Profile For ThinksTooMuch

I drove for Schneider Bulk as my first driving job too. Why aren't you looking into some of the other tanker companies we see at the tank washes?

All the companies you listed pay well. Look into TMC and Maverick for flatbed, very good companies too.

Whatever you decide in the end you will definitely find helpful information here.

I will tell you that a lot of young people who went to college would not do well in trucking. It is not a job but a lifestyle and most people are not adaptable enough for it. The best you can do is do your research and ask lots of questions so you have some idea what it will be like.

Yeah that works. Good luck in school. It gets more fun every day.

Nissin Foods. Off Centreville Rd on 30.

Yeah maybe we can. I'm actually in Lancaster right now waiting to get unloaded.

Was the same with me Bill. The Penndot lady said, "Are you sure you want to take ALL of these tests in 1 day?" Then when I came back to her after 30 minutes and said I passed she said, "Oh you can go onto the next test without coming to me." Then I told her I passed them all. . . Her jaw dropped. Lol.

Tanker is obviously the best choice though. Don't let the others convince you otherwise!

Each type of freight has pros and cons. Some is preference, some depends on your geographical location, some on your health, etc.

I started in HazMat chemical tanker with Schneider. I loved it. There is physical labor involved in most tanker jobs; not too much drop and hook, usually you load and/or unload the product. You will be climbing up/down the tanker (so fear of heights will disqualify you), you will sling 20-40 lb. hoses around outdoors and indoors in all weather, and you will have to deal with up to 45,000 lb. of liquid moving around behind you.

If you are doing chemical tanker you have to deal with chemical plants and refineries. Additional safety requirements (like the dreaded pickle suit), face masks, gloves, and so on.

If you are doing food grade tanker you have to deal with... I don't know? Animal smells? Perhaps unpaved roadways in/around farm areas? I never did food grade, so no idea. But there are many types of food grade, so you could be hauling orange juice, milk, liquid sweeteners, liquid chocolate, or even alcohol. So it's not all sunny farmland in food grade, you may going to/from industrial food processing plants.

Most tanker jobs will require you to be very detail oriented, which you should be anyway as a professional driver. But there are added dangers and costs involved if you unload the wrong product into the wrong tank or at the wrong customer; not the same as bringing the wrong dry van or reefer trailer to the wrong place.

Starting out in tankers also limits your options to a few companies that hire new CDL holders to drive tanker, whereas picking reefer/dry van/flatbed gives you more options as far as number of companies.

Take a look at Schneider's tanker division. I idled all the time and never had an issue. Their idle policy is tired to quarterly bonus so if you don't meet the idle numbers you don't get the bonus. But the bonus was only around $200 per quarter, so I always figured my comfort is worth more than that.

Not sure if Schneider's van division is the same.

And it should be! If you go into that truck thinking you know everything. . . That is a recipe for disaster. You'll improve every single day.

Glad you're having fun. Make sure you ask questions. Don't be embarrassed or worried to say you need clarification.

Guyjax is correct. I also believe there is an annual maximum to what you can claim as per diem. It doesn't matter in the beginning of your career but once you hit a certain income it may change the math.

5367 to the truck.

Unfortunately you got one of "those trainers." Like you said, stick through it, then move on. You will probably learn something useful and try to filter out all the crazy stuff. Seems like you have a good head on our shoulders so you will do fine in figuring things out for yourself once you get off the trainer's truck.

I also would advise filing some sort of formal complaint AFTER you are off his truck. That way there is a record, and if his next few trainees also file complaints... action may be taken.

Good luck!

Bill if I were you I'd call PennDot and ask someone. Like I said, I just did mine a year ago and the hood was open. It could have changed in that year... but it sounds VERY strange.

When I did mine a year ago... I had the hood opened. Our school's instructors were PennDot certified instructors (some of them at least). So they administered the test and we had the hood open.

It could have changed. But maybe it is a liability issue, no idea.

Glad to hear Bill. Remember not to get discouraged, there will be days you shine and days you regress. Get those pre-hires rolling soon as you can, if you haven't already.

Lol Scott.

Yup if you do your job then people will ignore your age. Don't hit stuff, don't be late, be professional. Pretty simple.

And Daniel I grew up in Brighton Beach (in Brooklyn, NY), the largest Russian immigrant community in the world. Pretty sure there are more Russians here than in all of CA/OR/WA combined

Not being facetious. I became a US citizen when I was 12.