How to decide where to live/what company , when you first start?

12hrs

 

Best money around here working tanker is for a private fleet of a chemical company. These would be Brenntag, Univar, and Nexio just to name a few. Like most private fleets experience is needed and a clean record.

 

You're probably in the hiring area for a few tanker companies that hire new CDL grads. One new grad posted this week he was hired by Trimac.

Tidewater Transit
CTL Transportation
SVTN
Schneider Bulk
Superior Carriers
Groendyke Transport
Trimac Transportation

All these hire new CDL grads even though some websites may have "experience required."

 

I used to pull hazmat/tankers out of Nashville, TN and one customer is in Las Vegas. I eventually moved there and never looked back at the old home state.
Lots of good places to relocate to if you and the wife want; states with no personal income taxes.
Houston, TX or most anywhere along the Gulf Coast of Texas is good.
Texas
Nevada
Florida
all good places to live for tanker work. Texas and Florida are a little better for tankers due to more companies to choose from. I like Las Vegas area due to the better weather year round.

 

schneider isn't much of a company
but the training they give you in bulk and tanker
is as good as it gets
I believe you get out of a job what you put into it
maybe a lil suffering first year to get next 20 in the upper tier pay group

 

Schneider Bulk gives a heart rate test and it's pass or fail with no second chances. Most tanker companies probably do the heart rate test and hair follicle drug test.
Heart rate test is walking up and down stairs a few times, then test the heart rate. Start practicing now if you're a smoker or not in shape.

 

I went local right out of school. Most OTR companies that were recruiting from my school were stating first years from $40-$50k. That was unacceptable for me. I went with a beer distributor and made $45k my first year and was home usually around 3-5pm M-F. That's typically pay for starting out in beverage. Now I'm working doing P&D working M-F and should make around $60k. Hourly pay, OT after 8/40, pension and so on. I found that most of the time the local guys make more money than OTR. Obviously there are exceptions. I know the oilfield guys rake it in but to me it's insane to give up your life for the truck and then not be paid properly for the sacrifice you made. The other thing people forget when making the OTR/Local comparison is time your working and not being paid. I get paid for every second I'm working whether it's driving, sitting, being loaded/unloaded for 2 hrs. The clock is running and at the end of the day, the OT clock is running!

 

With Trimac it's best to just visit the terminal and ask for an application & interview. With this company they have local and OTR, plus they're all over the country. You mentioned relocating, so with most tanker companies many good places to live without having to change jobs.