The Cryo Hauler Thread

So I asked if that hourly pay is only type of pay I will get. Yes it is. Also company drivers don't get fuel taken out of paychecks. Which I assumed so but when you shove fuel discount on job listing I gotta ask

 

Some of the Linde ads do that as well. I was so confused as to why they proudly stating that a company driver doesnt have to pay for fuel lol

 

Airgas had open position for cryo(Houston area) again 2 weeks apart... looks like they have hard time finiding(right?) people so i applied and got rejected not meeting 3 yr minimum req,was worth trying tho .. .
Would anyone know how nitrogen pump operator is different from regular cryo work besides this being 21 on and 7 off(something like that). Only 1 year req for that position ...but it also seems that nobody wants that position ,its been months since they posted it and its still there.

anyway
Is it best to wait for 3 year to apply for cryo in general? And why would somebody with 3 years go with airgas if say airproducts is better ?

 

Nitrogen pump operator is different in that you will only be loading up to go to the job that your on. Thus the 21 day cycle for work. Could be a pipeline purge in the middle of nowhere. Could be a plant turnaround in Louisiana. But everytime you leave to get loaded. You will return to the same area to unload. At times you will help out the crew on the job site too. Linde is hiring for the same thing.

No you don't have to wait. You can apply to different driver positions at other private cryo companies. And you might get on. Some might have more of a need than others. Or you could get on at a 3rd party nitrogen carrier. And get your time in then apply to one of the private carriers after you get however many total yrs of experience they require. Im not talking about the lease purchase companies though. Im speaking of those other places that only haul nitrogen and hire company drivers.

Or other hazmat outfits like
Nalco
Western International Gas
(They just had a job fair)
Reagent Chemical
Arrow Midstream
Highway Transport

These are just a few places that need hazmat/tanker drivers. But it just depends if you want to do local or regional.

In Houston Linde & Air Products are the best two to work at. That also is the same nation wide, ( my opinion). But if I had to rank them in would be

1.) Linde
2.) Air Products
3.) Matheson
4) Airgas
5.)Messer

And again this is my opinion of the rankings of the private carriers in Houston. And I come up with this by what has been told to me from drivers at other carriers. And of course the one I'm at. Houston is a very large market area for cryo. So there will always be work no matter what. So either apply to others. Or get more time in at other hazmat/tanker outfits. Then come into cryo! Despite other places laying off or closing there doors permanently. I have worked 5-6 days all year. And its not slowing down anytime soon.

 

Try Messer. From what I'm seeing on Indeed, they only require 1 year od CDL experience. Put in a few years there and then check out whats available to you after you get your 3 years.
Messer has always been mysteriously quiet. Theres never any drivers posting about them, and they have very limited social media. But Linde and Messer HATE each other up here in the PNW. Their drivers wont even acknowledge Us when we on on the same road together lol.

 

I'm guessing in the south Messer and Matheson are fine with each other. Because I remember needing to load up at a Messer plant in Georgia for a Matheson plant in Florida. But it tank failed the sample or whatever at Messer. But was fine at a Matheson plant in I think Mississippi

 

Oh God no not nalco ... NoThank you... I am doing their loads and they are so special. Got 1.5yr of regional tanker experience already but its not 3 so not enough for airgas. I like regional but wouldnt mind local ,thats why i am applying to cryo companies.

i was planing that for weeks and now I just did but they said no open positions in the area... got no luck man

Edit: i guess they have manual trucks because there were questions about it. Are trucks manual in other companies? I dont have restriction

 

I think only Messer is buying manual Volvos.

 

Well, I think it has to do on how tough it is to get on with certain companies. I know at Air Products when we have an opening we get over 100 applicants on the first week. So best bet will be to go with whoever let's you on except for Matheson, I would stay away from them.

Nitrogen pumper is what we call at Air Products the APEX team. They go around the country doing purge jobs for oilfield and refineries. Also decommissioning hydrogen tanks and things of that nature that I dont know about. Haha.

Those positions are only for people that dont mind being away from family and constantly being on call because you never know when a job pops up. Gotta be ready within a certain time frame to go.