Are any Tman members class B milk haulers? I’ve got my CDL and thinking about hauling mill as a ‘retirement’ job. What sort of positive/negative are there for that line of work?

Seven days per week I expect. Doesn’t the dairy milk the cows twice a day, every day?

There has to be better hobbies than hauling milk and sitting at the creamery waiting to get unloaded. I've never done it but have known a few buddies who have none lasted long, went on to other types of hauling. I know without baffles in the tanks it can get extra spicy when you need to slow down or stop even a bit quickly.

I have my class A

I work at a milk product production plant here in NY

Milk doesn't stop......24/7 365

On top of that for this company I haul finished product in reefer trailers.......grocery warehouses s*ck
I haul whey in tankers to farms to feed cattle and to digester for increasing methane production
And I haul UF milk in smooth bore tank trailers.

And everyday I ask myself why?


Look for dump trucking jobs......

Hauling grain might be for you. There are usually loads going from one elevator to another, or from farm to elevator. Day work. (This is my planned retirement job.)

Dairy farmer next to me has a new hauler every couple months.

There are several firms near us that are looking for haulers frequently. Long hauling, day hauling, hauling for a farmer or a firm that contracts with various plants. You can be a fill in driver, bsack up driver or full time depending upon your wants and needs and theirs. A lot depends on where you live. Western WI or west central WI would have more of the smaller dairies and thus more hauled with smaller trucks or quads. Much in our eastern area is hauled in semis. Many farmers own their own tractors and tanks as hauling costs have risen a lot over time. Winter can be a tough time to haul milk as some driveways are not easy to get to and a lot of dairies are on town roads.

Bryce

I’d say the class b CDL would be the biggest issue, I thought most went to semi’s.

Pretty sure you will have to have a tanker endorsement.

Retirement job?

Nope!

Bulk should be a breeze, cans would suck.

WS

You will need tanker on your cdl .

If your hauling for farmers it's 7 days a week normally kind of like the mailman(any type of weather rain sleet ice snow)farmers don't like dumping milk down the drain.farmers usually have a dog or 2 you have to contend with them some are very protective you have to deal with posted roads in the spring meaning you have to haul less weight or possibly getting a fine from township or the county.i would think of a different job for retirement .if you like hunting and trapping find a seasonal job may thru oct.think you would be happier

Drive a dump truck. Any quarries close by?

Non- hazmat tank endorsement will be required. That’s easy to get…I have a class A with tank and doubles endorsements.

I suspect it will turn into more than a retirement job. I wouldn’t do it…..too much waiting for me. Like others have said…. Get in a dump truck or haul grain

I have class b with tanker endorsement. Just don’t know how physical it is hauling milk from farms on a straight truck.

I like the idea of developing relationships with local farmers but not sure if I want 7 days a week if it’s overly physical. Also wondering what winter will bring…I don’t want to have to back into an unmarked driveway in a foot of snow hoping I hit the mark.

Also not sure if they require 7 days a week. I want weekends off with vacation benefits.

Your last sentence just killed it for you. Don't worry that's a good thing. Yes you will be driving on crap roads in the winter including farm driveways. If you think farmers are going to have everything plowed out for you you're wrong. That goes for the townships too. Also they will have equipment parked in the way of the milkhouse which you will have to back up close to.

I haven't hauled milk before but I did haul bulk and bag feed along with fertilizer and chemicals in season. I worked full time for a coop for a few years so I had to deal with similar situations. I got pulled up a few driveways in the winter time by the farmer. Some of them think just because you got weight you can go anywhere. I'll tell you that's not true.

Are some farmers good to deal with? Absolutely, some farms are laid out well so you can get around but some are not. Some farmers are a pain to deal with as well.

Why don't you haul fertilizer this spring so you can get a feel for it a bit. Then I want you to imagine doing that in the cold winter with snow and blowing snow. As far as weekends off and a set schedule that ain't happening when you're dealing with agriculture. If you haul fertilizer you'll be running sun up to sun down and maybe a little later. When the farmers are running you're running. I'm just giving you some things to consider. You need to make you're own decision. I seriously would think about hauling fertilizer to get a feel for it and pass on milk completely. There's a reason milk haulers for farm pickup are always looking for drivers.

Haul asphalt. So you can afford to hunt and trap when you’re retired.

one of the best jobs i ever had paid twice as much much as any thing else and was always clean

Have you done any trucking before? Hauling liquid in a tanker without baffles is a whole different ball game than carrying dead weight on a truck. I would put hauling milk almost on the same plane as carrying "swinging meat". I would never think of getting a part-time trucking job hauling anything that is perishable if conditions go back.