Can Anybody tell me about TANKERS

you think tankers won't involve physical labor?

 

Not being nosy, but in general terms what's your disability (back, leg, etc)? It would be a bit easier to advise if we knew what you mean by "working thru the pain".

Y'see there's not really any trucking job that doesn't have some form of physical labor involved.... bending, twisting and if you have back problems, sitting in that doggone seat for 11 hours will tear a bad back up.

It's all a matter of degree.

And sir, thank you for your service..... from all of us.

 

Just about all tanker jobs require that you lift a minimum of 50 lbs. That's the requirement anyway and not necessary what you'd be lifting. There's hoses and fittings and the hoses can get heavy depending on the type and if you know the tricks when unloading.

However, I believe that tankers are the best form of trucking. I prefer gasoline and hauling loads locally because I'm home every night and if you go after the best companies you can make alot of money. You're in the city and it's never boring. But just as with all other jobs you have to work up into those jobs because there's drivers that wait years to get on with what I call the "majors". Plus there's a challenge everyday just to drive a gasoline tanker in the city and deliever 5 or 6 loads which requires extra skills than OTR drivers get.

If you can get hired with no experience then if I were you I'd take it. It doesn't matter if it's OTR or local because you'd be after the experience and building your record. The only way to make good money is to have a clean record and a few years behind you. I think right now you'd be lucky to bring home $500 a week every week just due to the way things are but you never know. That's with any type of driving.

With tankers there's always some type of special training required so once you get that you'll have another item that sticks out more than the others. Hauling chemicals can get nasty but you're trained to do the job which means a little higher pay. Plus tanker work is mostly hook and watch it run off or pump off. Not like throwing 1200 or so boxes out the backend of a van trailer.

If I were you I'd make a list of what you want out of a job and list the pro's and con's. Be sure to include every item that means something and not the make of the truck the company runs. Look at pay, benefits, home time, driver relations, and all that good stuff. See if the company has many drivers that retire so you'll know if it's a good company where the drivers stay once they get on. If it has a high turnover rate there's always more than just one reason. Then use that to select the company.

 

I know alot of those schools really push OTR driving, but you don't have to do it if you don't want to. I went right out of school and I worked my ### off beating on doors for a few months, now I drive locally and am home every night. Seeing as spring is on it's way in, alot of construction and seasonal jobs will be opening up. If I were you I would look into some of those companies before you go OTR, if your intrested.

 

I wouldn't tell any companies you have a bad back.

 

I can't tell you haw many times I have been cussed by other drivers because I take the coreners much slower than normal But hooking up a hose? No problem at all.

 

Student drivers and tankers do not mix.