The pros & cons of fuel hauling? | TruckersReport.com Trucking Forum

I didn’t say it was hard, I said it sucks;

Going to work at 4 PM and getting off at 4 AM sucks.

Working every weekend and holiday sucks.

Driving a gutless small block motor truck with a freewheeling autoshift trans that is locked out of manual shifting mode sucks.

Driving it throught the mountains to places like Redway and Fort Bragg sucks.

Driving it into the bowels of downtown Oakland in the middle of the night to stations where there is no bathroom and the attendant is locked inside behind bulletproof glass as you try to guard the hoses from getting run over while keeping an eye on all the street tweakers, hookers and assorted other life forms, remembering your trainers advice; “If you hear gunshots, close the valve and crawl under the drivers, don’t come out until you’re sure it’s safe” sucks.

Getting yelled at by some moron who is trying to tell you that you have no right to be in the gas station fuelling your truck and taking away fuel that he needs because PG&E is about to shut the power off because of the wildfires sucks. (He got in his pickup and left before I could explain that I was there to DELIVER fuel)

Dealing with super tight effed up station layouts where have to park in EXACTLY the right spot to hit the fill boxes with your hoses sucks.

Being at closed stations in the middle of the night so can’t get a Veeder-Root, having to stick the tanks and do your calculation and then still setting off the alarm and spending an extra half-hour trying to burp the last of the compartment into the tank sucks.

Being carded for 6 or 7 different racks and trying to remember the different procedures for each one when you never go to the same one twice in a row and knowing that if you make even a small screw up at the wrong one (Hello Shell in Martinez) you will get locked out for life sucks.

Having about zero autonomy over what you do and when and how you do it sucks.

Having to move everything of yours in and out of the truck at the beginning and end of every shift, and if you for get your sunglasses, kiss them goodbye, sucks.

Having to leave your dirty clothes outside because they smell of gas and diesel sucks.

How much suckage do you want?