Am I getting screwed??

Here's one in Southfield, Michigan for CDL-A driver.
Union job.
Careers | Northern Haserot | United States
https://www.northernhaserot.com/careers
Northern Haserot, the “Midwest's Leading Independent Foodservice Distributor”

 

Man I read the title of this thread and thought it had something to do with one of our truck stop "ladies of the night." Turns out it was about a Swift driver.

What a disappointment.

 

Lmao! Sorry for the letdown!

 

@BigRigNate2021
You should easily double your income or better where you're at.
40k/yr is Amazon warehouse money.
Go get your X endorsement (tank /Hazmat) and TWIC, and you'll be one of the most sought drivers there is.
I've been hauling gas for 2 years, and I get calls from other gas hauling companies a couple times a month wanting me to drive for them.
Why?
Tanker drivers aren't as common as other modes of trucking... Van, reefer drivers are everywhere. Flatbed drivers are almost everywhere.
Tanker yankers are touched in the head.
We pull stuff that's often sloppy and sloshes around like a water balloon, it's often dangerous, and many drivers want nothing to do with it.
It's not for the faint of heart, or very aggressive drivers.
Tanks are a thinking man's game.
Easy on the hammer, easy on the brakes, smooth and steady wins the day.
Almost no waiting to unload or load, excellent money, and that's local.

 

Wow! Guess I should’ve been thinking about hauling tankers a while ago. I barely paid it any mind since Swift don’t do those, and I wasn’t quite planning to leave them yet. But given my circumstances, they aren’t giving me much choice.

My biggest concern at the moment, aside from income, is my dog. She’s been riding shotgun with me since I’ve been solo with Swift. Would she still be able to ride shotty if I’m hauling tankers? I don’t have any place to leave her while I’m working.

 

We love mega carriers !!!!!

 

Hey, some people make a career with them, somehow. My trainer was with them 20 years and counting. Never understood the appeal, or why he’s stayed for so long, though. lol

 

In speaking with other tanker drivers smooth bores seem to be worse. I know i was shocked a couple of times at around 40k lbs. It slaps that tank/truck like you were in an accident and certainly gets your attention. I creased a tanker farm docking backwards up an icy driveway last night, lockers on atc, didn't matter. Inertia is inertia takes some serious skill and ability that i'm slowly gaining. I'd post pics but i'm too disgusted with myself. Sadly i docked it safely the first 2 times but the steers were sliding on the ice anytime i tried to move it that darn foot and a half over. Third time certainly wasn't the charm....

Nate, i ditched the dry van big company and couldn't be happier being hourly. Hard to live on .49 cpm unless you call the truck home or are the dispatchers mvp and find a way to keep the tires moving to max that clock out everyday.

 

Yeah, I was calling the truck home for a while. I’m technically homeless right now, and have been before I started my trucking career. I was getting roughly 1,500 miles a week OTR. But after 9 months, I started to feel like I was trapped. Spending too much time in the same tiny space. It was effecting me pretty negatively.

Swift had been on my case about missing appointment windows and delivery dates. They put me on administrative leave for a month. After my leave was over, they said they had some local work for me. Made it sound like I would be getting some decent money. They also bumped my pay to 61cpm. Not like that matters, when things are like my original post.

The only way I can see myself maintaining a career in trucking, is if I’m working a regular schedule (6a-6p preferred), and I’m paid at least $50k/year. Otherwise, I can’t see how it’s worth it.

 

I know you dont want to hear this then but be more flexible on your hours. Those are prime time tenured trusted driver hours. Get in with a company first, prove yourself and then negotiate hours.

The only reason my boss keeps me around is my gunslinger mustache and the fact that when he calls... i deliver, any shift. Do i like 1st to third, third to second and back to 1st? Nope. I started driving in November and have to be useful somehow.

Most of this industry is full of beans, believe what you read and you're in for it. With that said there's some solid advice on this forum that i truly want to pay forward. If you would like to see my Millis check compared to my current company check (much more ot/driving, not sitting in a lot) for proof i have no problem with that. I make 60k a year base with OT paid straight time. Best health insurance i've had since the UAW factory i grew up in and a typical 3% match 401k

I'm not like some of these other cowboys wrecking equipment, i know my physical limit and told the boss flat out 16-20 hours driving days are off the table. I'll park that truck in a lot next to a hotel next time. The hours are definitely there if you need/want them here locally in Agriculture. Cant speak for where you are.