Dreamed Of Trucking For Years

Justin, did you hear about that terrible tanker roll over and explosion under I95 in Philadelphia recently? That driver very likely burned to death. Had he been driving a dry van or reefer , he would probably have survived a roll over.

Still want to start your career pulling a tanker????????

Running tankers is NOT a recommended path for an entry level driver.

I'd also suggest that a company owner willing to trust an entry level driver with a liquid hazmat is irresponsible. I'd be shocked if he could even insure you. You have zero experience, get 1 year of safe performance before considering this.

It's best to gain experience with a more static type of load transported in either a dry van or reefer (liquid moves around a lot, surges) and also one that is less volatile.

I just talked to a friend of a friend who has a trucking company that has tanker that goes to the western 11 states and occasionally into BC. This is an exciting opportunity that I could have no predicted.

I'm told I'll need to get my hazmat endorsement, my twic card and my passport. I have an in person interview this week with everyone there.

This company is very close to my home as well.

It will be products for the paper and wood processing industry.

Justin, did you hear about that terrible tanker roll over and explosion under I95 in Philadelphia recently? That driver very likely burned to death. Had he been driving a dry van or reefer , he would probably have survived a roll over.

Still want to start your career pulling a tanker????????

Thank you for your concern. They do not haul fuel. It's product's for paper and wood resins

I should elaborate, I was told that the change a couple of years ago from MSDS to SDS changed a lot for them. Most of what they haul is now classified as hazardous due to small amounts of formaldehyde in the products. He said 1%.

You aren’t hearing us…

It’s liquid in a tank, far more dangerous and unforgiving than running dry van or reefer.

I should elaborate, I was told that the change a couple of years ago from MSDS to SDS changed a lot for them. Most of what they haul is now classified as hazardous due to small amounts of formaldehyde in the products. He said 1%.

You aren’t hearing us…

It’s liquid in a tank, far more dangerous and unforgiving than running dry van or reefer.

I should elaborate, I was told that the change a couple of years ago from MSDS to SDS changed a lot for them. Most of what they haul is now classified as hazardous due to small amounts of formaldehyde in the products. He said 1%.

I hear you guys. I'll have to bring all this up in the interview then and see what they have to say.

This seems to be a pretty established trucking company.

I definitely made it clear from the get go that I have no over the road experience.

Sorry, I don't see how to edit my posts. That last sentence seemed argumentative.

What I meant to say was I made it clear to the person I talked to from the trucking that I have no over the road experience.

Justin, you heard it here from a VERY experienced driver and I'm sure more will offer their advice too. Here's some from just a seven month rookie hauling dry van. It takes several months to get comfortable with many aspects of driving truck. Moreso with other aspects. It's hard enough learning to control something so big and heavy that we're not used to without adding even more obstacles to safety. I hope you really consider what G-Town is saying and read more articles on here about it before jumping straight into tanker, especially about the liquid surge. Good luck, whatever you decide.

Justin, did you hear about that terrible tanker roll over and explosion under I95 in Philadelphia recently? That driver very likely burned to death. Had he been driving a dry van or reefer , he would probably have survived a roll over.

Really??? Good to know that the several hundred roll-over deaths that occur every year primarily happen with tank trucks. (Just in case my sarcasm isn't recognized, this is a dumb statement from BK.)

Justin, I pull hazmat tanks for a living. I know that not everything requiring hazmat means an instant death from fire and explosions. Also know that a fully loaded tank or baffles really minimizes the surge. However, a story for you-couple years ago I'm 80k gross, pulling hot wax in a smoothbore tank that's only 70 percent full. I'm running up a two lane road through PA/NY (219, some may know it), middle of the night when a freak snow storm hits. Whiteout, I've got to turn on goggle maps just to tell where the turns are on a road I've traveled dozens of times. The only way I know where I am on the road is by listening for the rumble strips. Fighting the surge in those conditions made me realize that that load would have ended up in a ditch my first two years driving. Fortunately, it wasn't my first couple of years driving, and managed to safely crawl north for four hours until I ran out of the storm.

I'm not as adamant as some here about new drivers staying away from tanks-because I know not all tanks are created equal, but I will agree a new driver, handling surge, in bad conditions, is a great recipe for losing his job, or his license, or even something more valuable.

You guys have given me a lot to think about. I have even more questions for the interview. Perhaps I misunderstood and tanker is something I'd eventually work my way up to, but they did say I need to get all the required credentials. I have to admit I don't know much more about the company. They do seem to have a couple of locations in different states.