Indian River

The product pump is actually on the tank. There is a PTO and a hydraulic pump on the tractor that powers the product pump on the tank. It's easy to spot the tractors that have the PTO/pump as they have hydraulic hoses hanging over the catwalk. They are just called "pump tractors" here, I don't know the proper industry name for them. Either way, yes you will still be dropping and hooking them. I have never heard of a tank being assigned to a tractor.

Personally, it's rare that I will be hooked to the same tank for more than one load. Even when I am loading for a back haul, it's usually a drop dirty at the tank wash and grab a clean one to get it loaded process. That's how it is where I run in the NE, I can't speak too much about what happens when doing true OTR.

I reset every week, can't recall the last time I ran recap. A busy week means I reset with only minutes left on my 70, a not so busy week will have 10ish hrs left. I prefer to reset as Canadian HOS requires a 24hr offduty period with the cycle I run. Canadian HOS also means you can drive 13hrs a day so that eats up the 70 pretty quickly. I have burned through a 70 in as little as 5 days, with only the bare minimum onduty time for pretrips etc.

 

Do you have to speak French to do the Quebec loads?

 

No, but it would certainly help as there are a couple customers that don't speak any English. I find that lots of nodding and hand waving gets the job done.

The road signs in French are pretty easy to figure out...especially the ones that include pictures.

 

Do they have prepass and if so, how often would you say you get bypassed by the scales and does it cover tolls?

 

So I finished the hiring process, finished orientation and under my second load.deadheaded almost 900 miles instead of sitting and waiting. Feel grateful. Learned OJ's on Kearny and went to the port which is awesome.

I'd like to write a post about the pipeline from recruiting thru my first load, but there is one thing id like to understand before I do. Tanker/twin can I PM you both?

 

Sure, feel free to PM any time with any questions you may have.

Were you in Winter Haven on Wednesday?. I saw someone on what looked like a road test.

 

Unlike other companies I am aware of, these guys aren't afraid of deadheading drivers wherever they need them.

My first trip out of Winter Haven when I first got hired was a deadhead up to Indianapolis. They didn't have anything loading in FL I could run, so I was told to grab an empty and head for Indy. No load plan, no appointment, just "head up that way and we will find you a load when you get there".

I stood there in disbelief for a few seconds waiting for the laughter from the prank they were playing on the new guy.

It wasn't a prank.