Driver FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a SMI Milk Hauler do?

A SMI Milk Hauler drives a day cab tractor and is responsible for pulling an empty milk tanker to the dairy farms to pick up milk and either returns the loaded tanker to the domicile terminal or delivers the loaded tanker to a SMI or customer dairy processing plant.

Does SMI provide the training to pick up milk from the dairy farms?

Yes, SMI provides the training to pick up milk from the dairy farms. Each milk hauler is required to obtain a two year Department of Agriculture Milk Hauler Certification. SMI will provide the training for this certification.

How is a SMI Milk Hauler paid?

SMI Milk Haulers are paid hourly pay, including additional hourly pay for night-time and weekend hours.

What does a SMI Bulk Hauler do?

A SMI Bulk Hauler moves loaded milk tankers from SMI terminals to dairy processing plants in the south, typically Florida and Georgia. A Bulk Hauler drives a sleeper tractor and is paid mileage pay.

Does a SMI Milk Hauler or Bulk Hauler receive bonuses?

Yes, SMI pays a Quarterly Safety Bonus and a Milestone Safety Bonus to drivers who are accident free.

What kind of equipment does SMI provide?

SMI has 2017 Volvo tractors with the Volvo I-Tran automatic transmission at our Okeechobee and Avon Park, Florida terminals and our Montezuma and Quitman, Georgia terminals. SMI will be converting our Belleview terminal to the 2017 Volvo tractors in October 2017. Our tankers are Walker Stainless Steel, Grade-A, Sanitary Tankers, fully insulated with 3-4 inch foam and poly-urethane insulation.

How long has Southeast Milk, Inc. been in business?

Southeast Milk, Inc. is a dairy cooperative which has been in business for over fifty (50) years.

Do SMI tractors have onboard computers?

Yes, SMI has XRS onboard computers in every tractor, which is a state-of-the-art technology.

Does Southeast Milk, Inc. provide employee benefits?

Yes. We offer individual and family medical, dental, and vision insurance plan options, health savings accounts, employer-paid life insurance with additional employee, spouse, and child life insurance offered at a group rate, long- and short-term disability benefits, critical illness and accident coverage, and identity theft protection coverage. We also offer a 401k profit sharing plan to which the company provides an employer-paid 100% match on the first 4% you defer.

How big is SMI?

SMI has 200 drivers, 120 tractors and 400 tankers, with terminals in Florida and Georgia. We are a dairy cooperative with 167 dairy farms in Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana. We produce and market 3 billion pounds of milk annually, throughout the SE USA.