I passed my HGV class 1 CE in June and am currently Employed as a class 1 driver In Devon. I would like to be a fuel tanker driver in the future, I have been offered a job as a trainee tanker driver but the wages are £11k p/a less than I currently earn and I would have to travel twice as far to work. Do you think it is worth doing it to get the experience of Tanker work or better to stay put and get more Class 1 experience? I have paid to do my ADR + Tanks at the end of October. I would really appreciate some advice.
If I had a pound for every time I’ve heard “I’m going to get my ADR and earn the big bucks”, I would be a rich man. Apparently the bucks aren’t that big though by the sounds of it, well initially anyway.
If you live round the corner from a depot and the shift patterns are okay, I would say go for it, but travelling further for less money, it will begin to grate quite quickly I would imagine.
Thanks for your reply Noremac
What’s your reason for wanting to be a fuel tanker driver?
There was a guy on FB recently who wanted to do it because he believed he could do 4-on-4-off and clear £1000 a week after tax 
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Im told there is a lot more money in being a petroleum tanker driver and it is fairly straight forward delivering to forecourts as opposed to multi drop deliveries and tramping. I am currently clearing £800 pw but don’t want to work until I’m 70. I would like to retire at 60
If you are 59…I’ve got bad news for you.
If you are 21…I’ve got bad news for you.
Petrol forecourt does often pay more than common or garden work, but not as much as it once did. Then again, very little pays as much as it once did in transport.
I wouldn’t think it is “more straight forward” than some other driving work. Everything looks simple from the outside.
Also check the shift patterns currently involved in petrol work. Legal, but awful in many ways.
Thanks for your reply Franglias
I would have thought that that there’s a limited future in delivering fuel to forecourts.
As we’re pushed more and more to EVs the need for petrol/diesel will diminish and the need for fuel delivery drivers will diminish with the reduced demand.
The future is in renewable electricity but unfortunately that’s not delivered by tanker so…
yes ev is the future, but the prices of ev’s, it will be a long time before everybody drives one, there is still a high demand for conventional fuels
The guy who has offered you a job as a trainee…does it include a full time job at the end of it?
If so it aint rocket science mate, find out what his full time rate is, (surely that 11k drop will not be the same as qualified rate?
, if so you know what to do anyway) and work out how better (or worse) off you will be in comparison to what you do now.
You will have to stay with him at first rather than go somewhere nearer to home, as you will have no (real) tanker experience, so others may be reluctant to take you on.
Don’t believe the hype about tanker drivers being on mega bucks compared to others, those days are long gone.
Btw…Tachograph makes a good point, a consideration if you are still young… I would never have thought of that.
On that FB thread there was a post from a tanker driver which indicates that you will most likely not be clearing £800 per week. The “big money” is a bit of a myth.
Yes, OP should do a web search for: Hoyer + “marriage wrecker” 
And there are many experienced fuel tanker drivers available already. And, getting the offer of a job would be challenging.
Thanks for all the replies, it has given me something to think about
Speaking as an ex-fuel tanker driver, if the same applies there as here, the big bucks disappeared when the fuel companies stopped delivering their own product and subbed the work out.
Service starion work isn’t as simple as it looks. The driver has the responsibility of making sure the right product goes in the right tank and that it will fit, all while trying to dodge idiots in cars trying to drive over you and through your work area.
A guy left our place to go to Hoyer and he loves it there apparently. They put him through his adr too.
Thank you Paddy