Owning a tanker

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by Lazy, Feb 25, 2019.

  1. Lazy

    Lazy Light Load Member

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    I myself am far, far away from even thinking about owning my first truck... but its defintely going to be a kw, being new to an o/o i would get a t680 and not my beloved w9. I wanted to know if o/o own their own tankers and haul things? Mainly i see drivers only talking about dry van reefer. Is owning your own tanker trailer a thing we can do? Ive had my tanker endorsement the same day i got my license but ive never been able to find a tanker job starting out yet. I hope to get there
     
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  3. kemosabi49

    kemosabi49 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    Some do that haul in the oilfields. Very few that run chemical do. Most lease their tractors on to a good company and pull various trailers from the companies pool.
    Superior hires new drivers and are a good company. Some say they want experience but still may hire new guys. Don't know until you try.
     
  4. REO6205

    REO6205 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    One of the big problems with having your own tanker will be insurance. If you don't have a track record of hauling HazMat you might not be able to get insurance at all.
    Check with a few insurance agencies before you spend the bucks on a tank trailer.
    Also, used tank trailers in good condition are very hard to find.

    An alternative would be as an O/O pulling somebody else's tanker or pulling your own under their authority.
     
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  5. Bill51

    Bill51 Road Train Member

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    What would you plan on hauling in your own tanker?
     
  6. wis bang

    wis bang Road Train Member

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    The testing required gets expensive. Before the new testing went into effect, old used trailers were really cheap.

    The month the new regs. went into effect, the same tankers, marked 'passes inspection' quadrupled in price...Last new solvent tanker Krajack bought [around 2001] was over $85,000.00 and everything associated with maintaining it carries a premium price tag...

    On the other hand, an old solvent tank and some hose and pump makes a good swimming pool filler if you have a cheap source of good water. There are a lot of guys running local filling pools in the burbs...
     
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  7. Lazy

    Lazy Light Load Member

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    I wouldnt know yet since i havent even driven a tank yet. Idk what you guys like to drive #### after doing dryvan/ reefer work in the short time ive been a driver it seems so bland, annoying, and more of a hassle to deal with... besides the price tag you guys are putting on how expensive driving one is, the only other downside i see is having to follow hazmat routes. Seems like tanker + hazmat is the real way to go, i have to work on getting my hazmat
     
  8. Lazy

    Lazy Light Load Member

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    Gotta find a place to get mt hazmat + tanker experience
     
  9. kemosabi49

    kemosabi49 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    Where are you located? There are tanker companies that will hire with little or no tanker experience.
     
  10. Lazy

    Lazy Light Load Member

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  11. kw550cat

    kw550cat Medium Load Member

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    The opportunities are endless.

    Dana, Coal City Cobb, Carbon Express, Superior, a lot of local outfits too.

    Running your own tank otr would be a challenge as stated due to different requirements per load and certain plants refusing a trailer if you hauled a certain chemical. The best option would be to run a dedicated product locally/regionally to minimize these issues.
     
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