Livestock Hauler
 

Anyone got any info on this? Thinking of making a career change and just looking for as much info as I can get before jumping in. Looking for things like home time, pay, companies to start with, career advancement, effects on family, E-logs, etc... From everything Ive read/heard the first year is hard, but it gets better once you get that under your belt.

Call it "Bill6 Trucking". Our motto"We're spying on you".

I'd stay away from cattle, sheep are much nicer, and won't squeal on you. Safety first.

If you can quickly unload a liner full of unweaned calves at night you'll have it made.

Livestock trucking is the last thing i would do. Expect too always wait around while your load is being sorted and you have a deadline at the other end that you will miss unless you speed. Shovelling manure gets old real quick, particularly in -20 weather. I could go on for hours lol.

My thoughts as well. Kind of laughter when I read this because I’ve never heard of anyone striving to be the pilot of a cattle liner but I suppose being a Walmart greeter isn’t for everyone.

Anyone now what some of their rates are ?

I just think it would be a good job for me. Lots of freedom, dont always have a boss looking over your shoulder or testing you, and I like driving.(Have been across Canada four times and the States once) On top of that you get a bit of exercise moving the livestock in/out of the truck, and get to meet lots of good people.

My biggest concern is how does it effect my family? Will I be able to pay the bills starting out? Eventually I'd like to get to O/O and run my own truck running cows, hay, and grain. But to start out I think its smarter to drive someone elses truck and learn the ropes.

Any comments you guys have on running livestock, or trucking in general, Im all ears. I have a pretty good job right now, so I want to make a informed decision before making the switch.

Worst job in the trucking industry. All I ever wanted to do growing up was haul cattle, when I finally got to do it I was thoroughly disappointed. I don't know if you've ever been in a liner but to be able to stand straight up you have to be about 5 feet tall, not comfortable stooped down to shovel it out. A lot of nighttime work involved as well as around the clock cheat on your log book work as well.

It's trucking. Home time?? Advancement?? It's a job that requires a class 1 and a high school education. I don't want to sound like I'm looking down at anyone, it'll pay the bills, but that's pretty much what you get out of it.

Have a couple guys in my family that made a living driving after retiring from other careers, they seemed to enjoy it, but their kids were grown and their wives were over 50.

I've heard they are charging $200/hour for short haul, local work.

Where is this freedom you talk about?

You ever have a group of managers come stare at you and critique every little thing you do? Or have some boss tell you lunch is done back to work? Its my understanding truckers get set pickups and deliveries, but they get to choose how they make them? Thats just what I heard, and it appeals to me being able to somewhat schedule my runs the way I want without some manager breathing down my neck.

That freedom should also increase once I go O/O is my understanding as I can then choose my loads and when I want to work. I may be completely out to lunch on that, but thats why I started the thread so I can make a good decision.

Get yourself a self-loading bale truck would be a better plan,

Raab listen to 4th. He's done it. O/O sounds like a heckuva plan but we're you're wrong is about freedom. If you start being choosey about your work the phone stops ringing.

I think this would be a good business to be in. I also wonder about one of those slinger trucks.

Your pinned down more once your an O/O you work when there's work and you fix/service when your not working. You will also be saddled with a $3000+/payment and your life is dictated to you buy a dispatcher/order buyer. Remember if you ain't turnin you ain't earnin. Been on both sides and I'll drive someone else's truck thank you.

Forgot to mention DOT/scales, you think a manager breathing down your neck is bad? Try a level one inspection, your pretty much paying a fine, just depends how good of an *** kisser you are as to how big the fine is.

Livestock Hauler
 

I own my own small construction company. I think for you and your freedom owning your own trucks is key . What , when , where you haul is up to you . It can be rewarding . But when your starting off or when it’s slow you got to do what it takes to pay the bills . That means working around the clock , crap work , etc. And the stress oh the STRESS. Not knowing if the phone will ring . And sometimes it’s off the hook . You can’t please everyone

Starting to sound a little negative, sorry. It's a good life, I'm hauling oil now and as luck would have it I have a run that gets me home every night. I work about 14 hours a day and average 24 or 25 days a month. you learn how to maximize your hours in your log book and work when there's work. We are getting e logs soon and can't wait. I think e logs will be harder on dispatchers than truckers.

Im glad you brought up the elogs. Was going to as what you thought of them?

As for starting out do you think a Livestock guy would be alright?(Was thinking Steve's if you have any info on them) Thats ideally what I want to haul, but like you I might find it's not what I expected. At least if I do it for a year then I have the experience and can go into something else maybe? If you really think livestock is a bad gig is there any companies you'd recommend for new drivers?

And for trucks when going O/O is it better to go new or used? I was thinking of buying an older Pete 379(Somewhere between 95-05, you can buy them for less then a 1 ton) with a Cat engine. I know it'll be more maintenance but I'd like the Cat engine in my truck and I believe if you buy old enough they're Elog exempt?

I know it sounds dumb to leave a good job and go trucking, but I really like the idea of working for myself, doing something I like. Which I think trucking can give me. But in saying that, I dont want to give up my good job only to find out I hate it. Also worth noting I already have my Class 1 so it wouldn't cost me anything to move from this job into a truck.

Raab maybe touch base with hayseed

Raab maybe touch base with your therapist!

Quick now while you can still afford one. Seriously, crazy hours fall run, long stretches down time, slow seasons, perishable freight, slave to your fuel distributor, mechanic, banker, etc.

Yeah - all of the above. Livestock isn't that great a gig. Never done it, figured out early not to. You aren't as free as you may think. Been behind the wheel since '83. If you have a good paying job keep it. As others have said O/O can be good, can be not so good. You are the one that maintains the truck not just write up a "cry sheet" as they are called for the mechanic to take care of. Pm if you want to discuss more but really .... keep your job. The only exception would be if you can retire with your pension then take up driving. I've known and trained a few of those guys and they loved the change but they had a pension. It was just fulfilling a childhood dream.

Don’t forget to budget in the extra low seat, lots of chrome and chicken lights. You’ll have an image to uphold as a cattle hauler. Probably best to start out driving for someone else in order to see how you like it before you commit to buying a truck to have on the road. Trucks can be endless black holes that money keeps falling in to keep on the road.

Your gonna need experience at least 2 years and most reputable companies won’t look at a new hire with an old truck and no experience. Call Steve’s they probably won’t hire you.

Steve’s=pigs

Once you price out your truck & cargo insurance you'll see your plan fade away.

Don't get me wrong, trucking in general just like everything else has its ups and downs, as time passes the person soon realizes that the industry with wheels becomes a full time job

Rightfully so as we become it, and it becomes us.

We can make it or brake it, the bills never quite coming in. There "could" and will be some sad moments in this industry,,, all so some rewarding times to,,, kind of the 50/50 depending on the type of person you are.


As soon as O/O ends up in your hands, there are no more days off. Your either all in, or you will struggle.
Even if the iron is sitting in your shop, compound, farm.

It still costs you. Some shape, form, or way the dollar is attached to that iron,,,

Fixing, repairs, replacement, then when you thing you have it sorted, in comes the next big exspencs.

Just as your thinking your getting a head, someone puts the screws to you, or one of the 3 majors happens to the ride,,, sad indeed.

Either your all in 100% as O/O, or one will struggle every step of the way.

And yes, either you have a large chunk of change in your pocket to foot the bill, or finance your everything threw a bank or leaning institution.

The person will need a well written letter to the bank if one thinks that are going to loan the funds these days.

Different story if you own newer iron that can be held for collateral...

Rewarding at times, but the majority of it is how well you handle suprizes one has not encountered yet.

There have been many a folks steeped on, run over, trampled, and crushed in the live stock hualing industry, either their going to load, or there not.

One mad cow will ones day in a instant,,, just think of this X's 100 +++ loads per month. It never turns off once it gets started.

Don

Lots of good advice so far.
I hauled cattle, sheep and pigs many years ago, short and long haul and I can tell you this, if you don't have experience around cattle, you could get yourself into a lot of trouble loading fats, they respect nothing and nobody in the confines of a trailer.
Long haul livestock hauling is brutal, many sleepless nights trying to make deadlines and keep the load alive while dodging tickets at scales and avoiding speeding tickets out on the super slab!
Best to get a job driving a truck hauling something other than cattle to start with and then look for a livestock hauling job once you have a few miles under your belt.
New or used? That depends on if you want to spend $3k/month on payments or spend $1k/month on payments and another $2k/month repairing an old truck. An old truck may be acceptable on short haul jobs but definitely not for long haul unless you don't mind doing all your truck repairs away from home while footing the bill for a hotel room.
Home life? A successful trucker has no home life.
Freedom, maybe...but it all depends on your definition. Don't think for a minute that you aren't married to the job... and the finance institution that holds the loan on your truck.
E-logs..... way after my time!
I don't generally try to discourage someone from pursuing their dream job but having "been there and done that", all I can say is be careful what you wish for!

I'll offer a slightly different perspective but the concerns mentioned are also right on.
I enjoy hauling cattle but I don't do so full time and I'd hate to haul hogs.
Look around at the old O/O and find one who has a life you'd like. I like these guys but most barely own their homes and are almost slaves to the truck.
Very few will retire to enjoy a nice home or travel. The only truckers I know who've done well own companies running more than 5 trucks and don't drive a lot themselves.
Think about working for a large farm as the trucker. Paid hourly and have variety of hauling cattle, grain, hay.
So I think the work is pretty enjoyable but I agree it's not the road to freedom you might be hoping.

Wouldnt be buying the truck right away. Would probably work 2-3 years before crossing over. Do you know anyone who hires new drivers and has a good training program?