A Brief Guide Choosing a Tanker Truck Driving Job

If you ever thought that tanker truck driving is going to be an easy job, you are wrong.
Tanker truck driving jobs are different than the usual tractor-trailer hauling jobs. This job requires much more skills, but as a result, tanker truck driving comes with a higher financial reward.
Stay with me to take a brief look at the needed requirements and training for tanker truck drivers as well as to get to know the work environment.

Tanker trucks are powerful vehicles which haul semi-liquid or liquid cargo in big metal containers. Such examples of liquid cargo include chemicals, fuel and food products. It is no lie that oftentimes, the cargo can be dangerous. The liquids inside of the cargo can be corrosive, flammable, poisonous and even explosive. Therefore, with so much potential dangers, handling tanker trucks requires extensive safety training. Moreover, driving trucks with heavy liquid loads also requires a different touch than the ones which haul dry goods like furniture or lumber.
Experienced tanker truck drivers posses specialized knowledge and skills and this is what makes them more desirable for companies which are looking to hire. These qualifications, surely play a great role in their high salaries.

Education and Training

In order to become a professional tanker truck driver, you will have to obtain a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) from a certified truck driving school. Many trucking schools offer training for drivers while on the road. Nevertheless, tanker drivers need extra training in order to be able to handle liquid cargo safely. They have to pass the Tank Vehicle Examination before getting a tanker CDL. The emphasis of the exam are the safety aspects of driving a tanker truck.

Wage

There can be many variations on the wage of a tanker truck driver. A great part of it depends whether you work as an employee for a company or you are an independent trucker (own your rig and can choose your own jobs). Another factor that plays a great role in the numbers of the wage is the length of the truck route. Some tanker routes can be in-state or local, while others may take the driver outside the country. Therefore, the longer the route, the bigger the wage.

The average tanker truck driver who works for a company earns about $40,000 to $50,000 a year. On the other hand, an independent tanker driver can make much more money because he personally picks the jobs he wants to take. The independent drivers often take the more difficult and longer routes so that they can make their wages into six figures. However, they are also responsible and have to pay for all the repairs and maintenance costs of their trucks.