HELP! I'm soooo CONFUSED! Car Hauler or Tanker Yanker?? Sage School or Harrisburg Community College?

I am new myself so I can only offer some opinions based on my level of interest and experience. I went to a community college that had a very thorough course that was 10 weeks long. But my school was certified with the respected certification organizations in the industry. If your local community college has yet to do that then they will be short changing their students. I logged over 1000 miles of driving time during school, some of it in a tanker. This was very beneficial from a confidence perspective since I was coming from a background that had nothing to do with driving. If you choose to go with the shorter program please pay attention to how you feel about your confidence when you are finished with the program. Since you come from a driving background you may not need the longer hours. Regarding pay expectations...be wary of all those figures being thrown around. I think much of it is exaggerated. I heard tanker drivers have to walk on a skinny catwalk on top of the tanker in all weather conditions. I imagine it varies by how the tanker is set up but something to consider. Good luck.

 

This tanker job,what do they haul?some hoses are heavier then others which you drag either under trailer,in rear of trailer depending where the valves are located.takes about a half hr for unloading and loading..A requirment in tankers is you'll need steel toe work boots.When it comes to comfort and good durable boots money should not be an issue.I paid 120.00 at Rudolph shoes.

 

Trust your instincts, Jen.

Personally, for me, I would talk with Nicole at the CDL Program offered through the Lancaster County Career and Technology Center's Mount Joy, Pennsylvania Campus before I decided on either Sage or HACC. But, that's just me.

Good luck with whatever decision you make to become a professional driver!

 

Wow... before you get to the point of making a decision what to haul, maybe you need to get your CDL FIRST and then decide.

 

Take the tanker job. From what you've posted, the tanker job is the best fit for your situation.

 

No way you're gonna make anywhere near 125k as a new driver hauling cars, probably a stretch for most experienced company guys.


I'm a Teamsters fuel hauler and quite content.

 

I agree. You won't see 125k as a new driver. An experienced driver that runs hard can do that. But i would take the tanker job and get some experience. Then if you want to try hauling cars in a few years give it a shot. There's a lot involved in hauling cars. I haven't done it but I knew a few guys who did. They said it was normal to be running around at 14' on a daily basis. I have 10 years experience and want no part of being over 13' 6". I couldn't imagine doing that right from jump street.

 

Food service is a very physical, demanding job. Tanker is also physical, but not as bad. Still going to do a lot of climbing, manhandling hoses, valves, etc. And pulling a full tank is an art in itself, with surge and all.

 

I'd take the tanker job for a few reasons. Canned Spam mentioned one reason I agree with. 125k for first year company drivers? Ain't gonna happen anywhere in trucking that I'm aware of. Sounds like over zealous recruiter promises to me. Another reason is rolling dozens of dollies up and down ramps is snow, ice, rain, and darkness doesn't sound fun or safe. Car hauling isn't for anyone who may be even slightly afraid of heights. Guess who climbs up and down to drive the cars on and off. And in the same weather as food service driving.
As for the driving school, unless they are a complete dirt bag outfit, take the cheapest one. It's only going to matter to the first or second company you work for that you even went to a school. After that, your work history and driving record will become what matters.
Lastly, don't worry about being female making you a bigger target. Honestly, the kinds of people who would target you are actually after your wallet. They won't care what your gender is. Just pay attention and excersize the same common sense and good judgement as anyone else in that situation and you'll be ok.