Living in the truck…..

Rouse Trucking (Live in truck optional)
Birmingham, AL
$0.68 - $0.71 per mile
No NYC.
1st rate drivers deserve 1st rate careers. $3,500 Sign-on Bonus. $1550-$2000 weekly average. Live in truck (optional). 7 Days Home Time after 30 Days Over the Road (home time not required-see below). No Touch Freight. Automatics. State of the Art Trucks. Family Atmosphere.
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• Late Model Freightliner Cascadias
  • Automatic/Double Bunk
  • 24" High-Def Flat Screen TV
  • Factory Refrigerator/SiriusXM
  • DirecTV/Football Package-all paid by company
  • Battery Operated APU-and ParkSmart®
  • Take Home Truck-No Slip Seating
  • menities:
    
    • Double Bunks-Double on the bottom; twin on the top to accommodate a rider that isn't "the one"
    • 24" Hi Definition professionally installed Flat Screen TV
    • Sirius XM Radio; DirecTV with premium packages
    • Factory Refrigerator

 

I didn't say it was hard, I said it sucks;

Going to work at 4 PM and getting off at 4 AM sucks.

Working every weekend and holiday sucks.

Driving a gutless small block motor truck with a freewheeling autoshift trans that is locked out of manual shifting mode sucks.

Driving it throught the mountains to places like Redway and Fort Bragg sucks.

Driving it into the bowels of downtown Oakland in the middle of the night to stations where there is no bathroom and the attendant is locked inside behind bulletproof glass as you try to guard the hoses from getting run over while keeping an eye on all the street tweakers, hookers and assorted other life forms, remembering your trainers advice; “If you hear gunshots, close the valve and crawl under the drivers, don't come out until you're sure it's safe” sucks.

Getting yelled at by some moron who is trying to tell you that you have no right to be in the gas station fuelling your truck and taking away fuel that he needs because PG&E is about to shut the power off because of the wildfires sucks. (He got in his pickup and left before I could explain that I was there to DELIVER fuel)

Dealing with super tight effed up station layouts where have to park in EXACTLY the right spot to hit the fill boxes with your hoses sucks.

Being at closed stations in the middle of the night so can't get a Veeder-Root, having to stick the tanks and do your calculation and then still setting off the alarm and spending an extra half-hour trying to burp the last of the compartment into the tank sucks.

Being carded for 6 or 7 different racks and trying to remember the different procedures for each one when you never go to the same one twice in a row and knowing that if you make even a small screw up at the wrong one (Hello Shell in Martinez) you will get locked out for life sucks.

Having about zero autonomy over what you do and when and how you do it sucks.

Having to move everything of yours in and out of the truck at the beginning and end of every shift, and if you for get your sunglasses, kiss them goodbye, sucks.

Having to leave your dirty clothes outside because they smell of gas and diesel sucks.

How much suckage do you want?

 

Yep, that truly sucks.

 

Just gotta find the right place to work. My clothes don’t smell at the end of my shift. Just dont spill on them. Here it’s day shift and no sharing trucks.

 

Why work there if it's so bad?

 

LOL..That's all normal stuff. Can't you find any examples of bad stuff?

Also, going to Redway or Ft. Bragg isn't bad. Try going to Honeydew or Petrolia. At night. In the rain. Hyampom was another real treat. So was Happy Camp. Hyampom and Happy Camp had mills.
There's also the fact that tankers don't tarp. I kinda like that part.
Tankers don't have to communicate with fork lift drivers. As in "If you hit the side of my trailer one more time I'm going to drag you off that pile of crap you're trying to drive and beat you until I'm sure I have your full attention". You should learn to say that in four or five different languages. I've never had to do that but I saw a guy do it. The forklift driver quit and went home. We unloaded the trucks ourselves.

 

@REO625

Been to all those places except Petrolia, all in a semi - flatbed or curtain van, either hauling dirt in or lumber out. Along with Covelo. Dinsmaore, Alder Point, Annapolis, Philo and a few others I can't remember. I love Happy Camp, I love Honeydew even more. When I win the lottery I'm going to retire to Honeydew and spend my days sitting on the porch at the store, watching the hippy girls and the tourists come and go.

I would consider hauling fuel again if my current job went away and I could do it as an O/O. What I do now is better than any fuel hauling gig I've ever heard of and I plan on being here until I retire.

 

Response to Boardhauler
I didn't say it was hard, I said it sucks;

Going to work at 4 PM and getting off at 4 AM sucks.
Day shift is great. You are off and home when everyone else is.

Working every weekend and holiday sucks.
True but if you have a rotating schedule you get some weekends off. 5-2, 5-3 wasn't bad.

Driving a gutless small block motor truck with a freewheeling autoshift trans that is locked out of manual shifting mode sucks.
I had a manual, this does sound like it sucks.

Driving it throught the mountains to places like Redway and Fort Bragg sucks.
I enjoyed getting out of the city.

Driving it into the bowels of downtown Oakland in the middle of the night to stations where there is no bathroom and the attendant is locked inside behind bulletproof glass as you try to guard the hoses from getting run over while keeping an eye on all the street tweakers, hookers and assorted other life forms, remembering your trainers advice; “If you hear gunshots, close the valve and crawl under the drivers, don't come out until you're sure it's safe” sucks.
I did stations in Oakland at night and it does suck. Shortly after I went days they made some of those stations day time only drops because it was too dangerous. I think I was one of the only drivers stupid enough to do them.
Not Oakland but over in Newark a guy got shot and killed. I just ran over and slapped the internals closed and stood in front of the steer tire till I could figure out what was happening. Saw the guy dead and a scared cop hiding behind a car. Decided it was all over and went back to work, I had four more drops to do and couldn't waste any more time.

Getting yelled at by some moron who is trying to tell you that you have no right to be in the gas station fuelling your truck and taking away fuel that he needs because PG&E is about to shut the power off because of the wildfires sucks. (He got in his pickup and left before I could explain that I was there to DELIVER fuel)
Bonehead people are everywhere.

Dealing with super tight effed up station layouts where have to park in EXACTLY the right spot to hit the fill boxes with your hoses sucks.
I always took it as a challenge. Made it a game almost. Besides once you did the station a few times you have it down.

Being at closed stations in the middle of the night so can't get a Veeder-Root, having to stick the tanks and do your calculation and then still setting off the alarm and spending an extra half-hour trying to burp the last of the compartment into the tank sucks.
Ok this one does suck. And in the daytime you have to be careful because CARB might b e watching.

Being carded for 6 or 7 different racks and trying to remember the different procedures for each one when you never go to the same one twice in a row and knowing that if you make even a small screw up at the wrong one (Hello Shell in Martinez) you will get locked out for life sucks.
The different procedures due suck but you get used to it.
For those who haven't done fuel, at some racks if you hop in your truck to readjust it a foot so the loading arm will reach but forget to put on your seat belt on because it's only one dang foot. You'll be locked out for life I've seen it happen to drivers, no joke.

Having about zero autonomy over what you do and when and how you do it sucks.
I was given a stack of loads at the beginning of my shift and told go do em. Didn't talk to dispatch unless there was a problem. Same as any other job I've had.

Having to move everything of yours in and out of the truck at the beginning and end of every shift, and if you for get your sunglasses, kiss them goodbye, sucks.
I packed a bag accordingly.
Never had a problem with thieves thankfully.

Having to leave your dirty clothes outside because they smell of gas and diesel sucks.
Not so much with gas but with Jet A definitely. I knew guys whose wife made them change in the garage before entering the house.

How much suckage do you want?
I miss fuel delivery. Liked it much better than the reffer I'm doing now. But with a bad back I can't sling hoses like I used to.

It is interesting that one mans sucky job is a another mans preferred job.

 

What do you do now? I'm currently trying to plan a career path and I loved fuel delivery so something better than that sounds awesome.