Alchemy 101, and still the only 20 thread you need to read.

[Southern Fried]

Unloading consisted of entering the bowels of a paper mill I probbly hauled out of almost 20 years ago, and going to a part of the mill I never would have though of, and backing up to a fitting on a wall, hooking up customer air, hooking up hoses, airing up the trailer, and then opening valves.

Anybody teach you how to take samples yet? Or how to check for a "heel" (leftover chemical)? I'm hoping they taught you proper valve procedure to avoid being sprayed.

Nothing complicated but necessary to avoid injury to you or others.

 

[Sinister]

Anybody teach you how to take samples yet? Or how to check for a "heel" (leftover chemical)? I'm hoping they taught you proper valve procedure to avoid being sprayed.

Nothing complicated but necessary to avoid injury to you or others.

The trainer today did something I would not have done, and don't know why he did it.

He shut off the customer air, and let the tank PSI push what he thought was the rest of the load out.

He ended up going back inside to turn the air on, and push out the REAL rest of the load.

Not a criticism, because obviously, I still know nothing, but I don't know why you wouldn't just use customer air the whole time.

Seemed like a dumb shortcut to me.

 

[Tazz]

Hey @Southern Fried is it possible to over well aerate a liquid load and cause air pockets keeping some tailings behind? We could do that in dry bulk so we would shut off the airflow and let the tank settle then blow out the end slug.

Only thing I can think of, but definitely something I would ask.

 

[Keendriver]

Used to have the same thing with chatty escorts on big loads...you never get used to it.

Like

 

[Southern Fried]

The trainer today did something I would not have done, and don't know why he did it.

He shut off the customer air, and let the tank PSI push what he thought was the rest of the load out.

He ended up going back inside to turn the air on, and push out the REAL rest of the load.

Not a criticism, because obviously, I still know nothing, but I don't know why you wouldn't just use customer air the whole time.

Seemed like a dumb shortcut to me.

I got to agree with you.... with an exception. When you see the hose "jump" ( tank air and product in the hose) you can normally shut the customer's air down. Then close your inner valve and let it "sit" for a couple of minutes to let any remaining product (heel) drain down. Re-open the valve for a couple of minutes then shut both valves. Removing "heel" is important to protect the washbay guys from getting an unexpected bath. I think this is what your trainer was thinking of, he just jumped the gun.

Hey @Southern Fried is it possible to over well aerate a liquid load and cause air pockets keeping some tailings behind? We could do that in dry bulk so we would shut off the airflow and let the tank settle then blow out the end slug.

Only thing I can think of, but definitely something I would ask.

Haven't seen it happen. We only use around 25psi. Any "slug" (we call it a "heel") would be from residue or occasionally from things like an uneven platform (front of trailer lower than the back) or customer's fittings/pipe higher than the trailer.

 

[Duck]

What happens if you connect a 120 psi air compressor to a tanker & walk away?

 

[Southern Fried]

What happens if you connect a 120 psi air compressor to a tanker & walk away?

You get fired for being an idiot.

Actually, most tankers have a "Castle Valve" (blowout valve if you prefer) which releases pressure beyond a set point (say 30psi). Makes a heck of a racket.

About 4 years back I did a delivery to a brand new plant. The receivers were 2 young girls who were very full of themselves and their "authority". They hooked the air up from above on a cat walk while I was doing the hookup below. In less than a minute the Castle Valve went off and started screaming. This was inside the building and sounded like a bomb went off. People running from all over. Both girls were in full panic modeso I had to make a mad dash up there and slam the air shutoff closed. Uh huh, 150 psi in the line. "Well, that would make it unload faster" one said.

"Damn right", I told her, "if that release valve had stuck, you'd have blown the end out of the trailer". Blank Look.

 

[Rigjockey]

I see a lot of QC trucks in the Canada. Will you be going to the Canada or just the 48?

 

[AK7]

Oh,our friend will learn to love Montreal and Toronto.

 

[Mike]

Something about customers who supply the air and have a high volume. It is pointless to wait for pressure to build in the tank. Connect the air, open the valves, and let it rip. I have tested this theory time and time again, and waiting for pressure to build is 2 minutes of your life you will never get back

It's also always nice when you can relieve your air pressure through the hoses and into the customers tank. Much faster that way, but some will complain......

never forget to drain off all air pressure either. Buddy of mine got raked over the coals in Ohio because there was a couple psi showing on the gauge at the weigh station.

Get some plastic covers that will slide over your placards as well. Terminal manager will probably order some if you bring it up to him/her. Placards will never fly off or get destroyed by rain if you use these. Much cheaper than a ticket, and the truck stops will NEVER carry the placards you use, nor do you want to be caught carrying extra placards in your truck that doesn't match the load you are hauling.

 

[Keendriver]

Jeez, you chem boys sure know how to complicate things.

Just pull the handle and let gravity do all the work.
You're welcome.

 

[Mike]

Jeez, you chem boys sure know how to complicate things.

Just pull the handle and let gravity do all the work.
You're welcome.

He may get the chance to do that in Amish country. Cold winters was a money maker for me, taking heater fuel up into Pennsylvania and other areas. They typically needed it bad and would let you unload as soon as you could get it there. That was great considering we deadheaded home from all of our loads.

Chicago has quite a few in ground tanks as well still, I guess because they have absolutely no room to put anything above ground around there. Deliver all sorts of chemicals via a quick gravity feed there. Getting to these places was great because most of them you could park outside the gate at night. Only problem is they wouldn't open up til 7-8 in the morning (that's 0700-0800) for @Sinister. 30 minutes later the tank was empty, hoses put back up, bills in hand, and driving 1 mph all the way out of Chicago

 

[Mike]

Something I just thought about. Some of these customers really do depend on you to make sure their tank isn't overfilled, so be sure to check the capacity if at all possible, or at least verify with folks there that there is plenty of room.

Had a charcoal place in Salem, MO. Had to deliver charcoal lighter fluid there whenever dispatch was mad at me, LOL. They had three tanks, and no clue How much was in any of the tanks. You were almost guaranteed to shoot lighter fluid out the top of at least one tank there, which was really nice considering the employees were constantly burning wood outside to stay warm were they were working. How that place didn't go up in flames is beyond me.

 

[Keendriver]

Something I just thought about. Some of these customers really do depend on you to make sure their tank isn't overfilled, so be sure to check the capacity if at all possible, or at least verify with folks there that there is plenty of room.

Had a charcoal place in Salem, MO. Had to deliver charcoal lighter fluid there whenever dispatch was mad at me, LOL. They had three tanks, and no clue How much was in any of the tanks. You were almost guaranteed to shoot lighter fluid out the top of at least one tank there, which was really nice considering the employees were constantly burning wood outside to stay warm were they were working. How that place didn't go up in flames is beyond me.

So no tank charts?
No level indicators?

 

[Mike]

So no tank charts?
No level indicators?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Some places depend on the tube outside the tank to show the level inside the tank. That plastic tubing is so old you can't see through it anymore, or just not there anymore because it leaked and they capped it off.

QC has you covered as long as you follow procedure via a simple sign off on the paperwork before unloading starts. Still, it is always better too verify if you can to prevent issues.

Hauled an expensive chemical to a place up in Washington a long time ago. 2400 gallons of product in an 8000+ capacity tanker. Customer wanted it immediately, so I teamed the load up there with a friend who worked at the company with me. Customer showed us the connection point. I asked to see the tank, and he quickly showed me an empty 2500 gallon capacity plastic tank. he then proceeded to lock the door so we wouldn't go back inside where the tank was, and left.

2500 gallons of product unloads fast, and it drains out of a tank really fast as well when it is leaking out of the bottom at a high rate of speed. We pushed the product off in just a couple minutes.About the time the hose started jumping, product was pouring out from under the door of the little building with the locked door. I called the supervisors cell phone, and he immediately put me on hold because he was on an important call. 5 minutes later, he asked me what I needed. Told him he had a bit of a leak. By the time he got there, the tank was empty. He was mad, I pointed to signed paper and locked door. Reported the spill, and we were on our way out a few minutes later.

We deadheaded back to Arkansas, but wasn't able to take the reload back up there. I wanted to though, just so I could laugh at the guy again.

 

[Injun]

...you [do NOT] want to be caught carrying extra placards in your truck that doesn't match the load you are hauling.

Why not? Maybe I didn't look very hard, but I've never seen a rule about this. When I was running dry van OTR, I hauled a variety of hazmats. Once the load was done, I'd take the placards out of the holders and kept them in a box in my truck. Saved my tail a couple of times when some truckstop asshat thought he'd make my life suck by stealing a placard or two. I'd had spares from a previous load and just replaced them and went on about my business. ...and how are the permanently attached flip charts legal if you're not supposed to carry other (not load matching) placards with you?

 

[Mike]

Why not? Maybe I didn't look very hard, but I've never seen a rule about this. When I was running dry van OTR, I hauled a variety of hazmats. Once the load was done, I'd take the placards out of the holders and kept them in a box in my truck. Saved my tail a couple of times when some truckstop asshat thought he'd make my life suck by stealing a placard or two. I'd had spares from a previous load and just replaced them and went on about my business. ...and how are the permanently attached flip charts legal if you're not supposed to carry other (not load matching) placards with you?

Never looked for a rule on this. It was brought up in orientation, and repeated to me by our terminal manager. I carried them all the time with me, particularly the ones I used most often, but well out of view in case of an inspection just in case.

 

[Tazz]

I have had them in a side box during inspections. All I was asked is why I was carrying them and was there hazmat on my current load. I told them it was cheaper to keep spares from the office, and no if it was they would be on the trailer not in the box

 

[Blood]

I have had them in a side box during inspections. All I was asked is why I was carrying them and was there hazmat on my current load. I told them it was cheaper to keep spares from the office, and no if it was they would be on the trailer not in the box

Shoulda told him to count the tires and mind his own damn binuzz.

 

[AK7]

From the hazmat training we got a month ago,the permanent ones are legal,but they can't have any writing on them when folded closed.