Bull hauling is not a job for the faint of heart

by t.j. miatke
(oregon, IL)

I have been around this business my whole life and driving in it for the last 8 years hauling livestock and its very true that one morning you are in Virginia loading feeder cattle and the next evening your loading feeder pigs in the west coming back.

If a guy doing what we do can average 10 to 15 hours of sleep a week then hes doing very well because there are a lot of times we are lucky to get even half that.

To do this job and do it well you have to love it and make it a way of life for you or you'll never last. the money is really good and we are given a ton of respect for what we do.

There really is no way to properly train someone on how to do this job because every load is different it handles different pulls different loads and unloads different and as a bull hauler you have to be on your "A" game all the time or you'll get you or someone else killed.

But even with all of what I've said, its the best job a guy or girl could ever have. I love what I do and I'll never do anything else.

y'all be safe out there.

Comments for Bull hauling is not a job for the faint of heart

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Oct 29, 2014
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Your dating my 42 year old mom
by: the daughter

Your 28 and my mom is 42 her kids are 25 and 23 and 21 and 20 do you find your relationship with my mom appropriate? In the my eyes I don't think this is okay. You figure it our yourself.

May 29, 2014
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Droopydrawrs or droopy drawers
by: Chip hauler

I'm impressed by your honesty. Wish I could find someone like you....we're located in west texas/east NM....if you know of anyone with half your mentality or love for this sort of work; please let me know. Bull/cattle haulers are impossible to find these days.
Whatahandful06@yahoo.com

Feb 16, 2014
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Old school
by: Marty

I ran like you guys are talking about In the day driving a Freightliner with a 318 Detroit in it.No power steering ,no a/c. Some weeks we might get 4 hours sleep if we were lucky. Back then if you couldn't do the job you didn't last. Then like now Bullhaulers were a special breed and not everyone could cut it.I remember my dad pulling a bull rack with a 3000 White. I think it's changed a lot with the equipment available today. It was a hard job but I look back an realize it made a man out of me.

Dec 09, 2013
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just saying
by: Anonymous

I drive a texas cow wagon. avrg. 4800miles week. also get little sleep. but I am always on my a game.

Nov 21, 2013
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Trucking
by: Jeff

My family own a trucking company we got 30 truck in all and I'm trying to get in to hauling livestock how should I go about it

Nov 21, 2013
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Trucking
by: Jeff

My family own a trucking company we got 30 truck in all and I'm trying to get in to hauling livestock how should I go about it

Oct 17, 2013
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DroopyDrawrs
by: Anonymous

Now if he says you cant be on your a game on 10 hours or less sleep a week do you really want him busting out of his Schneider egg?

Its nothing to pull a 24, sleep 2 hours pull another 24, hit the bunk for 4 hours and then pull a 36 sleep for another 3 hours and pull 1 more 36. Oh and in that 120 hours you were just awake run 5500 miles burn off 1800 gallons of fuel, rip up about 10 pages in your loose leaf, and spend $100 washing your trailer out.

Sounds like a typical week for me.

Its more of a younger mans game. For every year you haul cattle it takes about 5 to recover. And takes about a year off your life. They say the average farmer gets about 576 hours less sleep than the average american. Your average bullhauler? He gets about 1800 hours less sleep than the farmer or 2376 hours less sleep than the average american.

But don't knock it till you've tried it. I love what I do. I mean hell I get paid to drive a truck, get paid to work with cattle 2 loves of my life and I can actually say I get paid to deal with bull. Heck were the only drivers that actually DO have #### loads. Haha

To my fellow bullhaulers be safe out there and god bless!!!

Dec 04, 2012
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To anonymous
by: DroopyDrawers

Why sure you can... You just can't be a puss ;-) Bust outta that schneider egg there driver.

Dec 03, 2012
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Hey T.J.
by: Anonymous

hey T.J. not trying to argumentative here but a person can not be on their A game with 10 hours of sleep a week. just sayin.

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