The Pneumatic Tanker Thread

Yea figure up what you need for different mileages and submit them to the company then negotiate from there. I always figured an extra 30 percent to give me some room to negotiate and still get the rate I wanted. Now some big companies like Haliburton will give everybody the same rate sheet and there is no negotiation so that the field is leveled. Your biggest obstacle is going to be affording the insurance that the service company's want, I pay 65k a year for the 5 million they want, also getting new contracts is like pulling teeth and is an aggravatingly slow process.

 

If you want to haul by the hundred weight that is a totally different animal to figure bug if you can get a copy of the old oilfield tariff rates that's a good place to start.

 

Okay thank you for the advice. I tried coming up with some formula for all the expense that we going to have just I thought it was to low we see other rates and they higher. The reason I want to get a good break down is to know when we can negotiate the rate in the future to bring them up just trying to stay on top of this oilfield company. Guess there more them one way to charge? What's tariff rates?

 

Back when trucking was regulated there were standard rates that everybody used those are the tariff rates and if you can find a copy of them it's as good a place as any to start. If you think your rates are too low raise them up to be competitive while you don't want tube the highest rates on the book so nobody ever calls unless they're in a bind you also don't want to be the lowest threat cutter out there because then people think twice about the service they are getting if you can figure out hose to be middle of the road and fair you'll get called more often. Unfortunately sand hauling is an extremely cut throat business anymore so be prepared to lose jobs overnight when somebody cuts the rate and also be prepared to sit for free a lot.

 

We have two trucks doing frac sand in West Virginia right now. They're making less than I would be if I was working. And I'm home daily. They stay out two weeks and come home for 2 or 3 days. So I don't see how it's so great around here yet. But, then again, I've been off work for 3 weeks now, supposed to go back full bore next week. Supposed to be a very busy year for us. So we'll see.

 

Day 2

today we unloaded from a rail car (no one around just us unloading into our trailer). It makes sense, basically your trailer is the silo, so you pressurize the rail car and vent your trailer and away you go. Well if the 2nd railcar's blowoff valve actually shut all the way, yeah, it wouldn't take forever.

Started at 45 deg at 5:30am, but 9am it was 35 deg and blowing 40mph. Nothing better than being covered in white cement and dust from the yards all day. fun fun.

On the plus side, getting some real safety glasses ($5) instead of the useless issued goggles (like 2nd graders use, really useless, i broke two the first day) and bringing my own ear plugs from home that actually work and can be used more than once makes a big difference. Bought some of the ear muffs that go onto the hard hat, but they didn't show up until tonight. Tomorrow I shall try them out, will be much simpler and save 30 seconds each time.

tomorrow we actually get to go to the area's where I'll probably be working (I know, what a concept) so I'm thinking they are getting close to cutting me lose to break stuff on my own. Errr I mean be super productive on my own.

 

Am I reading that correctly that it took 3.5 hours to get loaded from a rail car? That's nuts! I'd go crazy with that. (Not picking on you in any way here)

The best thing I've found for ear plugs comes from sporting goods stores. They're reusable ear plugs with a string holding them together. Popular for shooting. I've tried the earmuffs that hook on the hardhat, and didn't like them. Made my hardhat clumsy and made me feel like a bobblehead when I wasn't using the earmuffs. On the plus side, they never got lost.

Sounds like you're off to a great start though!

 

Any recommendation on insurance company for first time venture for a sand hauling company?

 

no, it took about an hour or so to load the trailer from the rail car. I was just saying that as the time changed the weather went to heck.

 

Day 3

They finally sent me to do some loads that are going to be in my area of operations (since they are basing me out of a satellite yard). Which was nice so I could see some of these places. Went to one cement plant to get loaded and that was all new (and it's apparently way less busy than the other bigger yard in denver). then went ot find a new concrete plant to unload at. After we only got lost once, we got that unloaded and then the wind came out. Holy crap did the wind come up. As in you cant' get the door open, ti's going to blow you off the catwalk, probably 60+ mph.

Then we got loaded at another cement plant that was new to me (and actually quite near my house). OMG that place is huge. biggest one I"ve been to yet. Then we drove into downtown denver where we had to make a pretty good back into this plant. (they make cinder blocks, who knew?). I did food delivery, it wasn't an issue to back it up.

The main emptying hose(?) underneath got a hole in it and I ask my trainer, ummm, got any duct tape? no, I don't have any.
wait, this is your assigned truck you have a tool box on it, i'm just carrying a bag of stuff and I have duct tape. Kept getting worse through the day. I'm hoping he wrote it up.

So, anyway, I'm free of training, tomorrow I get to make an interesting set of changes to go get my truck (which is in Colorado springs) and trailer (which is in denver) while leaving my car in the yard near me.

Then thursday I"ll probably get my first loads.

Oh yeah, Mondays trailer was made in 1986, (year I graduated high school), today's trailer was made in 1979. It's got newish running gear, but it's still funny.