OTR with McKenzie Tank Lines

Hi folks. I know some have been waiting for me to post about this so I figured I’d better get to it!


A bit of background: I finished two years pulling a tanker with Schneider in July. I was frustrated there by low pay and ever-increasing bureaucracy/micromanagement so decided to seek out greener pastures. I became aware of McKenzie Tank Lines through this forum and was intrigued by their new Gold Team program (extended run OTR). I applied and was accepted to run out of the Charlotte terminal.


Two weeks ago I traveled to Pace, FL for 5 days of orientation. It was pretty routine stuff, mostly lots of safety refreshers. All of it was classroom work except for the final day. That day was spent with a local driver running methanol from Mobile back to Pace (Milton actually). Here are my takeaways from orientation: First, McKenzie treats its new driver's well. We were put up in a nice Holiday Inn Express, paid 120 bucks a day and treated to hearty restaurant meals. Second, McKenzie hauls some things my old company didn’t (some of these require special training and equipment). Examples are gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, turpentine, high pressure gases like propane and others. Some of these are only at certain terminals. Some also require a proven safety record with the company before becoming eligible to haul them. For now, I think I’ll be sticking with more familiar chemicals in DOT 407 type trailers.


After finishing my orientation on a Saturday I drove home on Sunday and reported to Charlotte on Tuesday. A driver with my level of tanker experience is required to do 5 unloads with a trainer before getting released on his own and I hadn’t completed that many while in Florida so they put me with a Charlotte-based trainer for one more day. That worked out well for me because I got to spend some time with a trainer in my own truck…a good way to familiarize myself with the truck.


And what a truck it is! Now before I brag about my truck I must make clear that not every new McKenzie hire gets a fancy new truck, but a combination of factors worked in my favor. First, I’m an OTR driver and those drivers’ trucks are the best equipped. Second, the Charlotte terminal is new and still in expansion mode. The result is I was given a brand new 2018 Volvo mid-roof sleeper. It’s pure luxury compared to my old truck! It’s got a 12 speed automated transmission, disc brakes all around and all the latest electronic safety gizmos. Inside is company-paid Directv with movie channels and dvr, siriusxm radio (driver pays), a fridge with small freezer and more. An 1800 watt inverter is preinstalled with 120v wall outlets fully integrated. Did I mention there is no idling restriction! Delivery equipment is top notch as well: Hydro-Chem self contained pump/compressor, high quality 3” hoses and fittings. McKenzie is bringing some beautiful new Tremcar trailers online as well. They have air ride, disc brakes, GPS tracking, etc. Again, don’t expect you’ll always pull a new trailer if you sign on with McKenzie, but seeing them convinces me that McKenzie is not afraid to invest in nice equipment.


So, I’ve now been on my own for a week. I’ve covered familiar territory from the Carolinas to Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas (and points in between). I’m told I could technically go to any of the lower 48, but since all of McKenzie’s terminals are in the southeast to Texas, trucks usually head back that way after long runs, or so I’m told.


It’s too early for me to say much about pay, since my only paycheck so far was for orientation. I believe all Gold Team drivers make between 60 and 64 cents a mile, loaded. Empty pay is less. I forget the exact number. I also don’t recall all of the accessorial pay numbers right now and I believe those numbers vary depending on the driver’s pay scale. Maybe a more experienced McKenzie driver can chime in.


The culture is quite a bit different here than I’m used to. That’s not surprising considering my old company is more than 40 times the size of McKenzie. Mostly this is a positive difference. One area where McKenzie could improve is their dispatch and assignment tracking system. It’s all done with macros within the Qualcomm messaging system, as opposed to the “Workflow” system Schneider uses. I’m still getting a feel for this so I’ll have to report more later.


I can’t say much about benefits yet. I won’t be eligible for health insurance until the 90 day mark and I haven’t seen details on the offerings.


I think I’ve written enough for now so I’ll end here. I’ll try to answer any questions.

 

Haha!

 

Thanks man! Will do.

Question: Why does everyone look at me cross-eyed when I ask where to get spill pads, buckets, gaskets, seals and all the other stuff I'm used to carrying with me?

 

Thanks! And good luck with the new setup!