While I was attending the International Truck Show in September, I picked up an application for a company that hauls bulk fuel products in California, Nevada and Arizona. That company is Beneto Bulk Transport. They are based in West Sacramento, CA, but have a terminal in Phoenix.

They are well known in the area for their shiny trucks, as in this picture that was snapped on the eastbound I-10 in Phoenix.

I applied to them around the first part of October, interviewed a couple of weeks later, and then had to wait until they had another position open in Phoenix. I received a call on December 7th that started me down the road again to become a "Tanker Yanker."

My last day with Schneider National is December 28, 2005.

• 10/04/05 - I had my interview with the hiring guy for Beneto. Now I have to schedule a road test in a few days.

• 10/12/05 - I took a basic road test today. I have to remember that placarded units STOP for railroad crossings. Now I wait for the call. There are 5 applicants for three positions. If I don't make it this time around, there should be more openings in a month or so.

• 12/07/05 - Well, I didn't make it the first time around. However, I received a phone call from the hiring guy this morning. I have to get another DOT physical, as well as some sort of strength test. And then go to the MVD to take the test for my Tank Trailer endorsement.

• 12/09/05 - Yesterday morning I went to get the physical taken care of. In the afternoon I went over to the MVD office and took my tanker endorsement test. Unfortunately I also had to retake my HazMat test so I could start my TSA clearance proceedings and keep my HazMat while proving that I am not a threatening evil terrorist type personage. Today I stopped by an office in downtown Phoenix and had my fingerprints collected. I had to fill out an online form last night and pay $94 for the background check.

• 12/14/05 - Well, I went to a new-hire orientation today. I had to take the day off from Schneider to attend. I'm all set except for the results of the drug test I took today. Time to give my notice at Schneider.

• 12/19/05 - Received the "All Clear" call today. Everything came back ok and I'm all set to start on December 29th.

  I am scheduled to travel to Sacramento the second week of January for classroom training. I'll update as I can.

• 12/29/05 - First day of truck training. They put us on the truck with an instructor for at least a week or two before we head off for classroom training. This allows us some sort of basis for comprehending the paperwork and certification training we will recieve in class.

  I can see how this could be a dirty job if you don't think things through and learn how not to "hug the hose".

• 01/14/06 - Returned from a week in Sacramento last night. Flight back kept getting delayed later and later. Interesting week. Learned a lot about the culture of the company, as well as the proper way to complete paperwork. I also took most of the class training necessary to get certified at the various loading racks we use. Now I just need the practical hands-on experience before I can my certification and authorization to load. Training is fun so far.

• 01/26/06 - I'M DONE WITH TRAINING! I was released from training today and start working the night shift tomorrow night. Whoa. I have to take a Driver Certification class at Kinder Morgan on the first, and then I'll be "carded" (certified) to load at most of the racks I'll use.

  Now comes the fun part. Acclimating my body to working nights and sleeping during the days. It'll be easy during the week because everyone is at school and work. Weekends should be a challenge since the kids will be up early and the house will be full all day.

• 02/07/06 - Whew, time sure flies by. Things are going good. Don't tell anyone but my first night out of training was very taxing. On my first load, the rack went down for 3 hours. There I sat, all loaded and waiting for the computer tech in Houston (!!) to come back to work on a Friday evening and fix the network so we could print out BOLs in Phoenix again.

  And then, at my second stop of the night, I locked myself out of the truck! I had finished unloading and had the paperwork all signed. I took off my coat and threw it up on the passenger's seat, locked the door and closed it. Unfortunately, the key was in the coat pocket. And I was standing outside a locked Freightliner Columbia in the cold evening breeze. I'm not going to tell you how I finally got in, because it's embarrasing. Needless to say, I've renewed my AAA membership for this year. Next time (knock on wood) I'll just call for Lockout Service.

  Since then, things have been ironing themselves out. Had a glitch at the first of the month with my name not being written on the February schedule by mistake. Extra day off for me. On Saturday night I pulled 8 loads. That's a lot for a 10 hour shift. Thank goodness for this being my three-day "weekend".

• 03/07/06 - Just got back from my first suitcase load. Had to run to Los Angeles and bring back a load of motor oil. The trip out was nice...deadheaded empty. Had to hit the Quala-wash in South Gate for a steam clean and then to the motel for sleep. The local Long Beach drivers loaded the truck for me. Woke up and headed back to Phoenix. I get paid for this?

• 03/12/06 - WHAT IS THIS WHITE STUFF!??!? Off to Prescott last night! It was raining in Phoenix when I left. Shortly after leaving Black Canyon City and heading up the grade, it turned to SNOW! By the time I made it to Cordes Junction, the snow plows were pulled over waiting for it to stop so they could go back to work. It was horrible! It was worse coming back. Big empty roller skate with a cross-wind. Serious pucker factor. Made it back ok. When I reached the station, I had to plow a section of the lot to find the fills. Thank goodness the store had a shovel I could borrow. There was 6" of snow on the ground by then!

• 03/14/06 - My first (& hopefully only) problem occurred last night. I dropped 500 gallons of 87 octane into the 91 octane tank at a station. Damn. Chevron requested that I do a "Pump Over" and pump all the gas from the Premium/Supreme tank into the Regular tank and then drop the 2,000 gallons of Premium I still had on the truck. 4 hours of work because I neglected to douple-check the tag on the compartment before I pulled the lever. Moron.

• 04/04/06 - I hate T/A! Actually I hate WalMart DCs worse. Made one trip to the TA in Eloy last night. We have to scale in and out. Wouldn't want them to miss out on a single ounce of fuel. And then off to the WalMart Distribution Center in Buckeye. This one is a beaut. After unloading, we have to sit and wait for 30 minutes before we can leave. This is to allow the fuel to settle. Never seen diesel need to settle. The readings before the 30 minute period and after have always been the same. Waste of time...and usually late at night (last load, etc).

• 04/28/06 - What a night. Rolled out of the yard at 17:15, loaded and headed for Kingman with a load of gas for the T/A up there. Made it to Wickenburg and picked up a nail in a drive tire. Had to wait 4 hours to get it fixed. They couldn't get hold of the tire shop in Wickenburg so they sent a tire repair truck from Phoenix (90miles). I didn't get back until after 6:00am! I'm going in late tonight! I need my sleep.

• 04/29/06 - Took my first load of Red-Dye diesel last night. I had to go from the rack in Phoenix to the Navajo Generating Station in Page, AZ. 284 miles one-way.

  Came in an hour late, after sleeping off the Kingman fiasco the night before. Loaded the truck at Kinder-Morgan and headed up the hill toward Flagstaff. Nice trip...lots of slow going though. Turned down Mercedes engines don't like hills. Made it to Page and then to the power station. The escort took me right through the middle of the station. It was like driving down an alley with no walls...just steel beams and tubes and stuff on either side. LOUD! Kinda scary being in the belly of the beast. Cool though. Not many people get to see something like that.

  The plant had a pump to get the fuel off. And it had four hoses so I could drain all 4 compartments at once. Sweet! Quick work and then back to Phoenix. What do you mean this truck will only go 400 miles on a tank of fuel...downhill with a good tailwind?! Limped back into Flagstaff on fumes and fueled at a CFN station. Left Phoenix at 18:50 and didn't get back until 8:30 in the morning. But it was Saturday morning so there was not much traffic. Cool weather and nice scenery in the dawn light.

• 05/20/06 - Another trip to LA. This one isn't at all like my first one. I left Phoenix at midnight on the 18th and drove straight through to be at the Wilmington rack by 09:00. Unfortunately there was a TON of traffic and I barely made it in time. Fun times in Oil City. 10w30 oil is not fun to play with. Not only does it lubricate the insides of engines, it does a wonderful job on stair treads and railings. Top loaded and guess who held the stinger so it didn't shoot out of the tank? Yuck.

  Finally finished after an hour and a half and back into traffic headed for Palm Springs and a motel room. Mid day traffic isn't much better than morning traffic. It was never this bad when I lived here! Honest. Dragged myself to the motel and crashed out. Woke up and headed out after my 10 off. Made it back to Phoenix about 04:00 today. And I'm going back to work for a while tonight and then I have 3 days off.

• 06/13/06 - Went to Bullhead City last night. Just like Kingman only longer. Split load to two stations up there. The first station went smoothly, nice clerk, etc. The second station made up for it. The store clerk acted like he was doing me a big favor by just say "hi". But, I came back through Lake Havasu city and Parker. Pretty drive, even in the dark.

• 06/18/06 - They sent me to Mexico last night. Well, almost. If you drive from Phoenix to Gila Bend, you travel on Hwy 85. If you continue south on 85 from Gila Bend, eventually you come to Ajo, AZ. Further on and you pass through Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and come to the town of Lukeville, AZ. Any farther south and you need a passport and currency exchange. In the town (wide spot in the road is more like it) of Lukeville is the Gringo Pass Trading Post and RV park. This is the last gas in the US, on the road to Rocky Point. And I had a delivery for them. It's always fun to drive until you see the "International Border 1/2 mile" sign and then keep going until you are staring at the Border Patrol agents and a line of barbed wire. This was across one end of the parking lot at the station! Pumped the gas off into above-ground tanks and headed back toward civilization. Past a USBP checkpoint and on through Ajo and Gila Bend and back to Phoenix. 8 hours round trip.

• 06/22/06 - Wow. I worked a day shift today on my day off. It gets hot out there in the sun. I'll stick to nights for now.

• 06/23/06 - Put my wife and kids on a flight to Mexico tonight. She and the youngest will be gone a week. My oldest son (6) will stay down there until just before school starts in August! Long time. But I have a week of having the house to myself! Maybe I should work some extra shifts so I don't get bored.

• 06/27/06 - Oh boy. Three nights of runs to Tucson. Two Jet fuel trips to Tucson Airport and one split to two stations in Tucson. And tonight I'm going to Las Vegas for an overnight load. So much for days off!

• 06/29/06 - Ok, now I remember why I stopped driving long-haul. I left for Vegas on the 27th about 17:00. Drove up, unloaded and made it back to Kingman before I took my break. Left Kingman yesterday about noon and drove back to Phoenix, reloaded and headed for Primm, NV (CA/NV state line on I-15) with a load for Chevron. Made it to Primm, unloaded and couldn't get the brakes to release on one axle!

  I ended up overnighting at one of the hotels in Primm. Road repair came out in the morning and adjusted the brakes on the truck and trailer. They were all 1/4 turn too tight, and the suspect axle was almost 1/2 turn over-adjusted. Made it back to Phoenix about 18:30 and I'm going to crash.

• 07/02/06 - Oops, I'm out of hours! Really messed up by working both days off and not getting a 34-hr reset. Ran out of hours during my work week. Dispatch is NOT happy with me. But, my wife and son come home tonight so I can meet them at the airport.

• 07/04/06 - I'm now a Chevron dedicated driver. I pull Chevron loads only...supposedly. Happy 4th of July!

• 07/05/06 - I pulled a load of Red-Dye diesel to a placed called Hayden Junction last night. You go East from Phoenix until you get to Superior and then go South! And there is a 10% grade to navigate...both directions. In the rain! That was fun. 200 miles roundtrip.

• 07/17/06 - Something new for the last two nights. I pulled ARCO/BP loads to San Luis, AZ both nights. San Luis is south of Yuma, right on the southern border with Mexico.

• 08/06/06 - Just realized exactly how long it's been since I looked at this page. Work goes by, weeks come and go and suddenly the kids are going back to school. My eldest returned from Mexico late on Friday night and we spent yesterday at a water park in Tucson as a back-to-school outing. I'm partially sunburned now. Tomorrow Matthew goes into Second Grade and Isaiah starts Kindergarten. Dang they are growing fast.

• 10/04/06 - Sitting down to catch up on what's been happening. Since I've was assigned as a Chevron dedicated driver, I don't go out of town. Lots of in-town deliveries. I miss the variety some.