I am in one in one of those moods again where I am briefly considering doing tanker work. I dont have my ADR but shouldnt be hard to get.
Is it worth the hassle though?
When I was at Tesco during the first covid lockdown a lot of tanker guys came and helped out (mainly because no one was buying fuel) So, I have spoken to a few guys about the work.
From what I have been told earning £50,000+ is not unusual. But the hours are really messed up. Like they have rolling shifts e.g. a few weeks on days then nights etc. Which seems really messed up to me. (You’d think a ADR tanker driver should have a good sleep pattern lol).
I’ve also been told its quite rush rush and they push you quite a bit.
Anyone had any experience?
yep, in the good old days i know … anyhow the people you have asked are preety spot on about the way the job has gone t n c’s are nothing like they were also for 50 grand a year forget any normality of life… HTH…
As well as ADR you might need your Petroleum Drivers Passport (PDP) although I believe this only applies if going to the refinery to load. Not sure how ADR courses are running currently.
Hours always put me off and yeah driving 10,000s litres of petrol or worse the fumes isn’t a job you should be doing tired, but same really for most of this job. Its all screwed up.
No idea about 50K, bit have heard figures from 30 to 50 thrown around. No doubt that includes lots of weekends and odd shifts.
Might be better off with non ADR tankers or non fuel tankers. Things where if it goes badly wrong you have a chance of getting out. Although some of the chemicals in tankers can be equally nasty.
Yea, I might just do thames water work tbh. That’s usually just non ADR stuff like liquid sludge type stuff. (I know it stinks cause I live near it ).
I really wouldnt mind doing ADR work though but what annoys me is the pay never reflects the risk your taking.
If I can get £16 an hour driving non ADR I’d want at least £20 an hour driving ADR.
adam277:
Yea, I might just do thames water work tbh. That’s usually just non ADR stuff like liquid sludge type stuff. (I know it stinks cause I live near it ).
I really wouldnt mind doing ADR work though but what annoys me is the pay never reflects the risk your taking.
If I can get £16 an hour driving non ADR I’d want at least £20 an hour driving ADR.
adam277:
Yea, I might just do thames water work tbh. That’s usually just non ADR stuff like liquid sludge type stuff. (I know it stinks cause I live near it ).
I really wouldnt mind doing ADR work though but what annoys me is the pay never reflects the risk your taking.
If I can get £16 an hour driving non ADR I’d want at least £20 an hour driving ADR.
I’ve met a few guys who do tanker work for water companies - they don’t recommend it, very long hours once you get to where you’re going.
Trev is right, no PDP needed unless you’re going into a refinery, so you can pretty well dismiss that requirement.
ADR training is running online now, but you will still have to attend a physical location for the exams, even if the TP runs online exams. SQA have not approved remote exams.
So, unlike remote DCPC, you still need to be somewhere in the vicinity of the the TP.
ADR is not hard to get, as long as you’ve got a good instructor and you pay attention to them, make mental/paper notes, do a bit of home-study at the end of the day and generally take it seriously.
Sadly some drivers do not do that, some treat it as if it was just another DCPC and they have some mad idea that the instructor will be there to tell them the right answer. Yes there are places which run like that, but their names will be on a ‘hit list’ for the SQA, who will catch them out eventually.
Re Tesco tankers, I thought I’d heard years ago that fuel tankers only ever had day cabs ( assume they didn’t recommend sleeping next to the fuel or fumes) but lately seen a few Tesco ones with beds? Or did I miss hear?
The lack of a sleeper cab had nothing to do with the product carried,it was based primarily on cost and weight,but nowadays when the oil companies dont operate their own transport in house theres ample sleeper cabs on feul tankers,Ii got offered a job on fuel 3 years ago by Turners and that was tramping
Zac_A:
I’ve met a few guys who do tanker work for water companies - they don’t recommend it, very long hours once you get to where you’re going.
I think it depends on what type of work you do. I used to do tankers delivering cream and condensed milk to food manufacturers, including Cadbury’s Keynsham which was still stuck in the 1960s, and the odd small dairy. Typically I’d be there an hour or so discharging, even at Cadbury where we’d discharge into grundys that held about a tonne each. At a few places it was turn up, back up to the discharge point and they’d have their own staff do it so you could go for a wander to the staff restaurant for a nice breakfast.
Conor:
At a few places it was turn up, back up to the discharge point and they’d have their own staff do it so you could go for a wander to the staff restaurant for a nice breakfast.
Generally how it is these days. Most places I go, when working, have staff that connect you up and stuff
Zac_A:
I’ve met a few guys who do tanker work for water companies - they don’t recommend it, very long hours once you get to where you’re going.
I think it depends on what type of work you do. I used to do tankers delivering cream and condensed milk to food manufacturers, including Cadbury’s Keynsham which was still stuck in the 1960s, and the odd small dairy. Typically I’d be there an hour or so discharging, even at Cadbury where we’d discharge into grundys that held about a tonne each. At a few places it was turn up, back up to the discharge point and they’d have their own staff do it so you could go for a wander to the staff restaurant for a nice breakfast.
That sounds like a very different kettle of fish to those guys I’ve spoken to, who would drive their gully-sucker machine to a commercial site and they’d continue grafting even while shift changes occurred around them. I haven’t done this kind of work myself but the guys telling their story sounded entirely genuine.
For anyone in the north-east, there’s a job permanently advertised in the Durham area with a drain clearing company, offering 28-38k PA. I spoke to a guy who had an interview for the job, they asked if he had any family commitments, he said no, but that he had a dog. End of interview. They’re only looking for people with absolutely no life at all…
At our Rainham depot last month they advertised on Indeed for a night bulk LPG class 1 Driver it was M-F basic pay of £19:48 with x1:5 after 9 hours with 12 hour shifts.
I did this work last year for a couple of months when it was quite at our depot though I did it on days, thoroughly enjoyed it and wouldn’t hesitate to do it again if asked.
There are well paid jobs out there without having to sell your soul you just have to know where to look.
LisasGuy:
At our Rainham depot last month they advertised on Indeed for a night bulk LPG class 1 Driver it was M-F basic pay of £19:48 with x1:5 after 9 hours with 12 hour shifts.
I did this work last year for a couple of months when it was quite at our depot though I did it on days, thoroughly enjoyed it and wouldn’t hesitate to do it again if asked.
There are well paid jobs out there without having to sell your soul you just have to know where to look.
I often see drivers wanting to be tanker drivers and getting an ADR licence.
The ADR training teaches absolutely nothing about driving tankers, it teaches you the legal part of labelling, the equipment you should carry and the steps to take if it goes wrong. The DGSA will now take the rapp for anything that is out of order. The powers that be have taken all the responsibility off the driver.
25000 litres of milk is as dangerous as 25000 litres of DERV if it gets into a watercourse.
The ADR in France takes 7 days. 3 days base and 4 days tankers . It does not form part of the DCPC . Makes it more of a qualification.
I see on Indeed various tanker driving jobs in the UK. Various pay rates depending on the area. Riskier material’s don’t mean more money and some of the shift’s ( Hoyer) are just ludicrous.
Wheel Nut:
The ADR training teaches absolutely nothing about driving tankers,
This is true, though all candidates should be told that the ADR course gives you the general requirements and it is mandatory for the employer to provide further specific training, ie practical training in what piece of kit does what. I don’t imagine many tanker companies wouldn’t give you a thorough induction, too much at stake for when it inevitably would go wrong.
There’s more to tankers than fuel deliveries. I spent years on tankers, I did a limited amount of fuel stuff (usually holiday cover) and despite the pay rates being around £18 p/h back in the 90’s it didn’t really float my boat: too much rushing around for my liking.
The work I enjoyed was cryogenic and specialty chemicals, the cryogenic was quite samey same, but the specialty stuff was really good, no two days the same and lots of variety which suited me down to the ground.
i know 
… anyhow the people you have asked are preety spot on about the way the job has gone t n c’s are nothing like they were also for 50 grand a year forget any normality of life… HTH…
).