Hopper Trailer and Truck Tour
Description
The bulk fleet is where weight becomes the whole problem. Hopper flat trailers and straight hardside hoppers, running the Rocky Mountain West with regular trips into Canada, hauling fertilizer, grain, and road salt.
The numbers explain the skill requirement. These loads run 118,000 pounds and sometimes 129,000 — far above a standard 80,000-pound gross. Learning to control that much weight in mountain terrain, on grades and in weather, is a genuinely different craft from flat-country driving. So the fleet is spec'd for it: mostly Peterbilts, higher horsepower, 18-speed transmissions. Performance rather than comfort is the priority, because the job demands it.
If you can get a passport, you'll use it — Canada runs are frequent. And because this fleet stays regional, it's one of the better options for maximizing home time. Doug Andrus also runs a rarer variant: the convertible hopper fleet, one of the most specialized operations in the country, moving freight between Idaho and Montana.
The video makes a point worth repeating: drivers switch fleets, and it isn't a problem. Some run one for years and then try something else. Compare with refrigerated or flatbed, take the Find Your Fleet quiz, or just call (800) 336-1034 and ask which fleets are hiring.
Video Transcript
Another thing that drivers can do at Doug Andrus is our bulk fleet. We use hopper flat trailers as well as just straight hardside hopper trailers.
You're pretty much in the Rocky Mountain West, a little bit of Canada — and if you can get a passport, we do go to Canada quite often with our bulk operations.
So you're hauling fertilizer and grain and salt, road salt. It's an interesting job. Heavier weights, a lot more to deal with, learning how you control that truck in a mountain environment. 118,000 pounds, sometimes 129,000 pounds.
So the focus on that fleet is more on performance. Most of the trucks in that fleet are Peterbilts, and we're looking at higher horsepower, 18-speed transmissions, things like that — try and help the driver get the job done that he needs to do.
Some drivers like to do one thing, some drivers like to do another, and it's pretty cool that you can choose which way you like to go. Sometimes one driver will start out on one fleet, might do that for a few years, and decide, you know what, I'd like to try something different and switch to another. There's absolutely no problem with switching between fleets and trying different things.
If you have an interest in driving, come by to talk to us. Make sure to ask about the different fleets that we operate and the different things that we do, and you can pick out the fleet that kind of fits your personality and what you enjoy doing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How heavy are hopper loads?
118,000 pounds routinely and up to 129,000 — well above a standard 80,000-pound gross weight. Handling that in mountain terrain is the defining skill of this fleet.
Where does the bulk fleet run?
Primarily the Rocky Mountain West, with frequent trips into Canada. It's a regional operation, which makes it one of the better fleets for home time.
Do I need a passport?
For the Canada runs, yes. The video notes those trips happen often enough to matter.
What does the hopper fleet haul?
Fertilizer, grain, and road salt.
What equipment does the bulk fleet run?
Mostly Peterbilts spec'd for performance — higher horsepower and 18-speed transmissions, chosen for the weight and the grades.
Can I switch to a different fleet later?
Yes, and it's explicitly encouraged. Drivers commonly run one fleet for a few years and then move to another.