DRIVER REQUIREMENTS
Minimum age is 25 and you must have 4 years of related driving experience. You must pass a Department of Transportation physical for a commercial driver (available from a local occupational clinic on a walk-in basis). Drug screening is also required. You must have a driving record that meets the approval of our insurance company (maximum of 6 points in last 3 years, no DUI or "at fault" accidents within last 7 years) and your driver's license must be of the appropriate classification to operate the equipment you are driving. In BC you must have a heavy trailer or house trailer endorsement for units over 4600 kg.
You must have driving experience that includes the operation of large vehicles, such as travel trailers, fifth wheel travel trailers, motor homes, or trucks, and you must be willing to drive in all parts of the US and Canada.
You should have a bank account with ATM card access and a Visa Card or Master Card with a credit limit large enough to get you out of an emergency situation. We do not make loans or advances.
When you drive onto a dealer's lot, you represent our company and the manufacturer. You must conduct yourself in a professional manner.
WHAT DO I NEED?
Your pick-up must be three-quarter or one-ton rated; age is not important as long as its presentable and dependable. A turbo charged diesel engine is the most economical (we will not lease a non-turbo charged diesel). Four-wheel drive may be a benefit in some climates and dual rear wheels may be helpful for some loads.
ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS
You must have a fifth-wheel hitch with a minimum load rating of 15,000 pounds (no cross bed, wheel well mount). You need a 2 x 2 receiver hitch rated at 10,000 pounds, with a solid shank ball mount and load equalizing torsion bars, all rated at 10,000 pounds. The ball height (measured from the ground to the top of the ball) must not exceed 22 inches. An adjustable height ball mount is useful on some trucks. You need a ball that is two and five sixteenths inches in diameter, rated at 10,000 pounds. You should also carry a hollow shank (5,000 lb. rated) set up with a two-inch ball.
You need an electric brake controller suitable for towing a trailer with six brakes. You need a seven wire "Bargeman" (female side) RV style electrical connector in the truck bed for the fifth wheel units, and a connector near the ball mount for travel trailers. You must have 102" wide towing mirrors, and big sturdy mud flaps mounted to hang about four inches above the ground all the way across the rear of your truck. An extra-large fuel tank is good to have (maximum of 110 gallon, and must have six way electric valve) and a toolbox for your jack and other emergency items, like wheel changing tools. You will need a Standard Group 24 RV battery for the hydraulic jacks on some units and for the trailer break away switch.
It is also useful to have a good quality CB. If you have a "cross-bed" toolbox that sits above the body of the pick-up, leave it at home. There must be 54 inches of clearance in front of the fifth wheel kingpin. Anything that extends above the bed of the pick-up within this area, including a rear window spoiler, tool box or roll bar/headache bar, will interfere with the towing of a fifth wheel unit and you will be required to remove them before being dispatched.
Your pick-up must have a current annual Commercial Safety Inspection. The inspection is available at several vendors in our area, and at most truck repair facilities. To pass inspection, your truck must be equipped with a fire extinguisher and carry red reflective triangles.
We recommend obtaining a copy of the booklet "FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY REGULATIONS", and be familiar with the rules and regulations of the "Department of Transportation". It is true that we fall into a gray area for some of the regulations, but you must keep a record of your driving hours, and many of the other rules also apply to us, and to you.
HOW MUCH WORK IS INVOLVED?
Lots of driving time. You can calculate the hours involved running a 500-mile delivery. Drivers are required to inspect the exterior of the units before transporting them, and must wash the units before delivery (this is not a detail wash, and we pay you $20.00 to wash the unit). If you have a flat tire on the trailer, you will need to change the wheel. You need to be knowledgeable about such things as tires and wheels, and the tools needed to service them. Some "mechanical" experience is very helpful.
RATES
Our rates are among the best in the industry. For more information, please contact us via email at wylies@rvlogistics.ca or call 1-844-558-6802