Milk Hauling

"2. What are some pros and cons to hauling milk?"

I drove a milk truck years ago and wished I were still doing it! There is no picking up at the farm. That is for the locals with the straight trucks. No cow manure all over. I ran from station to station loading and unloading. IT was a cherry job. In fact my brother still does it. Most milk haulers are small companies but if you haven't driven a tanker before, especially a smooth bore, that is where you need to start anyway. But always remember that on a pucker factor scale of 1 - 10, pulling smooth bore is a 13!! Good luck!!

 

OK Boys, probably 90% of the tankers are smooth bore regardless if they are non-haz or haz-mat unless you have a compartment trlr. I have been in this business 35+ yrs and have only pulled one baffled tank with the exception of cryogenics. Do NOt lead this guy down a path that you do not know. If you pull tank most likely it will not have baffles.

 

You just learn to deal with it, every action has a reaction. The surge will follow every action that you do. If you pull a tank you will learn how to do it, slow and steady is the rule. You do not want to get the product in motion.

 

If you want no surge, go to hauling gas. 4-5 compt trailer, than there is no surge.

 

A company is going to lie to you so be aware of that. I would love hauling milk if I didn't have to deal with the farms.

 

Many of the small "mom & pop" farms are fading fast, at least in Wisconsin. I worked at a friends farm and these places are turning into "mega farms". It's the only way they can stay afloat. I agree with moloko, farms are disgusting places, and I don't drink milk because of it, but most of these "mega farms" have tankers dropped and it's basically a drop and hook deal. Years ago, I had a friend whose dad had a milk route in N.Wis. and he had a straight truck, and like 40 stops (or whatever) and some of those places were pretty bad. The people were great, very friendly, they'd feed you or leave cookies for you, and talk your ear off, because many times, the milk truck driver was the only "outsider" they knew, and yes, the stories of "the farmers daughter" were true.