Tanker pay

Does anyone know of any chemical/cryo/hazmat/ companies other than fuel/crude haulers out of Denver,CO?

 

Regarding tanker pay, MWT drivers in the Pacific NW, whether linehaulers or farm pick-up all get paid hourly, starting at $18+ per hour.

 

yeah there are "several" that need to be slid in or piggy backed!

 

Last year was a good year for me I pulled almost 75k(the best I've made so far)I've been hauling gas for 22 years (21 with the company I'm with now)The only time I sit is maybe at the loading rack if there is a line waiting to load and that's very rarely over 30 mins.I raised 5 kids put em all through school.We sold our house a few years ago and since it's just the wife and I bought a cottage on a lake and are starting to enjoy life although I'm nowhere near ready to retire I do look forward to it some day.The oil business has been very good to me and I don't want anybody to think I'm bragging I've just been very fortunate.I pulled vans and flatbeds for many years till I switched to tankers in 1991 I wouldn't want to do anything else

 

Neither would I. Tankers are awesome.

 

Hey Grumman, do you fly?

 

I might be able to give a good close picture on how the west coast gasoline drivers are doing. Of course it changes slightly depending on the area you're at too.

I know the big majors are going away but I'll start with them. They are paying their drivers from $23.50 and hour to $25.00 an hour. Last I heard at BP/ARCO it was $23.50 an hour and that was union. Any other terminal with that company where it wasn't union the pay was a couple of dollars lower. That's the best pay I've heard. Hourly wages are great because you are paid for every minute you're there. None of this wait and not get paid your pay starts when you start you paperwork in the office.

Any other company's pay depends on the loads and how well that company has established themselves in their community. Beneto, Cool, Cox, got a lot of work because their trucks looked good. I know some have been sold but the more the trucks works the better the pay. You might have to do more work, I knew Beneto drivers had to polish the truck while they waited to load so on and so on. But the pay is usually a couple of dollars an hour lower that the best paying major if they pay by the hour. Then you find the chicken crap items like every other company likes that don't pay the first hour for break downs. The junky looking truck are paying the lowest. The scale that I've always used from the top is Majors, Dedicated, then Common Carrier.

Some places call them different but the Majors are like BP/ARCO, Shell, 76, Exxon, or any company that has their own oil producing fields, their own producing refinery, their on terminals, and their own stores or outlet sites. A Dedicated is a company or even just a few trucks that are dedicated to a specific brand of station. They most likely will have that branded station on their trailer then their name is on the door. That branded station is the only stations then can go to. Other words they can not say it's slow and I take a load to XXX brand station because they need it. That type of stunt will violate their contract with that major. Then you have the trucks that hustle for any load. They load off the community rack for any low-cut gasoline station that needs gas.

Common Carriers are the lowest pay around $14 to $16 an hour. Dedicated are $17 to $22 or more an hour. A lot of companies have gotten away from hourly wages. It's a shame for gasoline haulers because it a hard day working all day long. If you drive outside the magical number of 165 miles then you shouldn't be paid by the hour. Other ways they pay and this looks like a decent way to is by percentage of the load. But then again if the rack goes down the hourly guy is the only one making money.

There are exceptions to all of this and there's plenty of great jobs that pay way more than what I've said. You just have to keep your eye open and wait. At least in the gasoline business it's such a small community you know who's where and who's got the best job. Another item to look at if you're planning to travel to an area for work. Check out the cost of living to the wages. When I first went to Las Vegas we were getting paid off what those drivers made in L.A. I don't think I have to tell you how the cost of living was so much different. Those people in soca sold their house and moved to Vegas and bought 2 or 3 homes with their money. It was crazy for 20 years but know it's settled down to a mini soca.

 

Fuel is just about impossible to get into here as very few people leave and even fewer will train. Loves is the only one that hires constantly, but they are said to be the lowest paying and just difficult to work for (here in SLC). I love to get into tanker and feel thats where I need to be, but nobody will touch me because of a not at fault accident I had where there was a fatality. I wasnt cited or anything, but that stupid PSP report throws it up and they refuse to put a column that simply says 'Y' or 'N' for 'At fault?'

 

Is it hard to get on with a fuel company? I have a spotless record but have only been pulling tanks for 2 1/2 months. I'd like to get on with a major fuel company. Right now I'm hauling liquid fertilizers for a local company. Thanks

 

Go down to Cedar City and there's a couple of guys there that own their own trucks. There's about 10 or more that run out of there and they do Las Vegas turnarounds. There's a new pipeline going from SLC down to Las Vegas that may be open. That's the best shot you can get. That area down there has out grown the tank farm and needs drivers. So if you want a good chance looking down the pipe is your best shot.