BULL Haulers

National Carriers has a bull hauler division in Tyler, TX.
Check their website.

 

and Liberal, Ks.

 

National hauls fats from feedlots to their packers. If you live in the area of the plants I would think you could be home regular but they do a lot of early morning load outs. Nothing was more aggravating to me than at the end of a 1200 mile haul at 5am waiting to unload my cattle for 15 to 20 national trucks loading out for a 50 mile haul to plant. I get impatient when I'm tired and after 18 hours of riding I'm ready to be home. They might do some longer hauls for feeders but the majority of their stuff is short to packing house. Everyone has their own preference on length of hauls and I like the long trips just cause I could run my couple thousand miles in a few days then be home for the rest of the week and if I needed to run more I could make another trip. It's my equipment and with a good reputation of my family name out there with cattle buyers since the 70s I could pick what I wanted. Working for someone you won't get that option and better plan on little sleep with lots of miles. Check out livestock network if it's still active you could probably get some ideas there

 

You want to be a bullshipper!

 

If you have no experience as a driver I doubt that any reputable livestock company will hire you. Hauling livestock isn't for a newbie, not saying it isn't, hasn't and can't be done it's unlikely. I've hauled them and it's like pulling a smooth bore tanker. What you're hauling can hurt you, it dies if you don't do your job, sleep isn't an option. It's like any other type of trucking it has slow times and busy times. The money is about the same when you figure in all the variables.

 

Its good money but you work for it..It's pretty much year round but there are slow times of year, the busiest time (for me) is usually from late july into December, I run from the southeast to the west, usually 1200-1700 miles one way. I'd stay away from the big companies like national and JBS, try to find smaller Companies (2-3 trucks) or an O/O to give you a shot, there's not many that will take a chance on hiring someone with no driving experience, but, since you have cattle experience you have a better chance, it's easier to teach a cowboy to drive a truck than it is to teach a truck driver to cowboy.. The driver of my second truck didn't have much experience driving but had been workin cattle all his life, I took him, trained him the way I wanted so he didn't pick up any freight hauler habits, and he's turned out to be one hell of a good hand,at 26 years old! As long as your willing to listen and learn and work someone might give you a shot.. It ain't for candyasses!

 

I agree with cowmobile its easier to make a driver than a cowboy. Gonna be a lot more deadheading than freight or other types of trucking. If you been around cattle than you know how they can beat you, just be ready for a 1000 mile ride after. You'll want to grab a bite to eat while the fuel nozzle is still in the tank, run like hell if it ain't. I do pretty well at it, but money has very little to do with why I do it. It's not for the faint of heart or the weary, may cost you everything you own if it gets in your blood. It has made a good life for us, I can't complain much if I did nobody would listen.