Container Hauling Jobs

I have hauled containers many times. Sometimes I picked up from drop yard and take it to the railyard or to customers. Some times I picked up the container from the rail yard to deliver to the customer. Lots of trucker haul containers from the port. I never picked one up from the port.

I enjoyed the work and the pay was great. Little waiting and each time I was home before 6. Some times before 3. But that was a light day. Pay for hauling containers was from $800 - $1175 as owner operator each day but not every day. Freight was slow at the time. The video below is picking up at a drop yard and delivering to rail yard.

The other one is going to a customer.

I've talked to many drivers who love it and many who hate it. Most of the waiting at ports that they complained about has been corrected.

It's just like anything else, people have their preferences and different jobs speak to different people. Some trucking companies have good management and a smooth operation and pays their drivers fairly.

I have talked to company drivers who got paid more than average trucking jobs and drivers who got paid a less than average trucking jobs. Used to be a lot of time wasted at ports when I heard the most complaining from drivers pulling containers. That may have been just their outfits.

I do know a guy who bought 3 trucks (maybe more now) while hauling containers to put other drivers in them to also haul containers.

This implies that there is money to be made with the right container trucking outfit.

Home daily with great pay and reasonable hours!

When Hauling Containers

You have to be careful with containers because you usually don't know what's in it or how it's loaded. Take it slow around curves it could be top heavy.

Make sure you lock the trailer to the chassis
Make sure your mud flap is going to get torn off by the chassis
If it's heavy you might want to get axled out on a scale.
Carry a clothes hanger or wire to lock the doors back

These containers can be pretty raggedy. Look them over closely and do the pre-trip. Also be careful if you see bee's swarming. Could be a hive there.

Top of the Page

Mudflaps bracket damage by container chasis.

Damaged mud flap brackets from hauling containers. The chassis is lower than a dry van.

Tell Us More About This Type of Trucking Job

Can you give us a better description of what it is like to have this type of trucking job?

How is it different from pulling a dry van? What extra training will you need? How long does it take get get trained?

Did you go to a school to get training or did you learn on the job? Is there a school that provides the training for this type of job?

What extra responsibilities did you have pulling this type of freight?

How long did you do this type of trucking job for?

Did you like it? Was it difficult?

Was the extra work worth the money or did you get the same pay as when you pulled dry van?

Thanks to all who make the site useful b sharing information!

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What Other Visitors Have Said

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