10 hours was time and a half. All Holidays were time and half. So that week I had two holidays and I would work a day of overtime so I ended up with 3 days holiday pay plus I worked 2 hours extra a day for a good pay check. I gross over $1500 that week and still had 2 days off. Not too bad for being way back in the mid 90's. So I can not tell you about pay. I got paid by the hour and there's very few that do that anymore.

 

I'd try to talk with one of those guys you see parked ..... Living in the truck (close to home) working all the holidays . The pay better be very good.......

 

Excellent point. Whatever you do-do not put all your trust in a recruiter. They work for the companies and not for you. Talk to the people that have no agenda in what you do. Then talk with the company and the people that do the hiring.

 

I use to run regional fuel hauling back in the 90s. I had never really given it much thought about fuel being stolen out of my trailer. No one ever had a problem with it where I was leased to other than a couple of the drivers getting caught. As far as the smell on the clothes there isn't a whole lot you can do about it but the thing is you get use to it and don't really notice after awhile. Except for the #6 oil which you could taste in your mouth when you were standing on top of the trailer loading it. Seemed you could never get rid of that smell. Not to many places burn it anymore.

 

Your lucky, we have to watch all the time. We've had plenty of gallons stolen including 4 or 5 loaded trucks stolen. Even had 2 trucks drive off the terminal and never seen again. We even have guards at the gate but when you're the biggest terminal there's just too many trucks running in and out. Our policy was if someone was to hold us up with a weapon give the keys and say here you go.

 

There should also be ways to keep people from stealing fuel by locking your box that controls your belly valves. That way if they were to open a head that would only get the fuel in the belly tube.