My Eccentric Tanker Trucking Questions

I'm doing the career change thing too, starting CDL school in two weeks. I would love to drive tankers if I can find a job that gets me home every 2-3 days.

I don't have the answers to your questions, but I would suggest looking at the craigslist ads for transport jobs in your area, making a list of the companies who advertise there, and researching their websites and job postings. You should be able to get a feel for how long each company will keep you on the road and what lanes run through your area. I also search for each company's name on this forum and see how many drivers they have p'd off I have been doing this for a little while now and have come up with a good list of companies I plan on applying to.

 

the biggest market for chemicals seems to be a big triangle between houston-chicago-newjersey.

i haven't been to the west coast yet and i've been doing this for almost a year. i occasionally get some nice 1500-2000 mile runs, average probably 600 miles per run. i don't think any companies will let you accumulate home time, it's use it or lose it.

 

I live in the extended Chicago area and I've been as far east as Gaspe', Quebec, west as Los Angeles & Vancouver, south as Houston, & north as Edmonton, Alberta. Have had my share of both 2000+ mile runs & 300 mile ones. I haul chemicals, so can't say about food grade. As far as your other questions, it depends on the company and it's policies. Some might let you accumulate hometime (within reason) & others may insist on more set schedules. Also holds for operating areas & length of hauls.

 

I am only acquainted with milk hauling as far as food grade is concern and you will find coast to coast for the milk business is just about none. A few years back, we were getting some good long runs, but here in the Mid-Atlantic and South, milk hauling has dwindled down to short runs, 250 miles one way. To make any money doing this, a man has to work 7 days a week because hauling milk is cheap and cheaper. As I read the other day, I must be allergic to peanuts, because everytime I look at my pay I break out in a rash.

It seems like these milk co-ops and if you don't know what I am talking about, in the milk business, the co-ops control everything, but it seems like they are really trying to keep the milk from traveling very far.

 

There's alot of coast to coast in food grade. But there's also alot short runs aswell. As far as milk most of those are 2 to 500 mile runs. I did run alot of UF milk or cream from Ca to Wi. Thats about as far as I ever hauled milk

 

Where you live I'd give caledonia haulers a call

 

Schneider doesn't do food grade neither does A&R. If you come to the Midwest you are going to go the NE with a tanker.