[2hellandback]

Anyone here know Pneumatic Tankers inside and out?

I have a local cement plant and may have an in to loads but i know very little about these trailers. I see 2 basic types one looks more like the standard tanker shape and the other is a more unique shape the 2 brands most comon seem to be Butler tanks and FRUEHAUF tanks.

Guess i need to know pros and cons between the 2 types.

Most likely ill haul cement and sand into the oil fields or deliver to customers that ship into the oil fields.

The conventional tank type looks like it would be be more stable with the lower center of gravity than the other type but will it do the job needed?

[Maniac]

The trailers are all aluminum, and some are for food grade, flour etc.

The unloading system that goes on the truck is the expensive part, the blower is around $6000 and the power take off is around $600 plus installation.

Some of the trailers have a loading system on the, to load from rail cars, these have big round cylinders on the rear, again they require a drive system.

Look up A&R Transport, they have a fleet of them, so does Bruce Oakley.

[tankyanker]

butler (or tec, transportation equipment co.) makes very inexpensive, lightweight units. they may no longer manufacture them, i'm not sure ... i never see brand new butler/tec units anywhere or listed on truck paper anymore. they're "frameless" and tubular in shape, available in a variety of sizes, from 1000cu three compartment to 1200, 1500, 1600cu four and five compartment trailers. they're older trailers and typically have reyco spring-ride suspensions that are a little rough goin down the road, especially on the back of shorter wheel base tractors, but they have a low center of gravity and there's nothing about them that you can't fix yourself if you have access to some basic shop tools. because of the way they're constructed, though, they have a working/unloading max pressure of 14.5 psi and are more likely to crack or split open (than say, a freuhauf) with excessive pressure the older they get. i prefer them to other older models, because of their light weight and at the end of the day, dry bulk is all about getting paid by tonnage. but if you want air ride, you could probably find a cheap freuhauf with air ride that was not much heavier than a butler style trailer. you can unload cement and sand with both, but they're more suitable for cement, ash, etc.

i would look for a 1000cu three compartment or a 1200cu four compartment butler in the 12,000$ to 14,000$ dollar range. i would give more for a unit that did not leak anywhere, had good bushings, bottom drop t-valves and cut outs on the bottom of the compartments so that you can change out the aeration cones yourself. you're also going to see a lot of old style-spoke wheels ... which are great if you want to fix your own flats or need to swap out a tire on the side of the road, but ideally you would want to move toward aluminum rims to reduce your tare weight.

frac sand ... i dont know, sand is a different animal. i've never hauled it myself, but i know a lot of people who do and it's really hot right now. i'm pretty sure you can't haul sand and cement in the same trailer, you know, back to back. if the trailer is going to be sand service, you have to have it cleaned out and/or sand blasted on the inside and then have the aeration cones set up a certain way. but i don't know, maybe all they require is a wash out. you'd have to find out from the company you're going to be with.

[obiedon]

Hauling sand and powder in the same tanks will depend on your customers requirements. We have some customers who could care less when switching from powder to sand or vice versa. But several customers require 3 loads of powder through the tanks after hauling sand before they will accept a load, otherwise if there is a contamination, we pay to empty the silo and refill it. Usually runs about $10-12k to deal with a contamination. :cry:

Pnuematics are pretty easy work if you know how to run them. My best advice would be to find somebody local who runs them and ask if you can tag along with them for a couple of days, but be honest and let them know you want to get in the business.

[GrayBeard]

Originally Posted by 2hellandback

Anyone here know Pneumatic Tankers inside and out?

I have a local cement plant and may have an in to loads but i know very little about these trailers. I see 2 basic types one looks more like the standard tanker shape and the other is a more unique shape the 2 brands most comon seem to be Butler tanks and FRUEHAUF tanks.

Guess i need to know pros and cons between the 2 types.

Most likely ill haul cement and sand into the oil fields or deliver to customers that ship into the oil fields.

The conventional tank type looks like it would be be more stable with the lower center of gravity than the other type but will it do the job needed?

Butler is no more as they were bought out by Heil. Fruehauf is no longer around either. With dry bulk you will be paid on weight. Fruehauf's are heavy and in my experience take much longer to unload, due to their aeration system. Butler's are good tanks, light weight and easy to repair.

The aluminum tanks are good for cement, flyash, lime as well as other dry bulk materials. You do not want to pump sand with an aluminum trailer as the continuous sand blasting will eat through the aluminum in a very short period of time. Last dealings I had with sand, we were pulling steal trailers for that purpose.

Since you are west of the Mississippi River look in TX for used tanks. Commericial Carriers sent all their used tanks to TX. It was part of the deal they made with Heil when they bought their tanks. Do not go any larger than a 1040 cube tank. 1400's are too heavy and as previously mentioned weight is the name of the game. All my dealings with dry bulk have always had a 25 ton minimum. The more you can get in the tank, the more you can put in your pocket.

I hope this helps some.