Is going tanker a good idea over van, flatbed, refeer?

bog mountain where is a bog mountain near SC? too funny

 

Just my thought....Schneider tanker yankers haul a lot of different materials. Myself, if I were a rookie or relative newbie, tanker would be fine (I pulled propane for a year) if I were only hauling one or two different products. I think sometimes SNI drivers haul too many different products and it can be confusing to newbies. There's a lot more to it than driving...an awful lot to remember.

Not saying it can't be done, but this is just my initial reaction.

I'm hoping to get back into tankers in the next few years....probably petroleum hauling, after my personal life settles down. Maybe. Possibly....

 

Curious about an explanation behind this?

Newbie here so not contradicting you just curious as to the why's.

 

Originally Posted by Grouch

 

Honestly, I think pulling a tanker is a great fit for a newbie. Because of the specific issues, like surge and a higher center of gravity and always being loaded at or near 80,000 lbs and oil use on your truck throughout a week of running a pto, I believe pulling a tanker would force someone to be a better driver. There is a long list of benefits. Getting in and out of your truck alot (actual exercise vs. sitting for many hour stretches) lifting hoses. I mean, you either manage your speed or you get pushed by your trailer through stop lights and you end up turning the truck over on a circular off-ramp. It's a more interesting job, and it leads to a specialty that can be more valuable than just driving box. All this leads to being a better driver.

I understand where you are coming from. I feel that its an opportunity a person should not pass up.

 

And as a tanker yanker I will agree with you to a point. Pulling a tank requires you to think ahead of the truck.

It's a good field and the money is good and stable but it's not for everybody and certainly not for rookies without mentoring from an experienced hand. Your asking for trouble when toss a rookie out there with a tank. Seen it too many times before.

JMO

 

Harper College is one of the approved schools for that area. They just donated a trailer to them per the April newsletter.

http://www.superiorbulklogistics.com/DrivingForce/2012/12i1df.pdf

 

Agree 100%. Mentoring is the number one thing.

There are also personality traits that need to be addressed prehire. Tanks require a more stable, mature driver. SPCR places a high value on job history. Applicants with a history of job hopping aren't considered. I feel that policy provides a more stable applicant pool. They only hire the top drivers from schools where a relationship has been developed with the people who run it and have a limited number of student drivers at a given time. Hire character, train skills. You need both to be successful.

 

Tanker work does require more from a driver, and for a newbie it almost doubles the amount they have to learn and master in a short time. New drivers are still learning how to shift, and then before they have enough time to get to a point where they can shift smoothly, confidently, and competently with non-moving freight they have to re-think their shifting to deal with sloshing liquid. That's got to be tough. And of course, a lot of the navigating, maneuvering, and backing inside chemical plants is far from easy, with hazards all around and ABOVE the truck to watch out for. For that matter, some of the scales in and out of plants don't seem to have been designed with ease of access for big trucks in mind. So the learning curve for new drivers is a steep one in the tanker world, but it shouldn't be a problem provided the driver is mature, responsible, resourceful, and pays attention to what he or she is doing. As a general rule, I'd probably say that drivers should have a couple of years experience before moving to tankers, and most tanker companies' hiring requirements seem to agree, but there can be exceptions to that. There are some that have the right qualities for success even before they enroll in CDL school, and there are drivers out there with 20+ years experience who still aren't responsible enough to be trusted with a loaded tanker. I pulled vans for years, but I sure felt like a rookie for at least my first month of tanker yanking. I'm glad I made the switch, though.

 

Hello drivers!!!! First post here. Well im in the SanFrancisco Bay Area and with my experience yanking tanks, I think newbie drivers should start with dry bulk tanks or non haz liquid products to get started. Besides I dont think there are many companies that would hire someone with less than 3 years experience hauling hazardous. Around here, not sure if there are any companies that would hire less than 3 yrs.