Schneider Tankers

Yes, but have some money laid back. I went through there traing as an experence tanker driver but was not told that training was to take place in Dallas Texas and Houston Texas. Houston Texas is were the actual tanker training takes place. Bring money it can thake up to 5 weeks,

 

I would urge caution to any newbies who want to pull tankers. I pulled tankers for 15 years and its not for everybody. Gas tankers are not bad. Its mostly local work and the hard part is getting carded in to the shippers and learning their procedures, and remembering that your cargo can kill you if your not carefull. Smooth bore tankers are another story. Learning to minimize surge in the tank takes time. Surge starts when you put the truck in forward motion. As you accelerate the load moves toward the back of the trailer. when it hits the bulkhead it starts forward untill it hits the front bulkhead then starts to the rear again, etc. It will do this a few times and settle down and ride pretty good untill you step on the brake,then the whole process stars all over again in reverse. Most smooth bore tankers are 6500 gal to 7200 gal capacity. Most loads are 42,000 to 48,000 lbs but only 4200 to 4500 gal. This leaves a lot of space for the load to move around inside the tank. These tanks don't have baffles in them because they usually have to be cleaned after each load and baffles make it very difficult to clean. Going around a curve to fast can cause the load to one side of the trailer, making the trailer heavier on one side. This can result in a roolover. So just remember to use caution. Take off slowly, shift smoothly, don't make any sudden erratic moves, and steady pressure on the brake pedal when you stop. Don't pump your brakes. I hauled gasoline for 5 years and thought I knew everything there was to know about tankers untill I went to work for a company that pulled smooth bore tankers. The first load I pulled was 47,000 lbs of Formaldehyde. We loaded and proceeded to the shippers scale to weigh. As I pulled up on the scale I hit the brake pedal twice and as I stopped the surge slammed into the forward bulkhead and besides almost giving me whiplash it pushed me off the scale. The guy I was training with just said, "If your gonna do this job your gonna have to change your driving habits" I was ####y and overconfidant and it almost got me terminated from what turned out to be a really good job. If you go to work pulling tankers you'll know within 2 wks whether you really want to pull tankers. I stayed there 10 years and I seen them hire a lot of drivers. Some guys quit within a week and others loved it. It took me about a week to get the hang of it and about 6 months to really get it to the point where I was comfotable with it. Theres a lot of other stuff to learn also. Loading, unloading, pumps, compressors, different fittings you'll need to use,hoses, tank wash, lots of safety stuff, hard hats, wet suits, goggles and masks. I'm not trying to scare you off, just make you aware that its different from vans and flatbeds. Good luck

 

Congrats on your new career. When I was pulling tankers Superior was one of the better carriers to work for. I worked for Chemical Leaman before they taken over by Quality Carriers. Things must have changed in the tank industry. When I started a tank co. wouldn't even consider you without at least 2 yrs OTR, and you had to stay with a trainer untill he told your terminal manager you were ready. But your trainer is right, you haven't picked up any bad habits yet, and I know from experience theres a lot of things you can do pulling a van that you can't do pulling a loaded tanker. Lots of luck and be safe.

 

Talked to my recruiter yesterday. He gave me a good bit of info during our conversation. First off, SNI's policy on trucks for their bulk division is that they don't get taken home. Since I live in Maryland, I will have to park my truck at a designated lot down in Baltimore whenever I am home. Apparently this has to do with security of the load and also something about keeping the trucks "clean" since they are used to move chemicals. I should have asked if that meant I had to park at designated locations whenever I'm out on the road too. I was also informed that I would not get a retention bonus until after 24 months. I'm pretty sure I say a few posts on here that said there were told it was 18 months. I'm going to have to bring that up next time we talk. My original class date was December 29th in Carlisle but now I've been bumped back to January 19th with the possibility of being moved back to the 29th if a spot opens up. The account I'm being hired for is out of the Rahway, NJ OC. Anybody ever been there or driven out of there? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

Yeah just talked to a recruiter myself for a tanker position parked in the Dallas OC. Training there two weeks and another week of tanker trng in Houston, later HAZMAT in Louisiana since some of the products could req respirators, etc. Then out with a Trainer for 2-3 weeks. No beards as it may impede the seal(resp.) and vehicle could only be parked in Dallas/Houston OC becuase it is liquid and also due to value of products. No biggie to me as far as parking the vehicle but the earliest I could go to their trng school was also 29 DEC. I just thought this is too long so I found a school to go to myself on my own dime that gets it done just the same. Someone earlier alluded to the idea that newbies should not run tankers for a first time job. From my very green point of view to trucking I'll take the approach of you have to know your own limitations. In addition to that if you want it bad enough you're gonna do whatever it takes to get it. Even if that means changing your driving habits which never hurts.

 

I had no OTR experience. Went through 2 weeks at Carlisle PA for "training" and the Bulk module. It was a roach motel but everything else was good enough for me. Long days and very fast paced.

I feel that when you complete that course you have a pretty good idea of how to drive safely. The garage, shop, people were first class always getting me back out on the road fast.

The miles were not there at all. I did my math and I averaged 1800 miles a week through the months I was driving there. I could not afford to stay there any longer, 1 or 2 checks over $700 take home.

After leaving me with no next load and a wait of 8, 16, 24 hours after dropping a dirty tank, for the third time. I drove the truck bobtail back to the Gary terminal (they did not like that) packed up my stuff and left.

Training, Instructors, garage great.
Mile$ and money not there.

Now I have the $3500 student loan to deal with at $150 a month for like forever. Tip is right being a slave to them for a year was not a hot idea. I thought I would tough it out and stay.

After a few $400 take home checks I choose to pay them $150 a month for the pleasure of working somewhere else. At least I have 6 months Chemical Tanker over the road now.

I never spilled a drop, late to a customer once (1 hour) and bumped a loading rack at a shipper (No damage). I told on myself or SNBC would have never known.

I am applying to a few places and out of curiosity I filled out another Schneider application, You guessed it they stated I am not re-hirable! Wow! A variety of other large company's will take me in though.



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Over two million miles on a motorcycle



SNBC entered that pole strike on my DAC, oh yes they did. The customer never called on me, I did not have to do a remedial at all.

So much for being a honest person.

I will keep an eye on my DAC.

The other big 5-6 companies and a few smaller outfits will take me in, no worries.

If the mile$ were there I would have stayed.


I tell it like it is and also put SNBC on my resume.

I tell my prospective new company's I left because I could not afford to stay there. and they laugh because they know why.

$400-$500 after taxes just cannot justify being away from home for weeks on end, I dont care about hard 1st years, soft freight or any other stories.

I am a 15 year CDL holder and SNBC is my "recent" OTR experience.

The red flag for me was idle waiting with a 15 year driver idled next to me. We were both pulling empty tanks to other locations (250-250 mile keep busy work), with no loads in sight.

Or try to put a low mile run (150-200 miles)on me with a liquid pump off at the end. I am a freakin' system driver making the lowest per mile pay. Local loads does nothing for me.

So they had no good load for me or HIM. That happened three times to me and I was done.

If they are not running Me (low pay) or Him (high pay) then what the heck is happening internally with the office. What is going on in scenic Green Bay or the people at the Gary OC who are watching out for the "Newbies" on their board?

I could wash lettuce at Mickey D's for that kind of money. And I am a great, highly trained, safe Haz Mat (never a drop spilled or crash)chemical delivery specialist.

Always in uniform I might add.

Pressure drop. My thought is, if you have kids or a lady stay home the money is the same.

This is just my experience and everyone's time with SCBC may be different.

In six months I made about 12 grand, $1200 of that was pay from load and unload of liquid product. So if I was driving a dry van I would not have made that extra $1200.

That may be the "better pay" in liquid bulk. That opens the question of how tough, strenuous, how many hours were used to get that $1200?

I will give you an idea. Texas floods, 110 degree heat, four hour 5 hose pump off's (75 pounds per hose). Now go clean everything up at the tankwash.

In some of the most dangerous places in the US. Now try it in the winter, Ha Ha.

Dont get me wrong I can do / did the work and SNBC is OK for me. The mile$ and money just was not there to make it worth my while

So if I went a year and doubled the boo boos I made to a total of 2 each. I would have been late twice and twice striking a fixed object in the yard (loading rack). With no spills, incidents, traffic citations or complaints whatsoever.

I get the same 1800 mile a week average. After a year.

Model Driver I doubt that I am even close, But racking in the miles and staying out of other peoples accidents, making it through the SNBC Acadamy is no small feat for sure!

Dont get me wrong SNBC paid major dollars to get me in the truck and I am not arguing about the student loan pay off. The training is top shelf and almost everyone from day one to me leaving is right on.

I was as proud as a peacock to complete the training and go solo.

What I did have to go on and have passively seen is 15 year drivers and less then one year drivers going around in circles with short miles.

I am not interested in hanging around 5 or more years to ride out the "slow" years, and develop a better average.

Leave without notice. Instead of sitting / waiting for another 16 hours for a load in MN I dead headed back to Gary IN. I feel that I should have done that awhile ago.

I have driven cement trucks in the Chicago area off and on for quite awhile, always wanted to try OTR.

Did not plan on starving off completely, and that is even with a pension from another company coming in. Heck If I could have made $300-$400 a week after road expences I would have stayed.

They are not the best or worst out there. And certainly not the only game in town. SNBC was on my list of the top 3 I was looking to work for.

That leaves two more that I can run with for the next 6 months.

Again, all I am getting at is explaining my experience and what I got out of it.

Things were cool at Schneider Bulk, just that the Mile$ were not there. Good for anyone who can weather the financial ups and downs through the many, many years.

Try not to burn me up to much. Just leaving some info out here. I read everything down to archives from 5 years ago on this site before signing on.

I am just throwing my experience out there, not like some who come in, chat for awhile, leave and you never hear from them again.

 

Best Of Luck, I sart school on the 17th hope to join you there or I'll be off to Millis.

 

Someone earlier alluded to the idea that newbies should not run tankers for a first time job. From my very green point of view to trucking I'll take the approach of you have to know your own limitations. In addition to that if you want it bad enough you're gonna do whatever it takes to get it. Even if that means changing your driving habits which never hurts.[/QUOTE]

I'll have to agree with the policy of no experience. Knowing your limitations has nothing to do with it. Knowing the limitations of the truck and the product you have loaded has more to do than your own limitations. You do have the right idea if it's pointed in the right direction. Limitations could mean a whole range of items like driving 100mph. Your limitations right now are zero. So I believe what other tanker drivers are saying that tankers are no place to learn how to drive or find your limitations. There's just too many regulations to learn for general trucking before you pile on more regs.

If you do get lucky and get hired on driving a tanker with no truck experience I recommend that you find a driver willing to show you some technics and go from there. You need to look at this differently than CDL school. You need to study what you're hauling and know all the scenarios that might come your way. You need to know what to do in emergencies because the first responders are going to look at you for information. You will be held at a higher responsibility and not knowing is no excuse. You can be charged for items you had no idea comes under your jurisdiction. So the job doesn't stop once you learn how to drive. It's a huge responsibility and if you can handle the extra work your freedom depends on how much you know. Believe me when I say that the driver is the first person all the legal people will look at. And with Hazmat things can get nasty in a hurry and you could be on the evening news.

 

Thanks, I worked in the lawn care Industry where you need a pesticide license.Now, anyone can get a general pesticide license but not all can get certified on their license and/or hold different licenses from different states.I was a tree & shrub applicator and you mix your own tanks,wear the approved PPE,must know all of the saftey procedures to contain a spill,Know your reportable quantities and get surprised inspections from DEM. I understand & felt surge(on a much smaller scale) and feel my previous employment will serve to help me with in this field.(Tank Yanking).If at first if I do not get in then I will get my experience with one of the other companies I've researched and possible where my brother in law works if theres an opening.I went out with him and observed his job and learned to drive the truck alittle.I start school monday and cant wait.
Thanks for all of your help as your opinions are the greatest thing a newbie can get. Thank you