New to tanker driving; starting soon...

How was food grade pneumatic? They offered that to me (it's a division they have) but it was a lot of short hauls, and I already experienced pneumatic (not food grade) work. Wanted longer runs and to try something new so I went with the liquid.

 

Well I started Monday, as was planned. It's been a lot to deal with; getting used to driving again (haven't been in a truck for over a year), getting a feel for the free range load back there, and then all the procedures and paperwork. Had a pretty busy first three days; hauled 4 loads (including one partial that I just dropped at the yard) and covered something like 1,200 miles.

This morning I finally had time to catch up with the guy in the office about the peoplenet that isn't working right for dispatches. Kinda makes me miss the days where you just called and talked to someone anyway... that's being replaced this morning (was an old unit).

I think it'll be ok once I'm used to it all and feel more like I know what I'm doing, and when I have longer trips.

I'll get back to this in a bit...

 

How was your first week? I'm going to make another post or two... I've been kept pretty busy for these first 12 days. But when I get done unloading this morning I'm heading back to the terminal then home for a week at a quiet old resort cabin. (I hate to be the "I just started, can I have a week off?" guy, but it's been planned since last July.)

 

Got my first check, cleared a grand for 6 days of work, and that's not including my 150 from my orientation day I did before I got in the truck. Doesn't seem too bad, considering all the short loads (I think that was 6). I keep hearing I'll make more with the longer trips and the Canada loads (I still need to get my passport).

Seems like decent folk who work at my terminal. Helps that I don't think I screwed anything up yet. Coming from pneumatic, I guess I'm used to fussing over unloading. I keep meeting new (to me) drivers who've been here a long time, and that's what one guy said, people who start here are either here for a few weeks, or years and years. Only ran across one old guy who seemed more interested in complaining. I've also been told that once I'm here long enough to get profit sharing, that it's a really nice perk...

Despite one or two little "problems" (the on board computer for the peoplenet crapped out when the shop tried swapping the old green screen for a new touch screen, so I've been paper logging for all but the first three days ) it seems the equipment is kept up pretty well.

I've had to spend some time sitting a bit, but it's been nothing compared to what I remember of the old dragging boxes to warehouses days.

I'm definitely appreciating the loads that aren't blowing dust everywhere, and most places I've been have been pretty clean (food grade, shocking right?). One place was a mud pit because it rained several inches the night before I got there... speaking of; that was nice. I drove through a pretty horrendous line of thunderstorms, and it's nice how much less the wind knocks around that rounded can compared to what I'm used to. I stopped at a rest area that night; as I pulled in the power went out and was still out in the morning when I left. Wind snapped off a pretty good sized oak in their picnic area.

The slosh isn't as bad as I thought it might be (reading some descriptions on here, I was wondering if it would mug me and pour sugar in my gas tank), but I'm not such a greenhorn in a truck at this point... "don't drive like a degenerate you know what" is pretty widely applicable to all of trucking. definitely taking it easy a lot more than with anything else I've pulled. Biggest thing has been getting used to the 10 speed again (last manual I drove was an 18) and, yes, trying not to grind a little when the load says "hi" during acceleration. Seems to me this would do better with a 13 or 18 speed, but whaddaya do. I got a couple good pops, but it's been ok. I was told some guys who were new to tanking quit after the first day... makes me wonder if they really didn't have a grasp on how not to piss off the load or if they were that skittish.

I'm looking forward to more time inbetween seeing shippers and receivers, but right now mostly I'm looking forward to going home to see the wife and the little man. I'm guessing I'll get some longer trips when I get back, if they aren't too short handed locally.

 

Here's what they have me driving. They have a lot of slightly smaller tanks for sugar/HFCS, too.