Would anyone be able to give me advice about pulling tanks? I know that I need my tanker/hazmat endorsements. I am interested in hauling fuel, gas, propane, etc. Local driving what i am looking for. Any companies in sw ohio would be what i am looking for.

 

Your in luck!!! Belpre just left a job hauling fuel in Indianapolis! He fer sure can fill you in on all the in's & out's of hauling gasoline and diesel! Propane...not so much...but there must be one or two or them guys hanging around.

 

The problem Stan is that Belpre now gets his mail by dogsled. By the time he gets the question delivered to Chateau Petro this kid will already be on the job for a year. Bel, It is supposed to be -27 tonight in your neck of the woods, Throw another dog on the bed. Eh!

 

That's ok about Bel's mail delivery Jumbo! Timber Wolf is just coming off his rookie season, and can give young Auggie an insightful description of what to expect and how most things are done.......at least as far as gasoline and diesel go!


Propane is still at a loggerhead though, cuz there just aren't any active haulers here..............I think.

 

Propane? Never pulled it, but I imagine that it would have some surge...afterall its "Liquified Petroleum Gas", aka LPG....though I haven't got a clue as to how much surge might be involved. No smoking though...

Pulling a single barrel un-baffled tank is a realm unto itself. Forget being in a big hurry, especially on curves, ramps, corners, etc.... unless you are carrying something really lite like acetone...you will have surge, and in turns and such the beast can climb the wall and lead to a rollover if you are moving too fast. Slow and easy is the rule for the acceleration and deceleration routines and turns.

100% legal logbook is the rule....hazmat haulers are looked at and audited more....so the BS is a thing of the past.

If you are a smoker...quit. Getting caught smoking with a flammable load is expensive.

One major difference between tanks and boxes and reefers and others..... We don't deal with the dickheads in food warehouses and our shippers and customers are extremely safety conscious and normally friendly and professional...as long as you stick to safety protocols.

 

I hauled sulfur dioxide which basically has the same characteristics as propane and freon, there was very little surge. nothing to worry about. NOW I haul animal fat in a smooth bore tanker. TALK ABOUT SURGE!!!!

 

i haul doubles...but some animal fat behind the wheel. and start chewing instead of smoking.

 

huh???

 

Hey Auggie,
Pulling fuel is an awesome job, it is great for the testoserone flow and if you are not careful could add to an unwanted flow of crap as well.
I have just passed my rookie year as orangetx stated, all in all I love the job. It is extremely mental you have to have your mind on what you are doing at all times, at any given point of the day something as little as a phone call or some other minor distraction can easily become a $35,000 mistake and a trip to the unemployment line.
Getting Stagnant in your daily routine is also a sure fire way to screw up, hence why it is so mental find a routine and stick to it everytime, Mine is like brushing my teeth. Pull up to the rack, do my walk around, double check lights are off, pull on to the rack, double check my load info and supplier, get out of truck and card in, walk down open compartment doors and open belly values, take dust covers off tank pipes, hook up skully cord, hook up vapor hose, bucket drain, hook up proper product lines, double check all fittings once more, input product amount and let it rip.
Depending on product I have a way I fill the truck each time always the same way. it has 5 compartments #1 is 3000 Gal, #2 1500 #3 1200 #4 1000 #5 2500, if I am filling all 87 reg product, one hose goes on #1 and the other goes on #3 and then I work to the left capping each tank as soon as I fill it. Once all tanks are filled I disconnect everything oppesite of how I started and double check to make sure all connections are loose and go about my delivery.

Driving a tanker in simply terms is be on the defensive at all times, stay calm, don't get pissed off at others and just do your job, don't take turns fast go as slow as you like and make the rest of the world wait for you and you will stay alive. If you get in a hurry sooner or later you will screw up it is just a matter of how badly do you want to push those odds and why would you want to?

Delivery is the same as loading only this time you are dropping into a tank under ground that you need to know how much product will fit in there and make sure you have the right product in there. All tanks are universal for the most part White is Regular, Red is premium, yellow is diesel, Brown is propane and then some other variations for racing fuel and other products that I have not delivered as of yet.
Knowing how much will fit into a tank is basic math, they tell us to fill tanks to 90%, (sometimes 95 if it is a very busy store and they have a small tank) once you know the tank size just use a tank chart to figure out your numbers or you can use the veeder root readings if the store has one. These readings are nice but they can tend to be off by an inch or so every now and then which could result in an overflow or shutdown. I like the tank charts myself, it is just like anything else, do it enough times and you will know how much will fit into a tank just by your stick readings.
Thats about it in a nut shell I am sure I have missed a few details but it is early am and I have to get my kid off to school, If you have any other questions let me know and I will do my best to help answer them..

Good luck and be safe.

Timberwolf

 

Thanks for this info..Are you staying busy?This truckload freight is a bust right now..Been thinking about driving tanker for a few years now..Just doing my homework now..And 1 other question..at the rack,after a compartment fills..do you physically close the belly valve or is it automatic? Checkout the Youtube video

YouTube - The Real Dirty Jobs