Soon to be tanker yanker seeking advice

[Orangetxguy]

There is alot more to driving a tanker than I thought. I took a bath in methanol today. I connected a hose to the tank and had a hard time getting the ears to fit tight, I then had to get the right fitting to connect 2 hoses. My trainer is watching as I try to figure out what fitting goes where. I know I looked like an idiot while trying to figure out the correct fitting to use.

I walked the hoses out after we were done pumping and I disconnected the 2 hoses leading to the pump from the tank and took a bath in methanol (actually about 1 gallon). I did fine on the driving end but once we started working on unloading all hell broke loose. He gave me a little lecture on proper fittings after we got back to the terminal.

Maybe I should not second guess your trainer...but I am going to. Wysrob was correct!

He (your trainer) should not have been standing back, letting you guess at the fittings. He should have been right in there with you, showing you the proper fittings, showing you how to inspect the gaskets for wear and plemishes and most importantly, the proper gasket material for the product you are to pump! (all can cause leaks. leaks are bad)!! The wrong gasket material can be bad in so many ways, a spill being the smallest problem. Some products will leach the "black" out of those black rubber gaskets, and that black will contaminate the product! The entire tank you are pumping into! You need to know what gasket material is to be used. Rubber, hypalon, or teflon.

Pumping is pretty straight forward, once you learn the system.

A trick to use, to clear the lines, so you do not take a bath while unhooking the hoses.

Once the product in your tank is gone, shutdown for 10 minutes. Just shut everything in! After allowing any heel to drain into the sump, open everything back up and resume pumping. Once you have pumped the heel, disconnect the hose from your tank FIRST! Close the internal valve, close the product discharge valve, crack the cam ears open, and slowly pull the hose away from the discharge outlet! Hold the hose above your head for three seconds or so, then slowly start walking the hose towards the pump, which you should still have running at speed.

If you have more than one section of hose, you can start rolling the hose into a loop as you walk towards the pump. This helps to keep all the product in the hose, moving towards the pump. Once you have a hose connection cleared past the top of your walk (the connection has gone above your shoulders at least), you can disconnect the empty hose, capping it as you disconnect it. Finish walking the hose to the pump, and after 3 or 4 seconds of the pump sucking at the empty hose, you disconnect the hose from the pump inlet. Now you can take the cap or plug, or simply use your gloved palm, and squeeze off the air going to the pump. This will surge air through the pump, and you can clear your discharge line.

Before shutting the pump down you do two things. First plug the pump suction line, then close any customer valve in the discharge side, to keep product from back flowing, once the discharge line is clear.

Now you start dismantling your discharge line, beginning at the customer's end, capping the hose and the customer's connection at the same time. You disconnect each hose, plugging and capping as you go along, holding each connection away from your face, and using care to contain any fluid, to the interior of the hoses. Work your way to the pump again.

I get cardboard from the customer, each time I pump, to lay on the ground under each hose connection. If you have a drip, better to let it drip on cardboard, than the ground. If you have a bucket, you can move the bucket onto the cardboard easily. Throw the cardboard away when you finish racking up your hoses.

It all takes time to learn. But once you learn, it makes life easy!

Methonal is a bad product to be spilling, especially onto yourself. Did the trainer get you into a shower ASAP? That should have been done immediately. Methanol burns way to quick, to be fooled around with.

Keep up the posting young lad!

[wsyrob]

Now you start dismantling your discharge line, beginning at the customer's end, capping the hose and the customer's connection at the same time. You disconnect each hose, plugging and capping as you go along, holding each connection away from your face, and using care to contain any fluid, to the interior of the hoses. Work your way to the pump again.

Very good summary Orangetxguy. Only thing I might add is when disconnecting the discharge line start at the highest point. That is usually the customer's end but sometimes the pump may be higher than the customer connection especially if you are pumping into an underground tank. **** flows downhill. You want to stay uphill from it at all times.

[Phreddo]

I was pulling a Buckman load of WSCP out of Cadet, MO, and I thought I'd be a wisenheimer and take the direct route to get on the road to Atlanta. I can't remember if this was near Paducah or in MO, but there was this little town with an uphill turn, and i could not get out of L2. Every time I'd go to shift the freakin' truck would just STOP. And I couldn't wind it up high enough to get the next gear, so I said screw it and ran up the hill in L2 until i could make the shift.
Good times.

[Skywalker]

I was pulling a Buckman load of WSCP out of Cadet, MO, and I thought I'd be a wisenheimer and take the direct route to get on the road to Atlanta. I can't remember if this was near Paducah or in MO, but there was this little town with an uphill turn, and i could not get out of L2. Every time I'd go to shift the freakin' truck would just STOP. And I couldn't wind it up high enough to get the next gear, so I said screw it and ran up the hill in L2 until i could make the shift.
Good times.

Sounds like the hill at Wycliffe, KY on US60..... I know that hill well. I run through there on one of my runs.... But what I find fun is the bridges crossing the Mississippi River there.... Nice and narrow....

[mike3fan]

But what I find fun is the bridges crossing the Mississippi River there.... Nice and narrow....

I'll second that, a real pucker factor when meeting another truck....

[Orangetxguy]

Did you keep your mirrors Mike??

[mike3fan]

Did you keep your mirrors Mike??

Yep, the trick is to close your eyes, hold your breath and suck in your stomach to make yourself as skinny as possible......

[Skywalker]

Yep, the trick is to close your eyes, hold your breath and suck in your stomach to make yourself as skinny as possible......

Dat's right.....and pray you don't meet a wide load in the middle.....

[ohiomohawk]

Ok lets talk bleed out valves

I was told majority of the runs I will do will be air offs or cutomer unloads but they have you pump off a few times in the beginning so you will learn how to do it. The manager wants me to learn pumping off so I would be more diverse when it come to load dispatch. A lot of senior drivers simply reject any pump off load. I had only 1 pump off during training and the customer used their own hose from pump to their stotage.

I had a hell of a time on my last load because I had 40 feet of hose going from tank to pump and 60 feet going from pump to customer hook up (which was about 5 feet from ground). To add to the madness it was a 3 compartment tanker. I had no problems getting product from tank to customer, the problems started after the tanks were empty.

After the tanks were empty I started up pump and walked hose from tank to pump and used a bleed out valve to drain product from hose and I had no real problems there.

The problems started when I was trying to get product out of the 60 feet of hose going from pump to customer. They guy out there told me I probably should of had a bleed out valve on the fitting where the hose meets the customers connection (which was about five feet from the ground). He said once he closes his valve there is quite a bit of back flow that comes back into the hose. We eventually worked though this and emptied the hoses.

Any suggestions?

When the customer connection is 5 feet from the ground how do you suggest getting left over product from 60 ft of hose. Should I have a bleed out valve where hose meets customer storage?

I read your post Orangetxguy but is there any way to get a little product from hose before unhooking from customer?

[Orangetxguy]

Ok lets talk bleed out valves

I was told majority of the runs I will do will be air offs or cutomer unloads but they have you pump off a few times in the beginning so you will learn how to do it. The manager wants me to learn pumping off so I would be more diverse when it come to load dispatch. A lot of senior drivers simply reject any pump off load. I had only 1 pump off during training and the customer used their own hose from pump to their stotage.

I had a hell of a time on my last load because I had 40 feet of hose going from tank to pump and 60 feet going from pump to customer hook up (which was about 5 feet from ground). To add to the madness it was a 3 compartment tanker. I had no problems getting product from tank to customer, the problems started after the tanks were empty.

After the tanks were empty I started up pump and walked hose from tank to pump and used a bleed out valve to drain product from hose and I had no real problems there.

The problems started when I was trying to get product out of the 60 feet of hose going from pump to customer. They guy out there told me I probably should of had a bleed out valve on the fitting where the hose meets the customers connection (which was about five feet from the ground). He said once he closes his valve there is quite a bit of back flow that comes back into the hose. We eventually worked though this and emptied the hoses.

Any suggestions?

When the customer connection is 5 feet from the ground how do you suggest getting left over product from 60 ft of hose. Should I have a bleed out valve where hose meets customer storage?

I read your post Orangetxguy but is there any way to get a little product from hose before unhooking from customer?

When you have that much hose involved, you need to push as much air through the hose as you can. If I have to lay out that much...only have done it twice....I use strong bungee cords to hang the tank end of the discharge hose off the ladder, as high up as I can get it above the pump. I keep the pump at it's top speed the entire time.

Once I have the hose hung, I walk out the hose from the tank to the pump first, then the discharge hose, walking it from the pump, towards the customer connection.I lift the hose shoulder height. I let the pump push air, until I can feel that the discharge line is light enough. After walking the hose 2 or 3 times, I close the customer valve while the pump is still running, then turn the pump off to dismantle the hoses.

You never get all of the product out of the hose, but you get the majority out that way.

I cap what little is left in the hose, into the hose. Attempting to drain hoses into buckets can lead to a spill. That is why you should check your hoses to be sure there are good caps and plugs attached and that the gaskets are in good condition.

I'm surprised that they don't have a check valve in the system, with the tank being as high as it is! If the product line goes in at (It should go up to the top) the bottom of the tank, there should be a check valve, for safety.


On an air off delivery, I use the tank volume to clear the hoses. Once the product has drained from the transport tank, I close the internal and discharge valve, and build pressure back up, to at least 25 pounds. This allows time for the heel to drain into the sump. Once I have waited 15 or 20 minutes, I open back up, and allow the pressure blow off through the hose.

[Phreddo]

I'll second that, a real pucker factor when meeting another truck....

Is that in WI? That looks like a bridge by Lone Rock

[ohiomohawk]

When you have that much hose involved, you need to push as much air through the hose as you can. If I have to lay out that much...only have done it twice....I use strong bungee cords to hang the tank end of the discharge hose off the ladder, as high up as I can get it above the pump. I keep the pump at it's top speed the entire time.

Once I have the hose hung, I walk out the hose from the tank to the pump first, then the discharge hose, walking it from the pump, towards the customer connection.I lift the hose shoulder height. I let the pump push air, until I can feel that the discharge line is light enough. After walking the hose 2 or 3 times, I close the customer valve while the pump is still running, then turn the pump off to dismantle the hoses.

You never get all of the product out of the hose, but you get the majority out that way.

I cap what little is left in the hose, into the hose. Attempting to drain hoses into buckets can lead to a spill. That is why you should check your hoses to be sure there are good caps and plugs attached and that the gaskets are in good condition.

I'm surprised that they don't have a check valve in the system, with the tank being as high as it is! If the product line goes in at (It should go up to the top) the bottom of the tank, there should be a check valve, for safety.


On an air off delivery, I use the tank volume to clear the hoses. Once the product has drained from the transport tank, I close the internal and discharge valve, and build pressure back up, to at least 25 pounds. This allows time for the heel to drain into the sump. Once I have waited 15 or 20 minutes, I open back up, and allow the pressure blow off through the hose.

Thank again for the advice.

I had a pump off in St.Louis the other day and ran into a few problems. The customer connection was about at eye level. I put a bleed valve where the hose meets the customer and it did not really drain much product.

I had no problem with the 2 hoses going from the tank to the pump. The problem was the 20 ft hose going from the pump to the customer. The customer valve was high (about eye level). It had a lot of product in it afterwards.

When the customer connection is the high connection would it help to place a bleed out fitting on the low connection (where the hose connects to the out take valve)?

[mike3fan]

Is that in WI? That looks like a bridge by Lone Rock

No it's the bridge crossing the Mississippi on US54 from IL to MO.

[Orangetxguy]

Thank again for the advice.

I had a pump off in St.Louis the other day and ran into a few problems. The customer connection was about at eye level. I put a bleed valve where the hose meets the customer and it did not really drain much product.

I had no problem with the 2 hoses going from the tank to the pump. The problem was the 20 ft hose going from the pump to the customer. The customer valve was high (about eye level). It had a lot of product in it afterwards.

When the customer connection is the high connection would it help to place a bleed out fitting on the low connection (where the hose connects to the out take valve)?

Yes...Placing the bleed off valve at the lower point is always best, but it still seems like your not pushing much air through those hoses. If you push enough air, there shouldn't be that much left in the discharge hose.
I guess I should ask...does LTC (Dana) use 2" or 3" hoses for discharge?? That may be the difference.

[Orangetxguy]

Hey!! Ohiomohawk...long time no post! What has happened to you??

[ohiomohawk]

Hey!! Ohiomohawk...long time no post! What has happened to you??

Hello Orangetxguy. I am getting broke in the trade! I am back OTR pulling a tank. After my training ended I was cut loose and spend 5-8 days out. I don't get many pump off loads anymore . I run a lot out of Illinois but I just did a 10 day run down south covering 13 states in 10 days.

I can handle the surge a little better but that sun of bitch will still rock your world from time to time. I prefer to drive in the north where it is flat!! I took a load down to New Orleans a while back and got some experience pulling a tank through the hills. I pull quite a bit of Aluminum Chlorohydrate to water treatment plants and places that make deodorant. I have delivered to Gillet, Avon and Loreal!! They use a lot of soap by products. I have also delivered to a few pharmaceutical companies.

I will probably stick with tank yanking!!

[Orangetxguy]

Hello Orangetxguy. I am getting broke in the trade! I am back OTR pulling a tank. After my training ended I was cut loose and spend 5-8 days out. I don't get many pump off loads anymore . I run a lot out of Illinois but I just did a 10 day run down south covering 13 states in 10 days.

I can handle the surge a little better but that sun of bitch will still rock your world from time to time. I prefer to drive in the north where it is flat!! I took a load down to New Orleans a while back and got some experience pulling a tank through the hills. I pull quite a bit of Aluminum Chlorohydrate to water treatment plants and places that make deodorant. I have delivered to Gillet, Avon and Loreal!! They use a lot of soap by products. I have also delivered to a few pharmaceutical companies.

I will probably stick with tank yanking!!

Nothing wrong with that idea young lad! I have been doing it......30 years.

Glad to see you made it past the rough spots! Let your bosses know that your ready to run west across the Rockies soon...so you get get that little bump out of the way!!

[Blacksheep]

So I passed a road test with a small tanker company pulling an empty tank!! No problems except the tester told me I was taking my turns as if I was driving a 53 ft trailer. The tanks are 40 ft long. I have been pulling a 53 ft for 2 years.

I also found it awkward trying to back the tanker because I was use to looking straight down the wall of a trailer to line myself up. It will take some time getting use to looking at the rear tires to become lined up.

I also am not use to the landing gear handle being on the right (passenger) side of the trailer, I will probably walk to the left side of the tanker for a good 3 weeks before getting use to going to the opposite side.

I will be hauling HAZMAT.

Any advice would be appreciated.

You're going to love tank work, ( customers are actually happy to see you ) just take it slow and get use to your equipment.
Ounce you go tank you'll never want to do anything else, bol to you your going to happy in this line of work.

[wonderman]

i have been pulling a tank for 3 years and love it. There are a few more rules and regs but the customers are the best in the treatment of the drivers. wonderman