Local fuel hauling jobs. Give it a try!!

I'm guessing that every region, and even every company, runs a bit different.
I'm paid hourly, usually 10-12 hours a night, and only required to work 5 days. Usually 2 loads, sometimes loads are split between 2 or 3 stations, sometimes a third load, if enough hours. I started working a 6th day every other week, my choice, and I love the extra money in my check.
The downside is my week is Friday to Tuesday, but at 60 years old, I've already done all that weekend horsing around.
The money's good, I sleep in my bed at home, and I have all afternoon to do whatever I want.
Everybody wants something different, what works for me might not work for someone else.

 

You guys would have loved working for my company way back when. I worked 4 10's and everything over 10 hours or 40 hours was OT. Every week I'd have the same three days off if I wanted it. We always took the extra OT and pulled an extra load for 12 hour days 5 days a week. That's 20 hours at time and a have. Everything must come to an end and the majors sold out. Now if you can find an older driver that worked for Chevron or ARCO or Shell or any major, he'd tell you.

 

I was trained by two former Chevron drivers. Watching them work was a work of art. They are both retiring now. I know a couple of ARCO drivers but they lost their jobs 3 years ago when they sold to KAG-at least in my area. I loved fuel hauling. Growing up, I thought that’s where you had to be to make a good living in a truck.

I did it for 3 years. Money was decent but the insurance was too much a month. It was good but 1k a month is ridiculous. I made OT after 8 which is rare in this industry now for some reason. I loved it. I was a single man when I started but by the end I had a family. It’s a cut throat business. I’d do it again if my wife went back to work but I don’t know if I could support the family if I went back to it, at least in the areas we are looking to relocate.

 

I left ARCO in 1998. I took the golden handshake after they closed down the terminal. It was a dream job that everybody wanted. Our waiting list for new hires was 5 years. I would never go to a common carrier after ARCO so I retired early.

 

We get OT after 8, if we work a 6th day it's all OT. I moved to Seattle from Vegas. In NV fuel hauling pays straight time. They still want 60+ hours a week they just don't want to pay for it. Somehow they don't understand why they can't find drivers down there. And the ones they do get, usually end up being people they'd rather not have. A couple years ago KAG had a $10k sign on bonus. From what I was told they didn't get many takers.

 

Best thing I ever did was buy a truck and start hauling fuel. The job gets rid of all the worst parts of trucking, mostly shippers and receivers. Dont think O could do something different now.

 

Time has changed. When I work there the problem was too many good drivers.

 

I'm getting a $4k sign on bonus, paid quarterly for first year. We were OT after 45, but now it's after 40.
I was just told we would be getting an extra $100 for working one of our days off. That means an extra $400 in my check, for just one day!
Even though they are one of the lower paying fuel companies in the area, (many consider them a "training" company) I am making more now than I ever have, so I'm pretty happy with them, and the terminal is a 5 mile drive from my house. There are 2 other local terminals, both pay better, so after a years experience, who knows? All the rest are at the rack, 60 miles away.
They don't push, take your time and be safe.
Most trucks are fairly new, and they are upgrading to new trailers, but it's a slow process. They do have a very good maintenance program.
One thing about sign on bonus's, if they would just bump up the pay rate, they wouldn't even need them!

 

ErieMcDreary, it sounds like the state keeps up on all the requirements and laws with gasoline hauling. If you have a state that keeps a close eye then you have companies that are squared away. But I have to think what it is that makes your company an training company? What you have listed illustrates a decent company and one that would keep their drivers for along time. You can have old equipment and still be a good clean company. If all is true then why would they need a sign on bonus? Anyway you look at it the company sounds like a good first starter and trains you to be in line for better work. One thing about gasoline haulers is the reputation you have. If you can be hired by name alone then you can ask for many things.

 

I'm happy here, at KAG, yeah, they could bump the pay up closer to the average, but they are promising increases every year.
When I decided I wanted to try tanker, most companies weren't interested, until I had some experience. KAG hired me, when others wouldn't even reply. The pay is among the lowest in the area, which is probably why they need the bonus, and leads to the "training" company comments.
They don't have the best reputation, (search them) but most of the bad comments come from the large markets, and they are growing, buying up other carriers, which always leads to bad feelings, but the local drivers I talked to were happy. No matter where you are there are always malcontents who will never be happy, they could be getting $1,000/hr to watch TV, and would complain about commercials.
Change is constant, so as long as I'm happy here I'll stick around 5-6 years until retirement age, and maybe work part time after that.