This question is aimed at the Fuel Tanker Drivers out there particularly drivers based at the Kingsbury oil terminal! I’ve been driving the class 2’s now for 3 and half years so would like to move onto driving the artic’s and then the fuel tankers obviously for the money. I understand from talking to some class 1 drivers it’s really difficult if not impossible to get a job driving the tankers when you’ve passed your ADR its like dead men’s shoes so to speak. Could any fuel tankers drivers out there tell me how they got their job and maybe pass on any tips? Any advice or companies, people etc to contact would much appreciated!
Stogie37:
This question is aimed at the Fuel Tanker Drivers out there particularly drivers based at the Kingsbury oil terminal! I’ve been driving the class 2’s now for 3 and half years so would like to move onto driving the artic’s and then the fuel tankers obviously for the money. I understand from talking to some class 1 drivers it’s really difficult if not impossible to get a job driving the tankers when you’ve passed your ADR its like dead men’s shoes so to speak. Could any fuel tankers drivers out there tell me how they got their job and maybe pass on any tips? Any advice or companies, people etc to contact would much appreciated!
Hi Stogie37, 
I’ve moved your post to where it stands a better chance of receiving good advice. 
i packed up driving tankers a few years ago,you"ve well missed the boat regarding top pay terms and conditions,Its all subbed out to big logistic co"s Who dont pay much more than general haulage wages.Most are working any 5 out of 7 days rolling weeks,days and nights and you"ll soon loose track of what day its is, and maybe get 1 or 2 complete week ends off a year.I worked for fina out of hemel hemp our basic was £26,000 in early 90"S.I cant remember seeing petrol tankers rolled over when the oil co"s had the in house tpt.It no longer seems to be treated as specialist operation,just movement of customer cargo like any thing else.Packed up in 97 and never once regretted it
I have a few ex workmates who are now on fuel deliveries and by all accounts the money is still OK, maybe not what is was a couple of decades ago, but then what is? I worked for Hoyer (Red Fleet) on chemical deliveries, which in my opinion is more demanding than fuel, and a few of my workmates having proved their tanker credentials then transferred to Hoyer White Fleet (Esso and Shell fuel). Another route is working for a small company on industrial and farm deliveries and keeping an ear to the ground at the fuel terminal for any jobs with the ‘big boys’. I was offered a job at BP but to be honest I would have missed my 2 to 4 nights out a week plus fuel deliveries tend to be more ‘local’ and I worked national and international (well France anyhow!) and my weekends were mostly free. 
Stogie37:
I understand from talking to some class 1 drivers it’s really difficult if not impossible to get a job driving the tankers when you’ve passed your ADR its like dead men’s shoes so to speak.
How badly do you want the job? Have you considered helping someone into their dead man’s shoes? 
I retired from fuel tanker work last year, it was still the best job in transport in my opinion but work load had increased, not to forget stobarts have 2 plus fuel tankers, how long before they have 102,i do not think it will be so good a wage if this comes about.