Ready-mix driver

Discussion in 'Tanker, Bulk and Dump Trucking Forum' started by piston950, Aug 24, 2019.

  1. piston950

    piston950 Bobtail Member

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    Feb 20, 2019
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    Hi all,

    I am a relatively new driver with just over a year on my CDL, and around 6 months on my class A. I have my HazMat, doubles and triples endorsement, and tanker endorsement. I drove line haul for about three months, but quit because I had no life. I was working 14 hours a night, from around 8 pm to 10 am Monday to Friday. I'm not a day sleeper, so I had a lot of trouble adjusting to this shift, so I left that job. The pay was amazing, but the toll it took on my body and personal life was not worth it.

    I recently landed a pretty easy gig with another freight moving company, but the pay just barely covers my expenses. Schedule is 8:30 am - 5pm, and all I'm doing at the moment is moving trailers around a yard. Pay is $18/hour, but it should go up to $21/hour after I get through training. Overtime starts at 50 hours. The biggest downfall with this company has been communication. I have tried to find out how long I will be at my current pay rate and what my schedule will be once my training period is over, and no one is able to answer my questions.

    The latest twist is that I was just offered a position as a ready mix driver starting at $19.50/hour and overtime starting at 40 hours. Once training is over, pay goes up a dollar, and after 90 days, another dollar. I understand this is seasonal work, but I'm being told that work in the winter is available if I want it. The work week is 5 1/2 days, and typically is 55 to 60 hours during the busy season. The start time can be anywhere between 5 am and 9 am.

    My questions to you all, is does it sound worth it to go to the ready-mix driver job for the bigger paycheck, or would it benefit me greater in the long term to stick with tractor-trailer? The ready-mix company does have bulk trucks that require a class A, but that's not what I'm being hired for. Does ready-mix truck experience count at all towards other trucking jobs, or am I basically putting all my eggs in the concrete business basket with this move?

    Does anyone with concrete truck experience regret their decision to drive concrete truck?
     
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  3. brank

    brank Light Load Member

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    It's a tough job. Some days it can be physically demanding. Wet concrete often splashes on you. Carrying the chutes on uneven terrain is no cakewalk. You have to deal with lots of different people, from hungover construction workers to white collar types.
     
    piston950 Thanks this.
  4. Grego713

    Grego713 Bobtail Member

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    Jul 17, 2019
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    The hardest part was waking up at 2 in the morning every day getting out around 4 PM, it was one of my favorite jobs but there is more money on the tractor trailer once you have a couple of years of experience.
     
  5. piston950

    piston950 Bobtail Member

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    Feb 20, 2019
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    This is exactly why I'm on the fence about taking the job. Does the cement truck experience help me out finding future tractor trailer work? I ultimately am looking for a high paying local gig, hauling fuel, petroleum, or other hazmats either locally or into Canada.
     
  6. speedyk

    speedyk Road Train Member

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    You may not have thought of it, but there are trucks that bring the supplies to the ready-mix plants. Most often in pneumatic tankers. You might look into dry bulk jobs in your area or hang out at a ready-mix plant and get company names off trucks.

    Those plants use Cement and Fly Ash for making concrete. You pull up, hook up your blower and your offload hose, and in about 45 minutes you put them away and drive off.

    Typical start is early-early in the morning because if a plant has a big job they will go through product quickly.

    The good side is you go get loaded, drive to the plant and unload, and as long as you're polite, on time, and reliable you won't have many adult conversations. Mostly weekday work and mornings.
     
  7. Western flyer

    Western flyer Road Train Member

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    Mar 13, 2014
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    The start times for a cement truck driver is whenever
    The pour starts.
    Could be 5 in the morning or 5 in the evening.
    Now I've never done it and never will,
    It's just not for me.
    Too much work for to little money.

    But I was a roommate for a year with a guy
    Who was a cement truck driver.
    He was literally on call 24 hours a day.
    Phone rings, 30 minutes later he had to be at work.
    Don't think he ever had 2 days in a row with the
    Same starting times.

    Could have been morning,afternoon or night.
    And these were by no means, 8 hour shifts.
    It could be 3 hours then he's back home.
    10 hours later the phone rings again.
    He'd get 5 hours out of that job.

    I could never work some ridiculous schedule
    Like that.
    He was home everyday, but he couldn't plan
    On doing anything that wasn't close to the house
    And job.

    I doubt they all operate that way.
    There can't be that many drivers dumb enough
    To work like that.
     
  8. RockinChair

    RockinChair Road Train Member

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    Anyone who runs class A trucks would rather that you have class A experience, so if I were you I would stick with your current job.
     
  9. Fold_Moiler

    Fold_Moiler Road Train Member

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    I’ve done readymix but it was for a hell of a lot more pay and had plenty of class a experience before driving a mixer.

    I wouldn’t do it for that low of pay. It’s a dirty and dangerous job.

    I loved the work, hated the schedule.
     
    Sumtinlidat Thanks this.
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