DrtyDiesel... Back to Local Work

Sounds like a really good gig keep posting no pictures though.

 

Very nice rig sir keep her clean lol but definitely keep it going.

 

Good to know I am just about to start or in a few day's so hopefully after some experience I can run local.

 

Years ago when the trucking schools first started ARCO would not hire anyone from school. They believed they could teach someone with no experience better than the schools. Now the schools have gotten better so now they do ask for experience. But I have always said apply anyway because you never know. I've seen drivers that have just gotten out of school get hired on. It doesn't hurt to apply. What's the worse than can happen, they say no. Also they might no a company that does hire school grads because they work with all the different companies.

 

It's great that you got hired on especially in FL. You shift or company describes a better common carrier. I'm sure the one driver that ask if you are dedicated did so because the work resembles a dedicated company. There has been 3 types of companies in fuel hauling and those are, common carrier, dedicated, and the majors. The pay goes up with the company type. The top being the majors. But the majors have been selling out to the dedicated and closing their terminals along with the driving jobs. I was lucky and got out right before they did that in my area. I don't mean to boast but I'll give you an example of what we got paid along with some of the benefits. This was in 1997, I worked 4 days 10 hours long. Anything over 10 hours we got time and a half. If we work nights (6pm-6am) we were paid a dollar an hour more for shift differential. I was making $23.50 an hour. So if I worked nights it would be $24.50. You could work the 5th day if you wanted to and that would be $35.25 or 36.25 an hour OT on nights. We had 11 (iirc) holidays and if you worked on your day off then you were paid double for 10 hours then ½ more for overtime. We had three different types of retirement programs, your standard 401 type, then the CAP program where the company would match you investment up to 6%, and then the saving plan where the company would match 4%. The savings plan you could borrow money from and pay yourself back! The medical was the basic but there are numerous other benefits including school that the company sent a benefit representative for a day to explain all the benefits to me. Vacation was basic, none the first year, after that 1 week until 5 years, then 2 weeks until 10 years, then it went to 3 weeks to 20 years. then 4 weeks. Now the majors think it cost too much for the drivers and they are selling off their trucks. I'm only telling this so you can see that the dedicated are next in line and they have to pay close to the majors since they hire them anyway. However, they have cut down on pay and benefits. My main point is you'll get more everything if you move up. Once you're hauling fuel for awhile you'll see who those companies are and where the drivers came from. You'll want to move up to them if you like. Our waiting list was 5 years unless something happened and they needed drivers right then.

It's good that you like the job so well. You'll start to know that your name and work ethics mean everything. I'm sure you've already learn that if something happens it's all over the rack that day and the drivers talk as bad as old women. So I hope I gave you enough to motivate you to strive for the best because you're in a great position to be a top earner in you area if you stay clean and well known as a good gas hauler. Your name means everything in a small area. You're gaining the experience you need right where you are and you may want to stay there. But still work as if your going up the ladder because it can never hurt. Welcome to the different world of fuel hauling.

P.S. Also know where to find all the regulations that pertain to us. Study the FMCSR's and above all know the CFR Transportation 49 parts 100 to 177 and your state and local laws. Good luck.

 

P.P.S. In 5 or 10 years there won't be a driving job at any major.

 

Somebody has got to haul fuel. Besides, gasoline will be around for another 50 years if not more. Please don't come back with these new type of vehicles that don't need gasoline. Even if it's some other type of fuel you still have to get it to market. I think all the gas haulers out there can relax and know gasoline will be around a lot longer. Know it just because of the cost and infrastructure.