Milk Hauling

Do it...if you have an interest in tankers then the milk gig is a good way to start. Don't worry about all the "surge" talk...if you drive like you have a brain it is no problem. Hauling milk doesn't pay the greatest where I live...but the guys that do it won't do anything else and there is every kind of driving job where I live. Best of luck.

 

My grandfather used to own milk trucks. Started with a few straight jobs and then got some tractor trailers. My uncle eventually took over when my grandfather retired, and he had a small fleet of 14 trucks for awhile before he sold to another outfit. My father also hauled milk, starting with my grandfather, and did that for 28 years. I grew up around those trucks and rode with all three family members many, many times. Its a fairly easy job. Take a stick reading, some samples out of the tank in the milk room, hook up a hose and pump it on. Depending on the size of the farms, you could have one stop or several. Once loaded they drove to Oakhurst dairy, unloaded and washed out, then drove back home to do it all over again then next day. Runs would take anywhere from 8-12 hours to do. I agree with 77smartin, its a great way to get started in pulling tankers.

 

Friend of mine hauled milk for ten years. It was his first job driving a truck. But as others have said, the pay isn't great. He did farm pickup and delivered to the dairy. All tractor trailer work. He became very familiar with tire chains, as most of his farms were Amish.

Aside from that, I know he didn't run a log book, he ran local, so he kept time sheets. He ran at night, so no traffic to deal with, and pretty much did things how he saw fit. He'd call me at least once a week, telling some new story of his travels. He hit a cow one night, got in a fight with a rooster, tormented the h3&& out of several cats over the years. And made some great friendships along the way.
If you're young, and want a door into pulling tankers, and your living expenses aren't real high, it's not all that bad. I think it helps to have a twisted sense of humor as well...

 

Yeah, the only reason I dislike hauling milk is because of the dairy farms. Just be cautious man, the companies will tell you one thing and then do another thing. I can do preloads all day. I absolutely hate, and despise with a passion, farm pickup; and that's why I am going to go into something else very soon. I've been at this for about 4 months

 

I drove for them. Good equipment, but all automatics. If your from the area of sugarcreek great hometime. Pay isn't the best. It can be a long wait to get unloaded at times. Pretty good company.