having a hard time getting a hazmat job

All I can say is good luck driver. It took me almost 4 months to actually get a job offer and that was only because I am willing to get into trenches and run drilling machinery after I drive it to wherever.

I've got 1 yr heavy equipment lowboy hauling, 3 years food grade tanker, 6 months reefer, and a lot of other skills that the average steering wheel holder is clueless on. Clean MVR, clean clearing house, and mostly clean CSA. (Few fix it tickets on inspections, no OOS)

I wanted to get into hazmat chasing money but nobody would even call back or interview except one hazmat company paying .58 cpm on driving and 22/hr load/unload. No overtime but working 60hrs a week.

 

Your post above is a wonderful example/testament to just how bad/slow/lazy the current CDL job market generally is.

I have witnessed similar activity (or maybe I should say, the lack thereof) elsewhere, recently.

Because of excess capacity, &/or higher interest rates....companies have thus cut back on hiring, are much more selective with their hiring...and/or have mostly switched to hiring teams.

Sign-on/stay-on bonuses have all but disappeared.

The takeaway I see here -- for those who presently have a decent/good job -- think twice before quitting to get a "better" one.

Have that next job already in the bag, first.

To those looking for decent CDL work without a current CDL job, &/or relevant previous experience -- may God have mercy on your souls.

-- L

 

Please note -- my above post was certainly NOT meant to "spook" you -- or otherwise discourage you from trying.

Instead -- the hope was that you would go looking with a true understanding of the current job realities that exist -- at least for the time being.

Have said all that -- I would also add that...it's amazing what you can sometimes achieve in life...simply by giving things a good honest try.

It's still quite possible to sometimes pull that elusive rabbit out of the hat....

-- L

 

Targa Resources
LPG Transport Driver in Dayton, Texas

Martin Transport
Martin Transport Career Opportunities

Arrow Midstream
https://www.arrowmidstream.net/careers

Midstream Transportation:
Propane Transportation, Center, TX

And I think Hercules has a yard in Dayton.

 

It'll all even out in a few years regardless. I went from making 50k/yr during covid to nearing 90k when you account for per diem during the post pandemic boom. Now I'll be back down to 60k or so with the new job.

Boom and bust cycles and all. If you're willing to do it and have local jobs hiring septic I've seen they're still doing sign on bonuses. But then again it's septic. I've done a little bit of it at the food grade company I ran with. It's back breaking work.

The kicker is our wages are going back to lower rates but inflation is way out of control. If I wasn't nearly flat broke from the unemployed stint and some other major life financial stress I'd be getting out of trucking and going to trade school but my nest egg is gone.

300k dollar single wide "homes" and 50k a year jobs working 60 hours a week. If this keeps up I don't think the self driving trucks will be displacing drivers, I think drivers will be leaving just from getting starved out. I know I would be if I still had a nice savings account still.

 

I came into trucking at the absolute best time for new Drivers, and I thank God for that. In only about 4 yrs, I’ve got to do both types of trucking I came into this industry to do. Plus tried my hand for a minute at OTR/sleeper, which I never intended to do. It’s been a great experience.

With any industry, there’s nothing better than showing your face and letting a company get a read on you in-person. And I learned that early in life and have been successful doing so. If you want something, go after it. Don’t be afraid to be turned down, and keep at it.

 

I used to work for Sumter Transport (STC) before the were bought by Circon. They would go to large refineries and clean out the massive refining tanks. Over 25-30 years, crude sediment would build up on the bottom, reducing capacity. STC would scrape the crud out, put it in a tanker and ship it to a kiln. It’s kind of like running a reefer because they use something called a Rob-a-roller to agitate the tanker bottom product. If you don’t, they harden and it becomes a pain in the ### to get out so you’re constantly focused on keeping them fueled.

Most All of the drivers left after Circon bought STC. They were looking at moving more loads by rail instead of truck- maybe that was part of it. Were I you, I would get ahold of a Circon driver before blindly signing on.

 

That's a bit more high-tech than the ol' "water and dry ice" method.