Cryo companies after all the mergers...who's good to work for?

Discussion in 'Tanker, Bulk and Dump Trucking Forum' started by speedyk, Mar 12, 2019.

  1. archangelic peon

    archangelic peon Medium Load Member

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    Dec 15, 2011
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    Thank you for the info, have a phone interview with Messer tomorrow for a bulk job in the SE.

    Also have apps in with air products & Praxair but for bottle work not bulk, Linde engineering had bulk & bottle work on icims, but can't get step 3 to work for submittal, has an error "refused to connect" on "candidate forms" & won't let me do anything.

    How is your schedule like?
    They advertise in the listing "rotating schedule" & "must be flexible."
    Does this include being forced to team/no set schedule?
    Driver facing cameras?
    Work boot credit?
    How was the training?

    Is your terminal union?
    Is that $25/hr starting rate or your rate period?
    Benefits details & cost? (I know all this will vary on region)

    Other perks/401k/retirement/pension/PTO/paid holidays/holiday pay amount?
    Work consistent?
    Same customers/route or switch around?
    Do you deal with customers or just do your thing independently?
    No such thing as too many details.

    Thanks
     
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  3. Mooseontheloose

    Mooseontheloose Light Load Member

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    After doing bulk (and food service before) the bottle work has very little appeal to me. We don’t do that at my facility but I deliver bulk to places that fill bottles. During my interview (I was new to hazmat), I asked the hiring manager about d.o.t. And he replied that the bottle deliveries had much more of an issue with it. One of my trainers said that d.o.t. Wasn’t really a problem in bulk. I’ve been pulled over once for a walk around and had no violations You can look at the FMCSA website and see that Messer has excellent scores.
    If you can’t get through with the application and there’s no number to call you can pm me with your name/number and I can assist you with a recruiter.
    My schedule is M-F start time of midnight. The extra 150/200 got snatched up so I got “stuck” with M-F (darn the luck, please note sarcasm ((I’m thrilled)))
    Most places rebid every 6 months and as a low seniority new hire they would ask for you to be flexible. It worked out well for me but who knows with the next bid. My facility is nonunion and I believe most facilities are. I haven’t looked too deep into it. I believe the company is competitive with union pay scales in mind.
    There’s very few teams, maybe helium but I haven’t seen any
    Full uniform provided, gloves, your choice of boots, all necessary gear is provided.
    Driver facing cameras, yess, safety is emphasized but they are reasonable. I have witnessed any of the horror stories. If you’re tired you don’t drive until you’re rested. If you get tied up and can’t make it back you stay in a nice hotel. They don’t dodge any safety and you’ll appreciate that. Cameras give a sense of intrusiveness but many a driver has had a camera save their butt or wished they had one
    Full hourly rate during training. My trainers both had over 25 years of experience and were excellent. I had 4 weeks of training and they would have provided more if I wasn’t comfortable or ready.
    Most places are component pay after training but the rate is the same from day one.
    401k, no pension Good benefits but I use my wife’s so I can’t really compare it but I’ve heard no complaints
    There’s not too much variability in utilization. I might have a huge week and then an average week or two but it’s been pretty consistent. After about 3 months I had been to 80% of the customers. The scheduling is done from their national operations center and is based on customers needs not a set delivery schedule. It switches around and I kind of like the variance. I really don’t deal with customers. I have a key and service the tanks. I’m left alone to take care of the tanks period.
     
  4. archangelic peon

    archangelic peon Medium Load Member

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    Dec 15, 2011
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    Excellent reply, thank you.

    I will give you a holler if the interview doesn't happen.
    Have infrequent consistent experience with all hazmat except class 7, but no tank experience whatsoever besides liquid totes.

    It sounds like you are generally satisfied with the company/job & I like the direct feedback, puts me at some ease going into tank work I have never done with a company that I don't have much/any info on.

    How many paid holidays do they observe & what is the pay rate for them?
    Similarly, what is the PTO/vacation situation like?
    At what rate do you accumulate days off?
    What is the pay rate/hours for those?
    What is the 401k match % maximum & what provider do they use?

    So after training the component pay is all the accessorial things besides hourly & milage pay correct?
    Does the hourly/milage compensation scale based on any factors,o is it a flat rate for everyone no matter what?
    I am used to & like cameras for the outside, (have 3 on truck now) just don't relish being analyzed by someone intent on pushing their weight around.
    Guessing that you haven't had issues with that.
    (Only going off the reports on truckersreport of some rediculousness like being fired for sneezing wrong or similar nonsense, might be blown out of proportion though)

    Do they use up your 14hr clock generally?
    Is the general feel UPS (work you like a machine) or more OD? (laid back)
    Continual training/safety homework?
    Equipment maintenance standards?

    Thanks much & cheers
     
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  5. Mooseontheloose

    Mooseontheloose Light Load Member

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    May 25, 2014
    St Louis, Metro East
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    Sorry, it took me so long to respond. I’ve not been on “Truckers report” in a long time. Just been content doing my thing. If this response is too late for you maybe it’ll help someone else

    One week of vacation after 6 months, then 2 weeks for your 1st year, 3 after 5, 4 after 10 etc.
    6 Personal days a year and paid holidays
    401k is a around 4% after the 1st year. Not sure who the provider is yet
    Pay rate is slightly different per location. We just received a generous raise. (Very little turnover, and not because of the pay)
    Pay is the same for everyone from day one
    Cameras are analyzed by outside group but feedback is filtered by 25plus year driver trainer and supervisor has 25 plus years as a driver and manager too. They “get it” but don’t try b.s. them
    We’re on a 60 hour a week clock and they will schedule with that in mind. Count on 10 to 12 occasionally 13 to 14 But your max is 60 for the week. Generally they schedule your 5th day as your shortest. 5 on 2 off in a row. Never 6. On days that I have needed to get off early I was given shorter runs. They will work with you, most drivers want the money runs!
    The atmosphere depends on the person. In this type of work you really don’t deal with anyone else but your truck and the tank you’re delivering to. I really don’t have a problem with anyone
    Training is initially provided and we have a driver trainer on site and regionally. They will provide all the training that you need. The work is not complicated and you’ll just get it after doing it enough times. Locally the driver trainer does scheduled workwiths for feedback and is accessible at all times. We have quarterly safety meetings. They stay in compliance
    Honestly, I can’t brag on the equipment because we just went through a buyout from Linde to Messer so they’re letting the dust settle. If there’s a problem, we have onsite company mechanics. One has been there over 30 years. They’re both top notch
     
  6. archangelic peon

    archangelic peon Medium Load Member

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    Thank you for the detailed feedback, the more info the better no matter when it happens.

    They ended up going with someone who had tanker/cryo experience, I ended up going LTL linehaul - everyone is happy
     
  7. Boom Tube

    Boom Tube Light Load Member

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    I am interested in cryo/gas local work. Is there any climbing involved on the trailer or on the job site? I really haven't seen any ladders on Praxair or Airgas trailers. And do these trailers ever go to the tank wash? That would be sweet if no climbing is involved (not lazy, just don't enjoy heights).
     
  8. Dennixx

    Dennixx Road Train Member

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    No climbing involved.
    We only wasn the exterior of the tractor and trailer at any wash just like others.
     
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  9. Cali kid

    Cali kid Road Train Member

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    Neither would have climbing up onto the trailer especially if the fuel truck only does gravity drops. Both cryo and fuel is loaded from the bottom or rear of the trailer. Neither would be doing tank washes as well.
     
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  10. scythe08

    scythe08 Road Train Member

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    Portland, Or
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    Can anyone recommend some websites with Cryo training vids, and/or manuals, on them? I have checked youtube, but only saw a few and I didnt really like them as one guy had music playing the entire time instead of sound and didnt caption what he was doing. another had a guy speed running through everything, and again, wasnt explaining what he was doing. I'd like cryo to be my next step in my career, but dont absolutely hate walking into something with no idea whats going on.
    Thanks
     
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  11. Cali kid

    Cali kid Road Train Member

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    I dont know of any actual full length training videos other than some we use in house. The main reason is noise, cryo pumps are loud and the whole video would need to be captioned to do so. It seems over overwhelming to most at first, but there's nothing to it really.

    You have one pressure vessel while be loaded and two while offloading. While loading up, your not running your own pump so you are just opening your top and bottom fill valves and venting off pressure if need be. Now offloading is just running your own pump to fill the customers tank while maintaining the inner vessel pressure on your trailer. This in turn feeds the pump as well as keeping positive pressure in the vessel. While this is going on you are maintaining the customer vessel pressure at their required psi as well as watching for when the tank is full.
     
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