How do yall get into hauling those big refineries out west?

Your unlikely to get a detailed answer. With how bad the market currently is and how protective most of us are of our routes and customers due to it. Most arent going to hand out info any more specific then sell your services like anyone else. Or work for a company doing those jobs and give them a call yourself.

As for pay rates. Call the companys and ask. If they are hireing they will be happy to tell you what they are willing to pay and the types of trucks they use. As a general rule though hazmat specialty jobs like that require a lot of experince and generally pay above average. Figure 75K+....but are strict as hell.

 

Careers — Badlands Tank Lines

RMCO | Midtresm Energy Service

Yards - Coastal Plains Trucking, LLC

Facilities – Ricky Shuler Trucking Inc.

Also, @bonder45 has a fleet of trucks in the Dakotas. I haven't seen him in a month of Sundays, hopefully that means he's been keeping busy.

 

If you want to be an owner operator you can expect to have to fight it out with the rest for loads and what you do get will be what the larger carriers either don't want or can't cover themselves and are willing to pass along. When there isn't enough work to go around you will usually be one of the first trucks sitting without a load. It can be pretty rough.

As a company driver it is calmer than OTR work, pay is good and predictable, and most runs have you on a set shift and home after each shift. But you drive junk equipment behind other dirty drivers in all weather conditions. It used to be a job with high employment standards and strict but not anymore. They will hire you fresh from CDL school as long as you are willing to drive with a camera in your face.

 

Private fleets usually take care of their equipment and hire good drivers.

But with third-party carriers it all depends. Some are decent and some are just plain sorry.

 

Let me see if I can actually give you a decent answer.

1) How do you get into it? You need to have your Doubles and Hazmat w/Tanker endorsements and then call up a company that is running oil. Not the refinery or the producers, they usually don't have their own fleets. Pick a field you are interested in working out of and check Indeed, Zip Recruiter, etc for that area and you'll find the major players listed. Call them up and talk to their recruiter about the options/pay/etc and go from there.

2) Is the money good? Yes, it's better than most LTL work because it's hazmat and you have to throw chains and such, and the responsibilities (and drama) are greater. In my area a company hand typically grosses $85-120k yearly. It's not amazing pay, but for the area it is good. I don't know what leasers actually make because I haven't done it that route. With that in mind you can decide if it is worth moving for. Some companies have moving expenses and company housing, etc, as well as sign on bonuses and all that stuff. I've seen guys come from OTR and say they make more and are home more. And I've seen guys come from OTR and say it is too much work for too little pay and go right back OTR.

3) Truck specs will vary by the company. If you are owner op you can spec however you want provided it has the power to move 100k+ lbs and a way to power a pump. Pump setup varies by company or if you own your own trailers you can set it up however you want. Most companies I have interacted with run tractors with a pusher axle and 500-560hp motors.

Maybe that helps you out a bit.

 

You nailed it. I don't know much about tanker work except in a five hundred mile radius of our home terminal but you described it perfectly. Those of us who have invested in trucks and equipment are very reluctant to share any more pieces of the pie than we have to.
As rule if we can't cover a load we'll pass it along to one of our competitors with the unspoken understanding that they'll do the same for us. We've been doing business like that for many years. We all know better than to bite the hand that feeds us.
Is what we're doing illegal? Is it considered restraint of trade? Probably. I know that myself and my competitors have deep roots in this area and we've invested heavily in infrastructure and community service. Is that the "good ol' boy network"? Probably...but it works for us.
An outsider doesn't have a chance. I've seen them come and seen them go. They get the garbage runs that don't pay well...if they get anything at all.

 

They contract with outside fleets. For example, P66 uses Sentinel as their in-house carrier.

The best way to make money in the oilfield is to hire/lease on with a first purchaser or with a fleet that gets its dispatch directly from the refinery.