The post below is not mine but I would like to know more if this is true or is it a myth? Also do any of you have any myths to share?
"I have always heard about loads of onions in a dry van that is not vented EXPLODING. Due to the onions rubbing together and emitting some sort of gasses. I have heard this for years and numerous people. WHAT IS YOUR TAKE?"http://community.discovery.com/eve/f...6/m/3481972378

If it were true, then onions would be classified as a HM. (which is only true if I am eating them) :lol:


Never heard that one before.

Come to think about it I have only seen onions tarped on a flatbed.
I have a myth to add "stale green light" I never see it red I was told that if a you see a green light it will turn red by the time you get there. "Only kidding" :lol:
What trucking myth have you heard?

If traveling at night, in dark areas if you flash your high beam's at the intersection the light will stay green or if the light is red it will turn green. Heard this from a drivers once, he said some lights have a detection system in the lights so if an emergency vehicle is approaching with the emergency flashers on it will give them the right away.

Never tried it so don't know if it works?

Consider the potential causes for an explosion:

1. A "Balloon" effect where (perhaps due to decomposition) the onions emit a gas which expands to the point where it can't be contained by the trailer. I don't think there is such a thing as a truly unvented trailer.

2. Perhaps decomposition creates a flammable gas (such as methane) that could be ignited by an ignition source. These types of gases are created in such minute amounts that there isn't enough volume in a 53 footer for the amount required to go BOOM!!!

I'd say .... BUSTED!!!!!

Gee....I better get that big bag of onions out of the pantry........ :roll:

Be good, Jim

The system you are talking about is called Opticom and it is made by 3M. It is a flashing light but at an astonishingly fast rate. Please don't quote me on this but IIRC it is something like 300 flashes a minute. You would have to be pretty good at flashing your lights to get it to work not to mention that I doubt halogen lights can cycle that fast.

And to answer your next question, Back in the day when I had one legaly, I abused the heck outta it. :lol:

You are correct and it is illegal for any vehicle other than an emergency vehicle to be equipped with one. The fines for possessing them illegally are quite extensive, too. The light that does it is that strobe usually mounted on the bumper or integrated into the light bar.

With some of the older light systems, it was possible to get it to work with regular lights. There was a particular downtown light in Greensboro, NC that I had to run through every night on my way home from work. It was a notoriously looooong light but in the middle of the night, a few flicks of the high-beams was enough to trigger it. But that was years ago, too. Doubt you could make it work today.

There is still some in VA that work like that one you saw in Greensboro, Twi. Out in the sticks mainly but occasionally you can find one in the city area's.

its not the gas it emits. This is a true story, when I was 13, a 7 yr old boy was killed. He was playing on a haystack, what happened was the haystack was very old and it was decomposing deep inside of it causing a lot of heat. Also because of the decomp. The inside was rather hollow. Well he fell through the haystack and the opening he left provided the center of the haystack with oxygen and wooof it went up in flames with the kid unable to get out. I dont know if many people are into farming nowadays but if you ever have dealt with a pile of maneur, it does the same thing, the inside of the pile gets very hot and steams when you shovel it to spread it.