New tanker yanker

Discussion in 'Tanker, Bulk and Dump Trucking Forum' started by Gin86, Jun 12, 2019.

  1. Gin86

    Gin86 Light Load Member

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    Well I finally made the move over to tankers back in March. This is my first tanker, and now I see why so many say they'll never go back to pulling boxes lol. This is so much better in so many ways. I left Schneider for Tidewater Transit, working with @TaterFox and @RevKev. I'm also glad to see the truth about working for a smaller company......a million times better.

    I'm slowly starting to feel more comfortable with everything that comes with pulling a tanker, but I will sometimes still get a bit nervous if I'm doing an unload completely by myself, or just going through horrible traffic with a hazmat load, like Atlanta or St Louis. I did however do my first unload where the customer pretty much leaves you alone a couple weeks ago, and it went perfect. All he did was come out to check my hookups and let me get to it.

    I know some of yall have seen that I've been back and forth on going local, which was due to issues at home to take care of the boyfriend (was in a bad crash), but I think we've both decided it'll be best for us and my experience to just stick it out as he's slowly healing for the better and he feels much more comfortable being home alone now doing a few things on his own, though he is still limited on alot. Which also explains why I've been missing from the forum lately. Anywho, if anyone sees a short ### brunette in a TWT Volvo, holler at me on the radio!
     
    TaterFox, Makeajump, RevKev and 5 others Thank this.
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  3. Puppage

    Puppage Road Train Member

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    Glad you found your forever home.
     
  4. booley

    booley Road Train Member

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    I road tested for a tanker job 35 yrs ago (which I didn't get) I have a lot of respect for someone who sits in front of a load that pulls you and pushes you all day long...Good luck to you (and your boyfriend)
     
    tscottme Thanks this.
  5. tscottme

    tscottme Road Train Member

    The load only pushes you around when you start and stop, or if you turn the steering wheel. ;-)
     
  6. Roberts450

    Roberts450 Road Train Member

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    One trick Ive learned is if scaling on a platform scale dont set your brakes at all. Just sit there long enough to make sure you're not gonna roll of the scale then go scale out while the trucks rocks back n forth 6-8". The scale will actually settle out super fast even tho the truck is still moving around.
     

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  7. RockinChair

    RockinChair Road Train Member

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    Welcome to tanker yankin'. Glad you found a company you like.
     
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  8. booley

    booley Road Train Member

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    oh....is that all? piece of cake then...

    @Roberts450 how much can you gross with that setup? We went to Montana last year for my son's wedding and I was fascinated by all the different truck/axle configurations out there...
     
  9. Roberts450

    Roberts450 Road Train Member

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    In the northwest I can gross 105,500. With that particular trailer thats 60,000 pound product but with some our others its closer to 65,000 pounds of product.
     
    booley Thanks this.
  10. tscottme

    tscottme Road Train Member

    The surge feels the most violent if you are stopped and start accelerating "quickly". I learned a bad habit pulling very light autoparts in a dry van for years of stomping on the "gas pedal". Frankly, whatever you do in a loaded truck you aren't going to accelerate quickly anyway. But if you stomp the throttle in a couple of seconds it will feel like you were rear-ended by a freight train. That slam is unprofessional, I suspect, but I don't think it dangerous. If I panic stop I get a slam that isn't as bad as the starting slam. I suspect that as long as the combination is in a straight line and you don't have the habit of taking your foot off of the brake pedal (does anyone have that habit?) the surge/movement is no big deal. I almost never started driving tankers because I had over-estimated the surge from liquid product.

    On slippery roads things might be different. I instinctively am more careful on slippery roads. But in 2 years of tanker, having been from Maine to eastern Washington and Oregon and everything below them, I haven't found myself on icy roads and a loaded trailer for extended miles. I've just had icy parking lots and customer locations, for the most part.

    Maybe my biggest benefit to tankers is being able to park SO MUCH EASIER at truck stops since my trailer is only 48 ft long and has zero tail swing. I can routinely find a legal parking spot at crowded truck stops late at night simply because the van/reefer drivers 1) never learned to back, 2) there is always a spot or two nobody can maneuver a 53 ft trailer into. Being a shorter combination I also can keep my tractor nose from the SWIFT zone. I never park on the end of the line but when I do park my hood is 5 feet further into my parking spot than the van/reefer drivers.
     
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  11. Roberts450

    Roberts450 Road Train Member

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    Parking is just the opposite for me 53' tanker with a 312" wheelbase truck. Yea I dont park at truck stops. Hahaha
     
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