Which Tanker Freight is the Most Recession Resistant?

I agree with gas hauler. In Wis. milk is at an all time low in production. The small farms are slowly being phased out by these mega- farms, with thousands of cows, because they need volume to make any money, however, people are always going to need fuel. Gas, diesel, propane, whatever. If you have the grapes for it, that is. It ( gas hauling) isn't for everybody. I hauled one load of gas in my life, and I was squeezing the color out of the steering wheel.

 

This...doesn't matter what the price of fuel is, people still need to drive. However, it can be seasonal.

 

As a common carrier, that's a great question. The private Tanker company I work for, our big items were T-chlor, caustic bulk tanks, and chlorine tonners for water treatment plants. Aqua ammonia for power plants. Sulfuric and nitric for mines and refineries. We hauled a bunch of other stuff, the majority of which I only hauled once and never heard nor saw the product again. The water treatment plants facilities were pretty steady all the time. But are VERY unforgiving of any problems, even if it's on their end (thank you dash cam).

 

When I worked for Thatcher Co I ran a lot of bleach and sulfuric. Bleach was somewhat seasonal since they used more in the summer months but it was always needed. The sulfuric I ran to farmers who dripped it into the irrigation water to soften it. The water treatment plants took a lot of sodium bi as well. Pretty much anything that goes to a water treatment plant would be a good bet. Everyone has to have clean and safe water regardless of the status of the economy.

 

Good question OP! Good answers from the audience too......I spent my carrier in pvt fleets and did well. Started in cryogenics, moved to water treatment and then moved to way to dangerous for a common carrier so we haul it ourselves and was eventually phased out of that. They started using common carriers for cost savings.

I still believe that the way to go is to drive for the mfg. and haul his product. ( Chemicals ) but there are very few left.

JMO

 

Cheapest trucking that I have ever done is milk hauling. Milk might not be affected as much as general freight during a recession but be prepared to sit around the dairies trying to get unloaded for hours and hours. What happens is that the silos will get full at the dairies and there is no where to put the milk. I have even seen perfectly good milk get dumped at farms because there weren't a place to take it.

 

To go with the previously mentioned hauling to water treatment plants, you can also haul out of them. I haul the wastewater for a chicken plant and it's steady work.

 

I second the Water treatment polymer, back during the recession I was cleaning tanks, some days the only thing I'd clean would be a snot tank.

 

Yup my first trucking job was tanker wastewater. I was busy everyday my first year before I switched to fuel.