Is tanker driving physically demanding?

Had to open vent every time I loaded and unloaded, that's it, so 2 maybe 3 times a day at most. When loading, it was done from platform, no climbing, other than stairs to platform...When unloading, I only had to climb ladder to point I could reach vent, never had to go all the way up, and I'm a short guy...I would have categorized it as dangerous before physically demanding due to load(hot asphalt)...

 

Oilfield tanking is almost all going to require some climbing... quite a bit actually. I am in OK and pulling 4-5 oil tanks a day...2 trips minimum to the top of each 15' tall tanks. On longer runs, you may only do 2 loads/day...some (very, very few...but some) loads are long enough that you'll only do one load/day.

With that said. There is a sort of niche in crude hauling that has virtually NO climbing involved at all. Some crude hauls involve lact to lact loads. You are at ground level each time you load or unload. The most climbing you would do is in and out of the truck. The problem with that setup is that I'm not sure of any of these companies would guarantee that you will be running lact to lact all the time. If they lose that contract and the only thing available involves climbing the tanks... well.. you know whats next.

Anyway... if you wanted to be in the oilfield...lact to lact crude hauling would probably be the best. I thjnk Taylor/Gibson does a lot of that...might wanna check em out.

 

I'm not supposedly in the oil field....I'm IN it! LOL

What's my day like

Wake up at 1400, pee, check to see if I got dispatched yet, try to go back to sleep, cats bugging me, finally fall asleep again five minutes before the alarm rings at 1530, hit snooze, hit snooze again, get up, shower eat, pack lunch, go to yard wondering if I'll have everything I need to work when I get there, park, gather all my stuff, pti truck, check maps, wish I had hit previous powerball, dream of hitting next one, head to lease, almost get in three accidents with white pickups, lose a vertebrae or two bouncing down a lease road, find tanks, update logbook, climb the tank stairs with tools, gauge oil, then sample, climb down stairs, work oil, hook up hoses, open valves, open tank valve, open header valve, check to make sure valves on truck are open, check valves again, turn on PTO, load oil, watch the gauge, clean tools, turn off header valve, clear hose, turn off PTO, put hoses away, close valves, climb up stairs, gauge oil level, climb down get on truck, do paperwork, drive to unload station, repeat two to four times each night, repeat five to six days each week. Somewhere in there I get fuel and buy a 24oz Monster too.

 

I'm tellin, I'm tellin!!!! Nowhere in that did I see you mention chocks and cones...nowhere! You've been a bad boy! You are a boy?

 

I work at night....screw the chocks and cones! The chocks won't stop a truck and I'm tired of water trucks running over my cones! LOL! ... I also forgot to mention belly sampling... I don't do that either LOL

 

Lol.... gotta love it.

 

Local hauling can be demanding. Climbing in and out of truck constantly. Pulling off drop hoses, lift to drain and throw them back up again. Loading is hefting around spring loaded load heads. Don't spend much time on top of unit. Most everything is bottom load. Pay VERY close attention. You are responsible for everything.

 

True, back in my driving days local hauling was worse than cross country driving for me. All of that loading & unloading rushing from here to there, is wears you down.

Of course for some people I'm sure it would be just the opposite. I was always a person who could get 6 to 8 hours of sleep, get up early, them go till the next morning at about 5 to 6 AM, get a couple of hours of sleep, them go that long again with out any problems. All people are not geared that way.

Of course they would not want me & others like me out there driving today.

 

I say they don't know what their missing

 

If you dont shift right and ude the brakes smoothly it a beat the $hi# out of ya